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DEN1DSA > Week 6 > Flashcards

Week 6 Flashcards

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1
Q

How does the nervous system send messages?

A

It uses fast electrical and chemical signals.

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2
Q

What does the nervous system do?

A

It controls and coordinates everything we do, including thoughts, feelings, and body movements.

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3
Q

What are the two main parts of the nervous system?

A

The central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

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4
Q

What does the CNS include?

A

The brain and spinal cord.

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5
Q

What does the brain do?

A

It processes thoughts, emotions, and body coordination.

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6
Q

What does the spinal cord do?

A

It carries messages between the brain and the body.

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7
Q

What does the PNS do?

A

It connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.

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8
Q

What are the two parts of the PNS?

A

The sensory (afferent) division and the motor (efferent) division.

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9
Q

What does the sensory division do?

A

It brings information from the body to the brain.

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10
Q

What does the motor division do?

A

It sends instructions from the brain to the body.

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11
Q

What is the somatic nervous system?

A

It controls voluntary movements like walking.

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12
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system?

A

It controls automatic body functions like heart rate and digestion.

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13
Q

What is the sympathetic nervous system?

A

It prepares the body for stress (fight or flight).

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14
Q

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

It helps the body relax and recover (rest and digest).

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15
Q

What does the motor (efferent) division do?

A

Carries commands from the CNS to muscles and glands.

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16
Q

What are the two parts of the motor (efferent) division?

A

Somatic nervous system

Autonomic nervous system

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17
Q

What does the somatic nervous system control?

A

Voluntary movements (e.g., skeletal muscle).

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18
Q

What does the autonomic nervous system control?

A

Involuntary body functions (e.g., heart rate, digestion).

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19
Q

What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system?

A

Sympathetic nervous system

Parasympathetic nervous system

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20
Q

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

A

Activates the ‘fight or flight’ response in stress.

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21
Q

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

A

Supports ‘rest and digest’ activities.

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22
Q

What is the brain made up of?

A

Several specialised regions, each with different functions.

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23
Q

How do brain regions work together?

A

They are interconnected and function in complex networks.

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24
Q

What does the brain regulate?

