somatic nervous system
connects CNS to skeletal muscles and receptors of external stimuli, involved in voluntary muscle movement
autonomic nervous system
nerves that regulate autonomic functions (sympathetic/parasympathetic)
role of spinal chord (CNS-1)
recieves sensory info from peripheral structures + controls movement
role of medulla oblongata (CNS-2)
autonomic functions
role of pons (CNS-3)
conveys movement info to cerebellum
role of cerebellum (CNS-4)
motor skills and motor learning
role of midbrain (CNS-5)
eye movement, visual and auditory reflexes
components of diencephalon (CNS-6) (2)
- thalamus
- hypothalamus
role of thalamus/hypothalamus (CNS-6) (2)
- thalamus - processes info from rest of CNS to cerebral cortex
- hypothalamus - regulates appetite
components of cerebrum (CNS-7) (2)
made up of superficial cerebral hemispheres
1. cerebral cortex
2. deeper basal ganglia (hippocampus and amygdala)
role of cerebrum (cerebral cortex/deeper basal ganglia) (CNS-7) (2)
- cerebral cortex - higher thought processes, speach, decision making
- deeper basal ganglia - movement regulation, hippocampus (memory), amygdala (emotional stakes)
general approaches for studying nervous system (4)
- electrophysiology
- imaging
- molecular tools
- pharmacological tools
generic components of neuron structure (7)
- dendrites
- cell body
- axon hillock
- axon
- myelin sheath
- nodes of ranvier
- presynaptic terminals
dendrites (neuron-1)
postsynaptic structures recieving synaptic inpu from other neurons
cell body (neuron-2)
contains nucleus/DNA and performs housekeeping functions
axon hillock (neuron-3)
site of synaptic integration
axon (neuron-4)
propogates action potentials from hillock to presynaptic terminals
myelin sheath (neuron-5)
glial membrane which insulates axon allowing fast AP condution
nodes of ranvier (neuron-6)
gaps in myelin sheath permitting saltatory conduction
presynaptic terminals (neuron-7)
sites for information transmission to other neurons
