Study Guide

Acetylcholine (ACh) location in the brain

Found in the basal forebrain and brainstem.

Acetylcholine (ACh) location outside the brain

Found at the neuromuscular junction.

Function of ACh outside the brain

Stimulates muscle contraction in skeletal muscles.

Neurotransmitter

A chemical messenger that transmits signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.

Hormone

A chemical messenger released into the bloodstream that affects distant target organs or tissues.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Comprises the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

All the nerves outside the CNS that connect the CNS to limbs and organs.

Function of the brain

Coordinates sensory and motor functions, emotions, and cognition.

Function of the spinal cord

Connects the brain to the peripheral nervous system, facilitating communication.

Retina

The light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that contains photoreceptor cells.

Forebrain

The anterior part of the brain, including the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus.

Midbrain

Part of the brain that connects the forebrain to the hindbrain, involved in vision and hearing.

Hindbrain

The posterior part of the brain, including the cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata.

Somatic Nervous System

The part of the PNS that controls voluntary movements.

Afferent Nervous System

Nerves that carry sensory information to the CNS.

Efferent Nervous System

Nerves that carry motor commands from the CNS to muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System

The part of the PNS that controls involuntary functions, such as heart rate and digestion.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic system that prepares the body for 'fight or flight' responses.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Part of the autonomic system that conserves energy and maintains 'rest and digest' functions.

Sensory neurons entry into the spinal cord

Sensory neurons enter through the dorsal roots.

Motor neurons exit from the spinal cord

Motor neurons exit through the ventral roots.

Dorsal

Refers to the back side.

Ventral

Refers to the front side.

Brain protection

Skull, meninges, and cerebrospinal fluid provide protection.

Meninges

Three protective membranes (dura mater, arachnoid mater, pia mater) surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

A fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord, providing cushioning, nutrient delivery, and waste removal.

Functions of CSF

Cushioning, nutrient delivery, waste removal, and maintaining intracranial pressure.

Ventricles in the brain

Hollow cavities in the brain filled with CSF that help circulate the fluid.

Enlargement of ventricles

May indicate conditions like hydrocephalus or brain atrophy.

Three subdivisions of the brain

Hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain.

Oldest brain subdivision

Hindbrain.

Most similar brain subdivision to other animals

Hindbrain.

Least similar brain subdivision to other animals

Forebrain.

Lobe

A distinct region of the brain, each associated with different functions.

Cortex

The outer layer of the brain involved in complex brain functions.

Subcortex

Inner regions of the brain involved in basic survival functions.

Cerebellum functions

Coordination of movement, balance, and motor learning.

Reticular formation function

Regulates arousal, sleep, and attention.

Medulla function

Controls autonomic functions like heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.

Superior colliculi function

Involved in visual processing and eye movement.

Inferior colliculi function

Involved in auditory processing.

Substantia nigra function

Involved in movement and reward.

Prevalent neurotransmitter in the midbrain

Dopamine.

Low dopamine problem

Causes Parkinson's disease.

High dopamine problem

Can cause schizophrenia.

Functions of thalamus

Relay sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex.

Functions of hypothalamus

Regulates autonomic functions, temperature, hunger, thirst, and circadian rhythms.

Functions of hippocampus

Involved in memory formation and spatial navigation.

Functions of amygdala

Processes emotions, particularly fear and pleasure.

Functions of corpus callosum

Connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres, facilitating communication.

Frontal lobe function

Involved in reasoning, planning, movement, and problem-solving.

Parietal lobe function

Processes sensory information, including touch, temperature, and pain.

Temporal lobe function

Involved in auditory perception, memory, and language.

Occipital lobe function

Responsible for visual processing.

Motor cortex function

Controls voluntary movements of muscles.

Somatosensory cortex function

Processes sensory input from the body, particularly touch.

Split-brain experiment language result

Left side figure: Cannot say what they saw; can draw it with left hand; right side figure: Can say and draw what they saw.

Language ability location in the brain

Primarily resides in the left hemisphere.

Right hemisphere function

Responsible for processing information about faces.

Left hemisphere function

Responsible for processing information regarding cause and effect.

Broca's area function

Responsible for speech production and language processing.

Wernicke's area function

Responsible for language comprehension and understanding spoken and written language.

Auditory cortex function

Processes auditory information and is involved in the perception of sound.

Electromagnetic radiation spectrum

Encompasses all types of electromagnetic radiation.

Wavelength in light

Distance between consecutive peaks of a wave, determining the color perceived.

Amplitude in light

Height of the wave; higher amplitude means brighter light.

Visible light range

Approximately 380 to 750 nanometers (nm).

Sensation

The process of detecting physical energy from the environment.

Perception

The interpretation and organization of sensory information to understand the environment.

Color perceived at 470 nm

Blue.

Color perceived at 700 nm

Red.

Photoreceptors

Specialized cells in the retina that sense light.

Waking consciousness

The state of being awake and aware of one's internal thoughts, feelings, and external environment, allowing for self-awareness and cognitive attention directed towards these states.

Why is consciousness hard to measure?

Hard to measure because it is subjective, private, dynamic, and related to self. Self-reports are difficult to verify, and both physiological and behavioral measures require interference.