A

Behaviour

Cognition

Movement

Sensation

Emotion

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25
Why are the brain’s regions important?
They help us perceive, interpret, and interact with the world.
26
What is the cerebral cortex?
It’s the outer grey matter layer covering the two cerebral hemispheres.
27
How thick is the cerebral cortex and what does it contain?
About 2–4 mm thick and has around 2 billion neuron cell bodies.
28
Why does the cerebral cortex have folds?
To increase surface area so more cortex can fit in the skull.
29
What are gyri and sulci?
Gyri = ridges (elevations) Sulci = grooves They separate the brain into lobes.
30
What are the main functions of the cerebral cortex?
Cognition Memory Attention Perception Awareness Voluntary movement
31
What are the three functional areas of the cerebral cortex?
Motor areas Sensory areas Association areas
32
Where are motor areas located and what do they do?
Mainly in the frontal lobe Control voluntary movements The primary motor cortex sends movement signals to muscles (motor homunculus)
33
Where are sensory areas located and what do they do?
Found in parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes Process touch, pain, visual, and sound information
34
Examples of sensory areas?
Somatosensory cortex (touch) – parietal lobe Visual cortex – occipital lobe Auditory cortex – temporal lobe
35
What do association areas do?
Integrate sensory info with memory, emotions & thoughts Involved in understanding, problem-solving, and decision-making
36
What is the spinal cord?
A long, thin bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and body and controls reflexes.
37
Where does the spinal cord extend from and to?
From the medulla oblongata to the lumbar region of the spine.
38
What protects the spinal cord?
The vertebrae protect the spinal cord, just like the skull protects the brain.
39
What cushions the vertebrae?
Cartilage disks act as shock absorbers during movement like walking or jumping.
40
How many vertebrae make up the adult spine?
26 individual vertebrae.
41
How many spinal nerves are there?
31 pairs: 8 cervical 12 thoracic 5 lumbar 5 sacral 1 coccygeal
42
What do spinal nerves do?
They carry both sensory and motor info between the spinal cord and body.
43
What are ventral roots?
They contain motor neurons that send signals from the CNS to muscles and glands.
44
What are dorsal roots?
They carry sensory signals to the CNS from skin, muscles, and organs.
45
Where are the cell bodies of sensory neurons found?
In the dorsal root ganglion.
46
Where is white and grey matter located in the spinal cord?
Grey matter is central (butterfly-shaped) White matter is outer
47
What does spinal cord white matter do?
It sends messages up and down between brain and body.
48
What are white matter columns called and where are they?
Dorsal (back) Ventral (front) Lateral (sides)
49
What is gray matter made of and what does it do?
Made of neuron cell bodies and dendrites; processes and sends information.
50
What are the three gray matter horns?
Dorsal horn – sensory input Ventral horn – motor output Lateral horn – autonomic functions (e.g. heart rate)
51
What are ascending and descending pathways?
Ascending = sensory info to brain Descending = motor info from brain
52
What controls voluntary vs automatic movement?
Cerebral cortex = voluntary Brainstem nuclei = automatic (e.g. posture)
53
What do sensory receptors respond to?
They respond to stimuli (changes in the environment).
54
What happens when a receptor is activated?
It generates graded potentials → leads to nerve impulses → sent to CNS.
55
Where do sensation and perception occur?
Both occur in the brain. Sensation = awareness Perception = interpretation
56
What are the 5 main types of sensory receptors?
Mechanoreceptors – touch, pressure, vibration, stretch Thermoreceptors – temperature Chemoreceptors – chemicals (taste, smell, blood chemistry) Nociceptors – pain (damaging stimuli) Photoreceptors – light (e.g. in retina)
57
What do mechanoreceptors respond to?
Mechanical forces like touch, pressure, vibration, stretch.
58
What do thermoreceptors detect?
Temperature changes (heat and cold).
59
What do chemoreceptors detect?
Chemical stimuli in solution (e.g. taste, smell, blood pH).
60
What do nociceptors detect?
Painful or damaging stimuli (extreme temp, pressure, chemicals).
61
What do photoreceptors respond to and where are they found?
They detect light and are found in the retina of the eye.
62
How do mechanoreceptors send touch signals to the brain?
Pressure deforms receptor Ion channels open → membrane potential changes Action potential travels via sensory neuron Signal reaches somatosensory cortex → touch is processed
63
What are the two main parts of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?
Somatic nervous system Autonomic nervous system
64
What does the somatic nervous system control?
Voluntary movements via skeletal muscles
65
What does the autonomic nervous system control?
Involuntary body functions like: Heart rate Respiration Digestion Blood pressure
66
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic nervous system Parasympathetic nervous system
67
What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?
Activates ‘fight or flight’ response Increases heart rate Increases breathing Decreases digestion
68
What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system?
Activates ‘rest and digest’ response Slows heart rate Stimulates digestion Promotes calm state
69
Does the somatic system control voluntary or involuntary movement?
Voluntary
70
Does the autonomic system control voluntary or involuntary movement?
Involuntary
71
Example of an organ affected by sympathetic nervous system:
Heart – heart rate increases
72
Example of an organ affected by parasympathetic nervous system:
Stomach – digestion is stimulated
73
What are cranial nerves?
12 pairs of nerves that originate from the brain and control head, neck, and some thoracic/abdominal functions.
74
Where do cranial nerves originate?
CN I & II (Olfactory & Optic): from cerebrum CN III to XII: from brainstem
75
How are cranial nerves numbered?
With Roman numerals (I–XII), from front (rostral) to back (caudal)
76
What types of functions do cranial nerves have?
Sensory (e.g., sight, smell) Motor (e.g., muscle control) Both sensory and motor
77
Mnemonic for remembering cranial nerve names (I–XII):
Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet AH! Olfactory Optic Oculomotor Trochlear Trigeminal Abducens Facial Vestibulocochlear Glossopharyngeal Vagus Accessory Hypoglossal
78
Mnemonic for remembering function (Sensory, Motor, Both):
Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More (S = sensory, M = motor, B = both)
79
Cranial nerve I: Olfactory
Function: Smell
80
Cranial nerve II: Optic
Function: Vision
81
Cranial nerve X: Vagus
Function: Autonomic control of heart, lungs, digestion
82
What is a reflex?
A fast, automatic response to a stimulus. Example: pulling your hand away from a hot surface.
83
Why are reflexes important?
They act as survival mechanisms—protecting the body from harm without needing conscious thought.
84
Where are reflexes processed?
Reflexes are processed in the spinal cord or brainstem, not the brain—so the response is quicker.
85
What’s a spinal reflex?
A reflex that bypasses the brain and is processed directly in the spinal cord. E.g., knee-jerk reflex.
86
What is the gag reflex?
A protective reflex triggered by touching the back of the throat. Helps prevent choking.
87
Olfactory nerve
Smell
88
Optic nerve
vision
89
Oculomotor nerve
eye movement, pupil constriction
90
glossopharyngeal nerve
taste, sensory information from tongue, tonsil, pharynx; controls some muscles used in swallowing
91
spinal accessory nerve
controls muscles used in head movement

DEN1DSA (11 decks)

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