Psychology Chapter 2 Flashcards

Function of a Nervous System

1) Gather and process information, 2) Produce responses to stimuli, 3) Coordinate the workings of different cells

CNS

Central Nervous system - Brain and Spinal Cord - 1) Receives, processes, interprets, and stores information, 2) sends out messages destined for muscles, glands, and organs

What does the spinal cord do?

Produces automatic reflexes without brain assistance.

PNS

Peripheral Nervous System - handles CNS input/ output - 1) somatic nervous system that permits sensation and voluntary action, 2) Autonomic nervous system, regulates blood vessels, glands, and organs. Functions w/o conscious control.

How Many Neurons are at work?

80 Billion! There are 2 types: Excitatory Effect and Inhibitory Effect

Localization of Function

Specific functions are served by different areas of the brain. Cognitive functioning breaks down in specific ways when the brain is damaged.

Language Production is impaired by damage to…

Broca’s Area in the Frontal Lobe

Language Comprehension is impaired by damage to…

Wernicke’s Area - Temporal Lobe

Frontal Lobe is Responsible For…

Cognition + Memory, Concentration/ Attention, Personality/ Emotion, Voluntary Motor Activity

Parietal Lobe is Responsible For…

Processing Sensory Input, Body Orientation

Occipital Lobe

Visual reception, visual interpretation

Temporal Lobe

Auditory Reception, Information Retrieval

MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging - Stimulated brain tissue emits signals that computer transforms into image

FMRI

Functional MRI - taken during activities to see brain function. Measures oxygenated/ deoxygenated blood through water molecules.

PET Scan

Radioactive isotope is injected/ inhaled for measurement/ imaging - less good.

EEG

Electro-encephalogra - Event related potentials are measured via electrodes (64-256 recording sites)

Contra-laterality

The receptor/ control centers for one side of the body are on the other side.

Left Hemisphere

“Higher Thinking” - sequential analysis, interpretation/ production of symbols, memory stored in language format

Right Hemisphere

“Sensory Thinking” - Holistic Functioning (sensors), spatial skills, memory stored in auditory, visual, and spatial

Sperry (1964)

Severed corpus callosums of people with epilepsy resulting in the Divided Brain.