C: Nervous System

Question 1

What are the two parts of the nervous system

Answer 1

CNS and PNS

Question 2

What constitutes the CNS

Answer 2

Brain and spine

Question 3

What constitutes the PNS

Answer 3

All other neuronal connections in the body

Question 4

What are the three kinds of neuron

Answer 4

Sensory neuron, interneuron and motor neuron

Question 5

What is the approximate weight of the human brain

Answer 5

About 1.5 kg

Question 6

What is the human brain incased in

Answer 6

The skull, meninges and cerebral fluid

Question 7

What is the function of the cranium

Answer 7

It gives a strong hard case to protect the brain

Question 8

What is the function of the meninges and how many layers are there

Answer 8

They cushion the brain and there are 3 layers

Question 9

What is the function of cerebral fluid

Answer 9

Cerebral fluid is a fluid that prevents the brain from bumping into the meninges too much

Question 10

What is a reflex

Answer 10

An involuntary, non conscious response to stimuli

Question 11

What is a reflex arc

Answer 11

The nervous pathway that carries out a reflex

Question 12

what are the three parts of a neuron

Answer 12

the dendrites, cell body and axon

Question 13

what is the function of the dendrites

Answer 13

branches act as receptors for neurotransmitters

Question 14

what are neurotransmitters

Answer 14

chemical used by nerve pathways to cross the synapse

Question 14

what is the function of the cell body in a neuron

Answer 14

keeps the cell alive and does the thinking

Question 15

what are the dendrites coparable to

Answer 15

the branches on a dendritic cell

Question 16

what is the function of the axon

Answer 16

to transmit electrical signals

Question 17

what converts electrical impulses into neurotransmitters

Answer 17

axon terminals

Question 18

why are neurotransmitters needed to transmit the signals

Answer 18

there is a gap between nerve cells where electricity cannot traverse

Question 19

what is the gap between neurons called

Answer 19

the synaptic cleft or synapse

Question 20

what protects the axon

Answer 20

the myelin sheath

Question 21

what is myelin

Answer 21

a substance that is made up from proteins and fatty acids

Question 22

what is the function of the muelin sheath

Answer 22

the axon has little checkpoints called nodes of ranvier that make it up - the myelin sheath allows the electrical impulse to jump through the myelin to make it quicker and reduce electrical leakage

Question 23

what 3 main parts make up the brain

Answer 23

the cerebrum, cerebellum and the brainstem

Question 24

what is the function of the cerebrum

Answer 24

the function of the cerebrum is to control conscious actions

Question 25

what are the four lobes that make up the cerebrum

Answer 25

the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes

Question 26

the frontal lobe is attributed to

Answer 26

personality, thinking, planning and problem solving

Question 27

the parietal lobe is attributed to

Answer 27

movement, sensations, speed, writing and **spatial awareness**

Question 28

what is the function of the cerebellum

Answer 28

controls movement, coordinates complex muscle movements as well as gait and posture

Question 29

what is the function of the brainstem

Answer 29

all autonomic things like breathing, digestion and coordinates reflexes

Question 30

what are the two divisions of the brain called

Answer 30

the left and right hemisphere

Question 31

what splits the left and right hemispheres

Answer 31

the longitudinal fissure crossed by a network of nerves called the corpus callosum

Question 32

what is the network of nerves called that crosses the longitudinal fissure

Answer 32

the corpus callosum

Question 33

if your hemispheres communicate more efficiently over the corpus callosum

Answer 33

you generally are smarter

Question 34

what is the thin layer of gray matter between the meninges and skull called

Answer 34

the cerebral cortex

Question 35

what does the cerebral cortex do

Answer 35

it is made up of all 4 lobes and the prefrontal cortex and does most of the processing/thinking

Question 36

what is the difference between gray matter and white matter

Answer 36

grey matter consists of all the cell bodies so does all the thinking whereas white matter consists of the axons so it does transmitssions | gray matter makes up 40% and white 60%

Question 37

what is the lymbic system

Answer 37

a part of the brain that regulates emotions and behaviour

Question 38

what are some structures in the lymbic system

Answer 38

amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, and hypothalamus

Question 39

what does the amygdala control

Answer 39

threat detection --> fight or flight reactions

Question 40

what does the hippocampus control

Answer 40

processes memory and helps us learn from it

Question 41

what kinds of memory does the hippocampus process

Answer 41

short term, long term, visual-spatial, verbal and recall

Question 42

what is the function of the thalamus

Answer 42

it is an info relay station in the brain, processing movement, sensory information (apart from smell) before sending it to the right place in the brain for interpretation

Question 43

what is the medulla oblangata

Answer 43

a control centre for the brain stem

Question 44

what is the pons

Answer 44

a critical juncture(bridge) between the cerebrum and cerebellum, connecting the brain to the spine

Question 45

what are and what is the function of gulgi and sulci

Answer 45

gulgi are groves, sulci are ridges --> they increase the surface area of the brain

Question 46

what is an example of sulci

Answer 46

the central sulci, which goes across the corpus callosum