CCMA: Nervous System

What are the main functions of the nervous system?

Connects CNS to the body; allows brain/spinal cord to send & receive info; carries sensory/motor functions; regulates involuntary functions like heartbeat and breathing

What does the central nervous system consist of?

The brain and spinal cord

What is the function of the central nervous system?

Acts as the integration and command center

What does the peripheral nervous system consist of?

31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 pairs of cranial nerves

What is the function of the peripheral nervous system?

Carries messages to and from the CNS

What is the cerebrum responsible for?

Movement, temperature, speech, judgment, thinking, emotions, learning, vision, hearing, and touch

Where is the cerebellum located and what does it do?

Back of the head under cerebrum; coordinates voluntary movement, posture, and balance

What are the three parts of the brainstem?

Midbrain, pons, medulla

What is the midbrain responsible for?

Processing hearing, movement, visual info, and reflexes; contains substantia nigra

What is the pons responsible for?

Facial expressions, vision focus, balance, chewing, blinking, hearing

What is the medulla responsible for?

Controls breathing, heart rhythm, blood flow, sneezing, vomiting, and swallowing

What does the frontal lobe do?

Controls personality, decision-making, movement; includes Broca’s area for speech

What does the parietal lobe do?

Interprets touch, pain, spatial relationships; includes Wernicke’s area for language comprehension

What does the occipital lobe do?

Processes visual information

What does the temporal lobe do?

Involved in short-term memory, speech, music rhythm, and smell

What is the function of the pituitary gland?

Controls other glands; regulates hormones from thyroid, adrenals, ovaries, testes

What does the hypothalamus control?

Body temp, hunger, thirst, sleep cycles, memory, emotion

What does the amygdala regulate?

Emotion, memory, and the fight-or-flight response

What does the hippocampus do?

Supports memory, learning, spatial navigation

What is the role of the pineal gland?

Regulates sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythm

What are the main functions of the spinal cord?

Carries brain signals to/from body; controls reflexes

What regions is the spinal cord divided into?

Cervical (neck), thoracic (chest), lumbar (lower back)

What are the three layers protecting the spinal cord?

Dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater (meninges)

Where is the epidural space located?

Between the dura mater and arachnoid mater; used for anesthesia

What is the subarachnoid space and why is it important?

Between arachnoid and pia mater; contains cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

What does the gray matter of the spinal cord contain?

Nerve cell bodies; butterfly-shaped

What does the white matter of the spinal cord contain?

Myelinated axons for fast signal transmission

What is the posterior root of the spinal cord responsible for?

Carries sensory information to the spinal cord

What is the anterior root of the spinal cord responsible for?

Carries motor information from the spinal cord

What is a spinal ganglion?

A cluster of sensory neuron cell bodies

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

31 pairs

What does the sensory division of the PNS do?

Carries info from body to CNS

What does the motor division of the PNS do?

Carries info from CNS to muscles/glands

What is the somatic nervous system responsible for?

Voluntary movements and reflex arcs

What does the autonomic nervous system control?

Involuntary functions like heartbeat, digestion, and breathing

What does the sympathetic division do?

Increases activity; fight-or-flight response

What does the parasympathetic division do?

Slows activity; rest-and-digest response

What are neurons?

Nerve cells that send and receive signals

What does the neuron cell body (soma) do?

Contains nucleus; maintains structure and energy

What are dendrites?

Branch-like structures that receive signals from other neurons

What are axons?

Tail-like structures that send electrical impulses; often myelinated

What are sensory neurons responsible for?

Carry info from sensory organs to CNS (see, smell, touch, etc.)

What are motor neurons responsible for?

Carry signals from CNS to muscles and glands

What are interneurons?

Relay neurons found in brain and spinal cord; connect sensory and motor neurons

How do chemical synapses work?

Neurons release neurotransmitters that cross a synapse and bind to receptors

How do electrical synapses work?

Use gap junctions to transmit electrical signals directly and quickly