Science Tues Temp cards

What type of animals possess the most complex nervous systems found in any life form on Earth?

Vertebrate animals

How long ago did the vertebrate nervous system evolve?

500 million years ago

What is a spinal column?

A series of bones along the animals back

What did the spinal column evolve to do?

Support a more complicated intricate system of nerves

What does the spinal column do?

Protects nerves and supports rest of the bones in the body

What does the spinal cord do?

Transmits sensory information from the body to the brain and motor commands from the brain to the muscles

Other than motor commands and sensory information what is the spinal cord responsible for?

Reflexive behaviors and voulentary and invoulentary movements

What two parts comprise the vertebrate nervous system?

The peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system

What is the peripheral nervous system broken down into?

The somatic and autonomic systems

What can the central nervous system be thought of as?

The control center

How can the peripheral nervous system be thought as?

The communication network

What can the communication network do?

Make its own decisions and quickly respond to danger

What does the communication network rely on?

Feedback from providing information to the control center

What does the peripheral nervous system encompass?

All nerves and neurons outside of the brain and spinal cord

Where does the peripherial nervous system transmit sensory information to?

The spinal cord and brain

What can peripheral nerves not do?

Produce behaviors on their own outside of immediate reflexive or invoulentary behaviors without input from the brain

Without the peripheral nervous system what cant happen?

The brain cannot engage in any behavior

What are the two main functions of the somatic nervous system?

To receive sensory input and control movement

What do each type of sense require?

A specific set of neuron receptor types

What are neruon receptors connected to the somatic nervous system called?

Somatosensory neurons

What are pain receptors called?

Nociceptors

What are nociceptors a type of?

Somatosensory organ

What are nociceptors related to?

Touch

What do nociceptors detect?

Different kinds of pressure and temperature

What is the function of nociceptors?

To protect animals from harm

True or False, nociceptors need to relay messages to the brain before triggering reflexes

False, they can trigger reflexes without having to relay messages to the brain

Instead of relaying a message through the brain how do nociceptors function?

They rapidly transmit messages to the spinal cord which responds with a behavioral response to avoid painful stimulus

What are behaviors that occur without thinking or without messages traveling to the brain?

Reflexes

What is the eye blink reflex?

When a puff of air or debris is felt in or around the eye, reflexes cause the eyelid to blink to protect the tissue

Where is the eye blink relfex found?

Mammals and birds that have eyelids

What happens after pain is processed in the brain?

It triggers a cascade of behaviors that direct the animal to protect the injury or alter behavior to heal

What would happen without the somatosensory nervous system?

The brain would not be able to control muscles and behavior needed to survive

What is proprioception?

Sensations from neurons in muscles send information back to the brain to help determine where the body is in space

Where is balance included in?

Proprioception

When sensations are only generally located what does it require to determine the origin of the sensation?

More detailed info from other sensory systems

Why are humans more sensitive on their face and hands than back?

There are more somatosensory neurons in the face and hands

How can somatosensory neurons be tested?

Using two-point discrimination test

How is the two point discrimination test conducted?

Having a subject with their eyes closed try to determine if they can feel two points or only one when two pressure points are applied at varying distances

Why is the human hand more sensitive to pressure than the back?

The back usually only needs general information about the environment

On your tounge how far apart can the two points be?

1.1mm

On your finger how far apart can the two points be?

3-8mm

On your back how far apart must the two points be?

36-75mm

When people experience a heart attack they interpret feeling pain where?

In other areas of their body like their shoulders

Why do people feel pain in other areas of the body when experiencing a heart attack?

It is often hard to pinpoint where pain is coming form using sensation alone

Which nervous system is constantly working in the background in vertibrate animals?

The automatic nervous system

What is the automatic nervous system focused on?

Sustaining life

What is the automatic nervous system responsible for?

Processes such as breathing and heart rate

What two parts make up the automatic nervous system?

The sympathetic and parasympatheric nervous system

What does the sympatheric nervous system do?

Puts the body in a state of arousal and heightened alert

What does the parasympatheric nervous system do?

Relaxes the body

What do both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems do?

Respond to stress to protect animals from immediate danger with or without further processing from the brain

What is the sympatheric nervous system called?

The fight or flight system

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

Engages biological systems to prepare the body for conflict

What controls the sympathetic nervous system?

The spinal cord

What does the sympathetic nervous system increase?

Heart rate and respiration

How does the parasympathetic nervous system prepare for bodily harm?

It triggers a quick immune response to repair things quickly

What can modify the sympathetic nervous system?

Experience

True or False, the parasympathetic nervous system is only a response to direct physical conflict

False, it does not have to be direct physical conflict, it can be triggered by the perception of possible danger

What can make a sympathetic nervous system more sensitive to cues?

Prior experience

What is the drawback to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system?

It is energy costly using calories and attention as it causes animals to engage in behaviors that make it easier to flee or prepare of injury from a fight

When in a heightened state of alert what behaviors are suppressed?

Feeding and mating

Why are feeding and mating supressed when in a heightened state of alert?

To prepare for the need to act at a moments notice

What is the parasympathetic nervous system called?

The rest and digest system

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

Brings an animal back to a state of balance

How does the parasympathetic nervous system activate?

Through the brain and spinal cord

What does the parasympathetic nervous system allow for?

Digestion and return to normal behaviors

What would happen if the parasympathetic nervous system were constantly activated?

The animal would not be able to protect itself when danger is present because it could not act fast enough

What happens if an animal is in a constant state of sympathetic nervous system activation?

It prevents the body from absorbing nutrients, disrupts social behavior, and affects animals ability to reproduce

What can happen if the parasympathetic nervous system is constantly activated?

It can cause severe injury or death if the animal is unable to escape danger in time

How does the constant activation of the sympathetic nervous system affect the immune system?

It limits inflammation response

What happens once the perception of the stressor is resolved?

The parasympathetic nervous system returns the immune system to full capacity

What happens to bacteria and viruses that accumulated during the stressor and survived during the weakened immune system?

They are attacked aggressively

What is believed to be the trigger for many autoimmune diseases?

Long term activation of the sympathetic nervous system or constant switching between systems

What happens in the central nervous system?

All information is processed

When is the involvement of the brain required in vertebrates?

It is required for all behavior besides quick acting reflexive behavior

What is the first point of contact within the central nervous system accessed by the peripheral nervous system?

The spinal cord

What can the spinal cord do for reflexive behaviors?

Quickly send messages to muscles to perform an action

What does the spinal cord act as?

The main highway connecting the brain to the peripheral nervous system

What protects vertebrates central nervous system?

Backbone and cerebrospinal fluid

What is the brainstem?

The connection between the brain and spinal cord

What is the brainstem responsible for?

Relaying messages from the brain to the rest of the body for autonomic nervous system activation

What barrier protects the brain from disease and viruses?

The blood-brain barrier

What is the blood-brain barrier?

A layer of cells surrounding the blood supply in the brain only allowing specific molecules to enter and exit

What can exit the blood brain barrier?

Waste products

What can enter the blood brain barrier?

Molecules like oxygen and nutrients

What can the brain release to target specific brain regions?

Its own neurotransmitters

Why is it difficult to get medications through to the brain?

The blood brain barrier is highly selective

Why arent all brain regions covered by the tightly controlled blood brain mechanism?

Some parts of the brain release molecules that need to directly enter the bloodstream to reach the rest of the body