Central Nervous System

Central Nervous System

brain & spinal cord: relays messages, processes info and analyzes info

Meninges

Three layers of connective tissue in which the brain & spinal cord are wrapped

Pia Mater

"soft mother" - 1st layer of the meninges

Arachnoid

webbing- 2nd layer of the meninges

Dura Mater

"hard mother"- 3rd layer of the meninges

Cerebrospinal Fluid

bathes the brain & spinal cord and acts as a shock absorber that protects the CNS

Brain

cephalization, place to which impulses flow & from which impulses originate, covered by the skull

Cerebrum

responsible for voluntary movement, intelligence, learning and judgement: four lobes

Frontal Lobe

emotional control, self awareness, motivation, judgement, problem solving, talking, movement (motor control), and planing

Parietal Lobe

movement, orientation, recognition, perception of stimuli sensory input, and sense of touch

Occipital Lobe

visual processing

Temporal Lobe

perception and recognition of auditory stimuli, memory, and speech

Corpus Collosum

separates the right and left cerebral hemispheres, facilitates communication between the hemispheres, largest white matter structure

Brain sides

deals with the opposite side of the body

right- creativity | left- math and analysis

Cerebral Cortex

outer surface of gray matter made of densely packed nerve cell bodies

Cerebral Medulla

mostly white matter made up of bundles of axons and myelin sheath

Spinal Cord

reverse of the brain (outer- white, inner- gray)

White matter

connects the cerebral cortex and the brain stem

Cerebellum

second largest region: coordinates and balances the actions of the muscles (grace + efficiency) "learn" and store motor patterns

Brain Stem

connects the brain and the spinal cord, includes pons (controls breathing) and medulla oblongata (heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, swallowing & vomiting)

Pons

control of breathing

Medulla Oblongata

regulates visceral activity: heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, swallowing & vomiting)

Pons & Medulla

Regulate the flow of information between the brain and the rest of the body. Vital functions for survival- when damaged can result in immediate death

Mid Brain

hearing and balance

Thalamus

Receives messages from the sense organs and then relays that info to the correct region of the cerebrum for further processing

Hypothalamus

control center for recognition and analysis of hunger, thirst, fatigue, anger, and body temp (maintain homeostasis)

Peripheral Nervous System

sensory (transmits from sense organs to CNS) + motor (transmits from CNS to muscles or glands

Somatic Nervous System

regulates the conscious movement of skeletal muscles

Autonomic Nervous System

regulates automatic (involuntary) nervous system, glands, blood vessels, internal organs

Sympathetic Nervous System

mobilizes body for action energy, speeds up system

Parasympathetic Nervous System

slows down system

Reflex

a quick, automatic response to a stimulus

Reflexive Arc

receptors in the skin stimulate sensory neurons that carry info to the spinal cord and the brain, but before the brain is stimulated, the neurons in the spinal cord automatically activate the appropriate motor neurons.