PSYC 275 Chapter 3: Directional Terms and Neural Anatomy

Dorsal

Toward the back, away from the stomach side

Ventral

Toward the stomach, away from the dorsal (back) side

Anterior

Toward the front end

Posterior 

Toward the rear end 

Dorsal in the brain vs spinal cord

Dorsal is the back of the spinal cord, but the top of the brain

Sagittal, horizontal, frontal, and cross-section planes

Two primary parts of the peripheral nervous system

Somatic nervous system (voluntary)

Autonomic nervous system (involuntary - think autonomatic)

Ipsilateral

Stays on the same side of the body

Contralateral

Crosses over to the other side of the body. Such as the left area of the brain deals with touch from the right finger. 

Gyrus vs sulcus in the brain 

Gyrus is the hill, sulcus is the valley 

Superior 

Above another part 

Inferior

Below another part

Lateral 

Toward the side, away from the midline 

Medial 

Toward the midline, away from the side 

Proximal

A body part that is closer to the trunk of the body or the point of attachment of a limb

Lamina 

A row or layer of cell bodies separated from other cell bodies by a layer of axons and dendrites

Column

A set of cells perpendicular to the surface of the cortex 

Tract

A set of axons within the CNS, also known as a projection

Ganglion 

(Very similar to nucleus) A cluster of neuron cell bodies, usually outside the CNS (as in the sympathetic nervous system)

Fissure

A long deep sulcus

Dorsal roots

Carry sensory signals into the spinal cord

Ventral roots

Carry motor information outside of the spinal cord

Grey matter 

Located in the center of the spinal cord and is densely packed with cell bodies and dendrites

White matter 

Composed mostly of myelinated axons that carries information from the gray matter to the brain or other areas of the spinal cord 

Monosynaptic connection

When one synapse is between the sensory fiber that detects the hammer and the quad muscle that contracts.

Significant hormone of the parasympathetic nervous system 

Acetylcholine 

Primary hormone of the sympathetic nervous system

Adrenaline or non-epinephrine