Biopsych ch 3

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system

Contains the autonomic and somatic systems. Connects CNS to the rest of the body.

Autonomic nervous system

Contains sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Automatic self-regulation of internals (viscera) (heart, intestines, etc.)

Somatic nervous system

Voluntary muscle movement, conveys sensory info to the CNS

Parasympathetic nervous system

“Rest and digest.” Calming. Conserves energy. Releases acetylcholine / nitric oxide.

Somas in ganglion away from the spinal cord, closer to the target organ

Sympathetic nervous system

“Fight-or-flight.” Arousing. Expends energy, releases norepinephrine.

Somas in ganglion near spinal cord

Dorsal

Toward the back

Ventral

Toward the stomach

Grey matter

Center of spinal cord, dense with cell bodies and dendrites

White matter

Lines the grey matter in the spinal cord. Carries info from the grey matter up and down the spinal cord

Coronal plane (or frontal plane)

A plane that shows brain structures as seen from the front

Sagittal plane

A plane that shows brain structures as seen from the side

Horizontal plane (or transverse plane)

A plane that shows brain structures as seen from above

Location of motor neuron cell bodies

Inside the spinal cord, in the grey matter

Location of sensory neuron cell bodies

Outside the spinal cord, in the dorsal root ganglia

Hindbrain structures

Medulla, Pons, Reticular Formation, Cerebellum

Midbrain structures

Superior Colliculus, Inferior Colliculus, Black Substance (Substantia nigra)

Forebrain structures

Limbic System, Thalamus, Basal Ganglia, Cerebral Cortices

Limbic System

motivation, learning, emotional behaviors (and smell)

Thalamus

Relay system. All sensory info (except for smell) feeds into it, then sends to the cortex.

Sulci

the grooves of the brain

Gyri

the bumps/ridges on the brain

Why the brain has bumps

The growth of the brain is constrained by the skull, cerebral cortex drives this

Corpus callosum

A bundle of nerve fibers that joins the right and left hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. More towards the middle

Anterior commissure

secondary bundle of nerve fibers towards the front

Lateralization

specialization of a function to one side of the brain over another

Decussation

“a crossing”- ex. nerve fibers crossing from one side to another

Contralateral

referring to the opposite side

Ipsilateral

same side

Layer V- internal pyramidal

Layer of the motor cortex, responsible for being the main “output” layer. Sends out to brain stem and spinal cord.

Frontal lobe

Contains the

Prefrontal cortex: higher functioning, working memory, integration area

Precentral gyrus: primary motor cortex (fine motor movements)

Parietal lobe

Touch sensations and information from muscle stretch and joint receptors. “middle.”

Temporal lobe

Auditory as well as complex aspects of vision interpretation, including movement. "ventral, near temples”

Occipital

Visual input interpretation. “posterior”

Cerebellum

hindbrain structure responsible for movement coordination and learning/memory

Precentral gyrus

Motor cortex, contained in the frontal lobe

Postcentral gyrus

Somatosensory cortex, located in the parietal lobe

Association areas

areas that integrate different processes, allows complex processing/behaviors

Cortical blindness

Results from damage to the occipital lobe; able to react to visual input but not understanding said input

Binding problem

how the brain integrates the senses into one perception of a single object

Organization of the cerebral cortex

Columnar, vertical columns surrounded by white matter that contain neurons (in grey matter)