Central Nervous System

Question 1

The CNS is made up of what two parts of the body?

Answer 1

Brain and spinal cord

Question 2

What are the three main structures of the brain?

Answer 2

The brainstem, cerebellum, and cerebrum.

Question 3

What are the three layers of the brain in the triune brain theory?

Answer 3

1) Reptilian
2) Limbic System
3) Neocortex

Question 4

What are the functions of the reptilian brain?

Answer 4

Activation, arousal, homeostasis, reproduction

Question 5

Which structure in the reptilian brain is functional at birth?

Answer 5

Reticular activating system, which regulates heart rate, breathing, temperature, and balance.

Question 6

Which structure in the reptilian brain is responsible for balance, gross motor skills, and memory, reasoning, and language?

Answer 6

Cerebellum

Question 7

What functions does the brainstem regulate?

Answer 7

Cardiovascular system, alertness, respiration, consciousness, pain sensitivity

Question 8

What functions do the medulla regulate?

Answer 8

Involuntary functions like heart rate, blood pressure, sneezing, and vomiting.

Question 9

Which part of the brainstem connects the brain to the spinal cord?

Answer 9

Medulla

Question 10

Which part of the brainstem regulates the sleep/wake cycle?

Answer 10

Pons

Question 11

What structure connects the medulla to the midbrain?

Answer 11

Pons

Question 12

Sensory information goes _____ from the body to the brain; motor information goes ______.

Answer 12

Up, down.

Question 13

What are two important areas that produce dopamine in the midbrain?

Answer 13

The ventral tegmental area and the substantia nigra.

Question 14

The limbic system is also known as the ______________ brain.

Answer 14

Paleomammalian

Question 15

The limbic system is responsible for what functions?

Answer 15

Learning, memory, and emotion, as well as basic survival functions of the ANS.

Question 16

The basal ganglia are responsible for what functions?

Answer 16

Motor functions, associative and procedural learning, inhibitory control of actions, and regulating emotional aspects of behavior. Body language and posture, and emotional tone are regulated here.

Question 17

Motor input is sent to the _________, which decides whether or not to execute movement.

Answer 17

Basal ganglia

Question 18

The two pathways in the basal ganglia help with what?

Answer 18

1. Goal-oriented movement
2. Suppression of competing movements

Question 19

What area of the limbic system deals with reward-affirming dopamine connections that occur after a task has been completed?

Answer 19

Caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens

Question 20

What structures are part of the limbic circuit?

Answer 20

The basal ganglia links with areas that process emotions (the amygdala, hippocampus, and limbic lobe), which project to the caudate nucleus and then the thalamus.

Question 21

What does the parahippocampal gyrus do?

Answer 21

Helps with short-term memory, including verbal processing on the left side, and encoding/recognizing scenes and forming associations on the right side. Relates to circuitry for autobiographical memory and memories of regret or embarrassment.

Question 22

What does the thalamus regulate?

Answer 22

Sensory and motor input

Question 23

We take in information through ________ receptors and _______ neurons, and release info from _________ receptors and ___________ neurons.

Answer 23

Sensory, afferent; efferent, motor

Question 24

In what order does an action potential fire?

Answer 24

The action potential arrives in the synaptic button of an axon. It creates an influx of calcium ions, which create membrane changes and open calcium channels. The vesicles dock and fuse to the presynaptic membrane and are released into the cleft. The NT binds to the postsynaptic membrane, which opens as the voltage changes and allows ions to enter.

Question 25

What brain structure near the base of the brain provides the blood supply to the brain?

Answer 25

Circle of Willis