Nervous system 1

clusters of neuron bodies in the CNS are called

nuclei

bundles of axons in the CNS connecting nuclei are called

tracts

clusters of neuron bodies in the PNS are called

ganglia

clusters of axons in the PNS are called

nerves

what are afferent/sensory neurons and do they enter or exit the spinal cord

send sensory information from body to brain; enter the spinal cord via the dorsal root on both sides

what are efferent/motor neurons and do they enter or exit the spinal cord

send motor information from brain to the body; exit the spinal cord via ventral roots on both sides

to what cortex do sensory neurons relay information to

primary somatosensory cortex

very quick involuntary responses to sensory stimulus that dont require conscious processing from the brain

reflexes

what do spinal reflexes consist of

sensory neurons that connect to motor neurons in the gray matter of the spinal cord

two divisions of the PNS

somatic nervous system: voluntary control of skeletal muscle

autonomic nervous system: involuntary control of smooth muscle, glands, and the rate of cardiac muscle contraction

neurodegenerative disease caused by degeneration of motor neurons in the CNS and PNS (name and what it results in)

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); results in atrophy of skeletal muscle

two divisions of the automatic nervous system

• sympathetic

• parasympathetic

what does the sympathetic nervous system control

“fight-or-flight” response; engaged under immediate stress

what does the parasympathetic nervous system control

“digest-and-rest” response; engaged when you eat

what does the sympathetic nervous system increase (also what the parasympathetic nervous system decreases)

• heart rate

• CNS alertness

• glucose production by the liver

(also dilates pupils and airways)

which gland does the sympathetic nervous system stimulate and what does this gland secrete

stimulates the adrenal gland to secrete epinephrine

what does the sympathetic nervous system shut down

processes not needed to fight

most neurons of the sympathetic nervous system use the neurotransmitter _____

norepinephrine

most neurons of the parasympathetic nervous system use the neurotransmitter _____

acetylcholine

what are the brain and spinal cord protected by

bone, meninges, cerebral spinal fluid

what are the meninges

three membranes that surround the CNS

what is the subarachnoid space filled with

cerebral spinal fluid

what does cerebral spinal fluid do

cushions, removes waste, gives buoyancy to the brain and spinal cord

CSF is made of four cavities within the brain called _____

ventricles

neurodegenerative disease of the cerebral cortex that affects individuals with repeated head injuries

chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

most oxygen and glucose used by neurons is delivered by capillaries in the brain which are lined by the ______

blood-brain barrier (BBB)

what does the BBB protect the brain from

pathogens and toxins

the case of phineas gage revealed what about the brain

the importance of the frontal lobe in decision making and self control

what is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) used for

measures changes in blood flow to the brain in real time

what three structures of the brain arise at 3-4 weeks of embryonic development

• hindbrain

• midbrain

• forebrain

what does the hindbrain give rise to

medulla oblongata, pons, cerebellum

what does the forebrain give rise to

• diencephalon

• cerebrum

what is the medulla oblongata essential for

breathing rate, heart rate, BP

what is the cerebellum required for

muscle memory, fine-tuning muscles, proper posture, balance, and coordination

what is the brainstem formed by

midbrain, pons, and medulla