Unit 3- topic 1 Flashcards
Structure and function of CNS
Brain + spinal cord connected by brain stem
Processing + responding to sensory input from PNS
Structure and Function of PNS
Comprises nerves + ganglia outside brain + spinal cord to communicates info to and from CNS
subdivisions of PNS
Somatic and Autonomic Nervous system
function of somatic nervous system
Transmits sensory info to, and motor commands from CNS. It is both voluntary and mediated by reflexes.
function of autonomic nervous system
Communication between body’s non-skeletal muscles and internal organs + glands
Non-voluntary control of body’s functions e.g., heartbeat and breathing
subdivisions and functions of the autonomic nervous system
SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC
Sympathetic: fight-flight-freeze response
Parasympathetic: maintaining homeostasis (rest and digest)
what is the spinal cords role in stimulus-response loops?
For stimulus-response loops, the spinal cord acts as a pathway that connects the brain and PNS
definition of spinal reflexes
innate responses controlled by spinal cord without the brain to sensory stimuli which tend to contribute to safety and survival
monosynaptic reflex arc
involves one synapse with a sensory neuron directly communicating a signal to a motor neuron
Polysynaptic reflex arc
involves more than one synapse, including interneurons in the spinal cord
cerebral cortex
surface of the rain that is covered in bumps and folds called gyri and sulci. Fissure is a deep sulcus called a fissure such as the longitudinal fissure that divides the hemispheres of the brain.
corpus callosum
connects left and right hemispheres of brain
occipital lobe role and cortex
primary visual cortex: processes visual information from the eyes
identifies and makes sense of visual information.
parietal lobe function and cortex
somatosensory cortex: area of neurons running down the front of the parietal lobes.
responsible for processing information from the skin and internal body receptors for touch, temperature, body position, and possibly taste.
temporal lobe function and cortex
primary auditory cortex: processes auditory information from the ears
identifies and makes sense of auditory information.
frontal lobe function and cortex
responsible for higher mental processes and decision making as well as the production of fluent speech.
motor cortex: section of the frontal lobe located at the back; responsible for sending motor commands to the muscles of the somatic nervous system.
Brocas area lobe, function, and damage
Broca’s area (frontal lobe)- the speech production centre of the brain and the muscle movements of speech involving the motor control of the lips and tongue. Damage can lead to Broca’s aphasia (difficulty speaking, articulating, and constructing grammatically correct sentences)
Wernicke’s area, lobe function, and damage
Wernicke’s area (temporal lobe)- responsible for speech comprehension by taking auditory input and applying meaning. Damage can lead to Wernicke’s aphasia (difficulty understanding speech and producing meaningful sentences)
Geschwind’s territory, lobe and function
Geschwind’s territory (parietal lobe)- area of the brain that provides a connection between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area and other areas involved in language via bundle of nerve fibres.
role of the limbic system
responsible for interpretation, production, and regulation of emotion, including behavior and motivation. located on both sides of thalamus.
what makes up the limbic system
hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex
hippocampus role
regulation and expression of emotion and memory
aids in recalling relevant memory to create meaning when presented with emotionally charged stimuli
hypothalamus role
homeostasis and survival systems and links nervous systems to the endocrine system. Involved in physiological responses to fear stimuli
thalamus role
involved in emotional processing, memory formation, and behavioural regulation
