Nervous System Basics
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System
What is the basic unit of the nervous system?
Neuron
Which part of the brain controls balance and coordination?
Cerebellum
Which neurological disorder is characterized by seizures?
Epilepsy
A football player suffered a concussion and has memory loss. What part of his nervous system is likely affected?
The brain, particularly the cerebrum
What is the main function of the nervous system?
Controlling and coordinating body activities
What is the function of the myelin sheath?
It insulates neurons and speeds up nerve impulses.
What part of the brain controls higher-level thinking and voluntary movements?
Cerebrum
True or False: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by damage to the myelin sheath.
True
A patient loses sensation and movement in their legs after a car accident but can still move their arms. What type of spinal cord injury do they have?
A lower spinal cord injury affecting the lumbar region.
True or False: The brain is part of the Peripheral Nervous System.
False
True or False: Neurotransmitters help transmit signals across synapses.
True
True or False: The brainstem controls involuntary functions like breathing and heart rate.
True
Which degenerative nervous system disorder affects movement and is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing cells?
Parkinson’s disease
Why does losing the sense of smell occur in some COVID-19 patients?
The virus can affect the olfactory nerve, which transmits smell signals to the brain
What is the role of the reflex arc?
It allows the body to respond quickly to stimuli without conscious thought.
Name the junction where neurotransmitters are released between two neurons.
Synapse
What is the function of the spinal cord?
It transmits signals between the brain and the rest of the body and controls reflex actions.
Compare Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Alzheimer’s affects memory and cognition, while Parkinson’s affects movement and coordination.
How can a stroke impact the nervous system?
It blocks oxygen to parts of the brain, potentially causing paralysis and loss of function.
Compare the CNS and PNS in terms of function and structure.
CNS includes the brain and spinal cord, responsible for processing information. PNS includes all nerves outside CNS, transmitting signals to and from the CNS.
Explain the pathway of a nerve impulse from stimulus to response.
Stimulus → Sensory neuron → CNS processing → Motor neuron → Response.
What are the three major regions of the brain, and what do they control?
Cerebrum - higher thinking, Cerebellum - coordination, Brainstem - involuntary functions.
What are some potential long-term neurological effects of COVID-19?
Brain fog, memory loss, nerve pain, and increased stroke risk.
A patient experiences tingling sensations and nerve pain after recovering from COVID-19. What might be happening?
COVID-19 can cause nerve inflammation or damage, leading to these symptoms