Central Nervous System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the central nervous system, including its functional areas, memory types, and reflex actions, based on the lecture notes provided.

Cognition

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain responsible for high-level functions such as perception, cognition, and voluntary movement.

Somatosensory Cortex

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes sensory information from the body, located in the parietal lobe.

Motor Cortex

A region of the cerebral cortex involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements.

Homunculus

A representation of the body in the brain; it maps the body’s sensory and motor areas.

Basal Nuclei

Clusters of nerve cells in the brain that help control movement and are involved in various cognitive functions.

Thalamus

A brain structure that acts as a relay station for sensory information and is involved in the processing of information and regulating sleep.

Hypothalamus

A brain region that regulates vital functions such as temperature control, thirst, hunger, and circadian rhythms.

Cerebellum

A part of the brain that coordinates voluntary movements, balance, and posture.

Memory

The mental capacity to store and recall information, crucial for learning and maintaining homeostasis.

Declarative Memory

A type of long-term memory involving the recollection of facts and events, primarily associated with the hippocampus.

Procedural Memory

A type of long-term memory that involves skills and actions, primarily associated with the basal ganglia.

Working Memory

A short-term memory system that temporarily holds and manipulates information for cognitive tasks, associated with the prefrontal cortex.

Reticular Activating System

A network of neurons in the brainstem that regulate wakefulness and sleep-wake transitions.

Consciousness

The state of being aware of and able to think about one's own existence, thoughts, and surroundings.

Dorsal Horn

The region of the spinal cord that contains sensory neurons that receive input from peripheral sensory receptors.

Ventral Horn

The region of the spinal cord that contains motor neurons that send signals to muscles.

Dermatome

An area of skin that is mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve root.

Referred Pain

Pain perceived in a location other than the site of the painful stimulus, often linked to dermatomes.

Reflex Arc

The neural pathway that controls a reflex action, comprising sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons.

Polysynaptic Reflex

A reflex arc involving one or more interneurons in addition to the sensory and motor neurons.