intro & general organization of the nervous system

what is the dynamic system theory?

any system, including the human nervous system, can be studied at various levels of analysis

how can you break up the dynamic system theory?

microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic

what does microscopic mean?

molecules & cells in the nervous system

what is an example of microscopic?

otoliths

what does mesoscopic mean?

groups of cells linked together in various systems

what is an example of mesoscopic?

vestibular system

what does macroscopic mean?

the whole human interacting in their environment

what is an example of macroscopic?

child swinging

what is nonlinear dynamics?

understanding each level is important, but we cannot understand the whole simply as the sum of its parts

what is the key to dynamic system theory?

the interactions of systems

what is distributed control?

at any one time, the nervous system coordinates many different activities

what is an example of distributed control?

taking notes in the classroom

what is adaptation?

the human nervous system is able change which can lead to changes in behavior; it can be shaped by the environment

what is neuro-occupation?

reciprocal structures in the nervous system and occupation

what is localization of function?

particular structures in the nervous system can loosely be tied to particular functions

what are three examples of localization of function?

topographical organization, Brodmann’s area, and hemispheric specialization

what is topographical organization?

the brain can be loosely be compared to a map (homunculus)

what is Brodmann’s area?

classification system which uses numbers to label individual areas of cortec that are cellularly similar

what is hemispheric specialization?

each hemisphere of the brain is connected to some specific functions (language center are located on the left for most people)

what is phylogenetic layers?

most newer parts of our brain are located at the top of our head and more primitive parts are located deeper and lower

what is crossed representation?

for most sensory & motor functions, the left side of the brain functionally corresponds to the right side of the body and vice versa (the cerebellum is the major exception)

what is neuroscience?

the quest to understand the nervous system to advance the understanding of human though, emotion, & behavior; includes development, chemistry, structure, functions, and pathology

what is a neuron?

anatomical and functional unit of the nervous system consisting of dendrites, a cell body, and an axon

what is a cell?

cell body

what are nerve fibers?

dendrites and axons

what is white matter?

white tissue of the CNS rich with myelinated axons

what is gray matter?

gray tissue of the CNS rich with neuronal cell bodies (nuclei)

what is a glial cell?

a non-neural cell

what is a neuroglia?

a non-neural cell

what is a glia?

a non-neural cell

what is a sulcus (sulci)?

crevices of the brain (2/3s of the brain is found in the sulci)

what is a gyrus (gyri)?

ridges of the brain

what is a fissure?

a deep sulcus

what is a cortex?

outer layer of an organ or body structure

what is a nucleus (nuclei)?

a group of functionally or structurally related cell bodies in the CNS

what is a ganglion (ganglia)?

a group of functionally or structurally related cell bodies in the PNS

what are nerves, ramus (rami), and roots?

group(s) of parallel axons in the PNS

tracts, fasciculus (fasciculi), lemniscus (lemnisci), capsule, peduncle are examples of what?

groups of parallel axons in the CNS

what are funiculus (funiculi) and column?

groups of several parallel tracts or fasciculi in the CNS

what is a commissure

group of axons connecting one side of the CNS with the other in the CNS

layer, lamina (laminae), and stratum (strata) are?

groups of functionally related cells that form a layer in the CNS

what does medial mean?

towards the midline

what does lateral mean?

away from the midline

what does anterior mean?

toward the front

what does posterior mean?

towards the back

what does superior mean?

above another part

what does inferior mean?

below another part

what does rostral mean?

towards the head

what does caudal mean?

towards the tail or coccyx

what does ventral mean?

towards the front (belly)

what does dorsal mean?

towards the back

what does proximal mean?

nearest the point of origin

what does distal mean?

farther from the point of origin

what does ipsilateral mean?

on the same side of the body

what does contralateral mean?

on the opposite side of the body

what does unilateral mean?

one side of the body

what does bilateral mean?

both sides of the body

what does superficial mean?

closer to the surface

what does deep mean?

farther from the surface

what does afferent mean?

conducts information centrally (sensory)

what does efferent mean?

conducts information peripherally (motor)

what is the central nervous system?

brain and spinal cord

what is the peripheral nervous system?

extension of the CNS that includes 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves

what is the autonomic nervous system?

innervated smooth muscle & glands; regulates homeostasis

what does the ANS break up into?

sympathetic and parasympathetic

what is the sympathetic nervous system?

fight or flight

what is the parasympathetic nervous system?

rest and digest

what is the somatic nervous system?

innervates mainly musculoskeletal tissue and skin

what is the largest part of the brain?

cerebrum

what is the cerebrum separted into?

two cerebral hemispheres (right and left)

how are the two cerebral hemispheres connected?

by the corpus callosum

what are the five lobes of the cerebrum?

frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, and limbic

what is the cerebral cortex?

gray matter surface of the brain

how thick is the cerebral cortex?

several millimeters thick

what are the deeper structures of the cerebrum?

mostly white matter with some exceptions

what is in the deeper structures of the cerebrum?

basal nuclei, limbim system, internal capsule, etc.

what are the four major anatomical parts of the brain?

cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, and brain stem

where is the cerebellum located?

dorsal to the pons

how is the cerebellum attached to the brainstem?

by 3 massive fibers groups called peduncles

how many regions does the brain stem have?

three

name the regions of the brain stem from superior to inferior

midbrain, pons, medulla

what can we contribute postnatal increases in brain weight?

nutrition

at what age does our brain growth reach its maximum weight?

11 years old

at about what age does the brain start to decrease in weight?

45 years old

what is brain size partly related to?

body size and to mental capacity

what are bigger in mammalian brains compared to human brain?

olfactory bulbs