Nervous System Lecture Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, structures, and functions of the nervous system, its divisions, and major brain regions.

The body's communication network, divided into the Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System.

Nervous System

Composed of the brain and spinal cord.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Consists of nerves to and from the CNS, relaying sensory and motor information.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Relays sensory and motor information to and from the CNS, controlling touch, hearing, and muscles that move the body.

Somatic Nervous System

Controls internal organs and glands, and internal senses for gut, etc.

Autonomic Nervous System

Involved in stress-related activities and functions; prepares us for fight or flight (emergency response).

Sympathetic Nervous System

Associated with routine, day-to-day operations of the body under relaxed conditions ('housekeeping' and 'rest and restore').

Parasympathetic Nervous System

A state of equilibrium in the body.

Homeostasis

Activation of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, allowing access to energy reserves and heightened sensory capacity to fight off a threat or run to safety.

Fight or flight response

Relaxes the body after fight or flight ('rest and digest'), associated with the parasympathetic nervous system.

Rest and restore response

Comprised of billions of interconnected neurons and glia, bilateral, and separated into distinct interacting lobes.

Brain

Refers to areas of the brain closer to the top.

Dorsal

Refers to areas of the brain closer to the bottom.

Ventral

Refers to areas of the brain closer to the front.

Anterior

Refers to areas of the brain closer to the back.

Posterior

Refers to areas of the brain closer to the sides.

Lateral

Refers to areas of the brain closer to the middle.

Middle (brain anatomy)

Delivers messages to and from the brain, has its own system of reflexes, and is functionally organized into 30 segments connected to the PNS.

Spinal Cord

The concept that each hemisphere of the brain is associated with specialized functions, with the left controlling the right side and the right controlling the left.

Lateralization

A structure connecting the brain's hemispheres.

Corpus Callosum

The largest part of the brain, containing the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and limbic system.

Forebrain

Involved in movement, alertness, and reward, containing the reticular formation, substantia nigra, and ventral tegmental area (VTA).

Midbrain

Controls critical life support functions, including the medulla, pons, and cerebellum, which together form the brain stem.

Hindbrain

The surface of the brain associated with highest mental capabilities such as consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory.

Cerebral Cortex

The sensory relay center of the brain where most senses (excluding smell) are routed before processing.

Thalamus

Maintains homeostasis, regulating processes like body temperature, appetite, and blood pressure.

Hypothalamus

The master gland of the endocrine system.

Pituitary Gland

Involved in mediating emotional response and memory.

Limbic System

Involved in executive functioning (planning, organization, judgement, attention, reasoning), motor control, emotion, and language.

Frontal Lobe

A strip of cortex in the frontal lobe involved in planning and coordinating movement.

Motor Cortex

Responsible for higher-level cognitive functioning and impulse control.

Prefrontal Cortex

A region in the left hemisphere essential for language production.

Broca’s Area

Difficulty producing language due to damage to Broca's area.

Broca’s Aphasia

Contains the primary somatosensory cortex and processes various sensory and perceptual information.

Parietal Lobe

Essential for processing sensory information from across the body, such as touch, temperature, and pain.

Somatosensory Cortex

Associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language, located on the side of the head.

Temporal Lobe

A strip of cortex in the temporal lobe responsible for processing auditory information.

Auditory Cortex

Important for speech comprehension.

Wernicke’s Area

Difficulty understanding language due to damage to Wernicke's area.

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Associated with visual processing.

Occipital Lobe

Responsible for interpreting incoming visual information, located in the occipital lobe.

Primary Visual Cortex

Involved in our experience of emotion, tying emotional meaning to memories, and processing fear.

Amygdala

A structure associated with learning and memory, particularly spatial memory.

Hippocampus

Important in regulating the sleep/wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity.

Reticular Formation

Where dopamine is produced; involved in control of movement. Degeneration is linked to Parkinson's disease.

Substantia Nigra

Where dopamine is produced; associated with mood, reward, and addiction. Degeneration is linked to Parkinson's disease.

Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)

Controls automated processes like breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Medulla

Connects the brain and the spinal cord; involved in regulating brain activity during sleep.

Pons

Controls balance, coordination, movement, motor skills, and processes some types of memory.

Cerebellum

Combined term for the medulla, pons, and cerebellum.

Brain Stem