Nervous System and Sense Organs, Overview Exam 1

Cerebrum function:

responsible for though, memory and voluntary movements

Cerebellum function:

coordinates balance and movement

Thalamus function:

relay station for sensory impulses, control of awareness and consiousness

Hypothalamus funciton:

Body temp, sleep, appetite, emotions, control of pituitary gland

Brainstem funciton:

controls vital functions like breathing and heart rate

What make up the cerebrum?

frontal

parietal

temporal

occipital

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

through process, behavior, personality, emotion

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

Body sensations, visual and spatial perception

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

hearing, understanding speech, language

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

vision

What are the 3 layers of the meninges?

dura mater

arachnoid mater

pia mater

What is the function of the spinal cord?

transmits nerve signals between the brain and the rest of the body

What is the function of the sensory nerves?

Carry information to the CNS

What is the function of the motor nerves?

transmit signals from the CNS to muscles and glands

What is the function of the mixed nerves?

Contain both sensory and motor fibers

What are ganglia?

small collections of nerve cell bodies outside brain and spinal cord

The peripheral nervous system carries nerve impulses to where?

carry impulses between brain and head/neck (except vagus), messages to/from neck, chest, and abdomen

What are neurons composed of?

composed of a cell body, dendrites and an axon

What is the function of the neuron?

transmit nerve impusles

Astr/o

star

olig/o

few/scanty dentrites

What are astrocytes?

neuroglia that support and repair neurons

What are oligodendrocytes?

neuroglia that produce myelin in the CNS

What are ependymal cells?

Neuroglia that line the ventricles of the brain where CSF is produced

What is the synapse?

Junction between two neurons where nerve impulses are transmitted

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemicals that transmit signals across synapses

What is the function of the somatic nervous system?

controls voluntary body movements and reflexes

What 2 components make up the somatic nervous sytem?

Motor neurons and sensory neurons

What is the function of the ANS?

regulates the involuntary body functions

What are the two divisions of the ANS?

SNS

PSNS

The PSNS does what:

decrease heart rate, stimulate digestion, promote energy conservation

The SNS does what:

increase heart rate, dilates airways, increases blood flow to muscles

What is the enteric nervous system?

controls gastrointestinal functions, including peristalsis and enzyme secretion

Where is the enteric nervous system located?

embedded in the gut wall (neurons)

Cauda equina

collection of spinal nerves below the end of the spinal cord

cell body

part of the nerve cell that contains the nucleus

dendrite

branching fiber of a nerve cell that is the first part to receive the nervous impulse

medulla oblongata

above spinal cord, controls breathing, heartbeat, and size of blood vessels, nerve fibers cross over here

midbrain

uppermost portion of the brainstem

myelin sheath

covering white fatty tissue that surrounds and insulates the axon of a nerve cell, speeds up impulse conduction along axons

pons

a bridge connecting various parts of the brain, between the medulla and the rest of the midbrain

receptor

organ that receives and transmits a stimulus to sensory nerves (skin, ears, eyes, and taste buds)

sciatic nerve

nerve extending from the base of the spine down the high, lower leg, and foot

stroma

connective and supporting tissue of an organ, glial cells make up the stromal tissue of the brain

ventricles of the brain

canals in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid

cerebell/o

cerebellum

cerebr/o

cerebrum

dur/o

dura mater

encephal/o

brain

gli/o

glial cells

Lept/o

thin, slender

mening/o, meiningi/o

membranes, meninges

my/o

muscle

myel/o

spinal cord (bone marrow)

neur/o

nerve

pont/o

pons

radicul/o

nerve root

thalam/o

thalamus

thec/o

sheath

vag/o

vagus nerve

alges/o, algesia

sensitivity to pain

-algia

pain

caus/o

burning

comat/o

deep sleep (coma)

esthesi/o, esthesia

feeling, nervous sensation

kines/o, kinesi/o, -kinesia, -kinesis, -kinetic

movement

-lepsy

seizure

lex/o

word, phrase

-paraesis

weakness

-phasia

speech

-plegia

paralysis

-praxia

action

-sthenia

strength

syncop/o

to cut off, cut short

tax/o

order, coordination

What is spina bifida?

Congenital defect in the lumbar spinal column (neural tube defect)

What is Alzheimers disease?

Progressive dementia and cognitive decline (sulci widening and atrophy of cortex)

What are the most primary brain tumors?

Gliomas or meingiomas

What is the most malignant form of brain cancer?

glioblastoma multiforme

What is the conjuctiva?

Covers the front of the eye

What is the lacrimal apparatus?

produces and drains tears

What is the function of the sclera and cornea?

Outer protective layer, light entry

What is the function of the iris and lens?

Regulate light entry, focus light on the retina

What is the function of the retina?

contains photoreceptor cells, converts light into neural signals

What is the optic disc?

“Blind spot” where the optic nerve meets the retina

What is the fovea centralis?

central depression, many cones, location of the sharpest vision

accommodation

normla adjustment of the eye to focus on objects from far to near

anterior chamber

area behind the cornea and in front of the lens and iris (aqueous humor)

aqueous humor

fluid produced by the cilary body and found in the anterior chamber

biconvex

consisting of two surfaces that are rounded, elevated, and curved evenly, like part of a sphere

choroid

middle, vascular layer of the eye, between the retina and sclera

ciliary body

structure surrounding the lens that connects the iris to the choroid

cone

photoreceptor cell in the retina that transforms light energy into a nerve impulse (color and central vision)

conjunctiva

delicate memrbane lining the eyelids and covering the eyeball up to the cornea

cornea

fibrous transparent layer of clear tissue that extends over the anterior portion of the eyball

fundus of the eye

posterior, inner part of the eye, visualized with an ophthalmoscope

macula

small oval region on the retina near the optic disc, contains the fovea centralis

optic chiasm

point at which optic nerve fibers cross in the brain

rod

photoreceptor of the retina essential for vision in low light and for peripheral vision

vitreous humor

soft, jelly-like material behind the lens in the vitreous chamber, helps maintain the shape of the eyeball