Parts of the Nervous System
What are the two main parts of the nervous system?
(what do they include?)
Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
(CNS - brain + spinal cord)
(PNS - nerves outside of brain + spinal cord)
What part of the brain is the largest and controls thinking, memory, and voluntary movement?
Cerebrum
Name two differences between cones and rods.
Cones - bright light, color (blue, green, red)
Rods - low light, black/white/grey
After a head injury, someone has trouble balancing and keeps stumbling. What part of their brain may be damaged?
The cerebellum
How many cranial nerves are there?
12
What are the chemical signals that neurons receive/transmit?
Action potentials
What are ventricles?
Open areas that produce cerebrospinal fluid
What part of the inner ear uses specialized hair cells to process sounds (convert sound vibrations into electrical nerve impulses)?
The cochlea
If your vision becomes blurry due to nerve damage at the eye, which cranial nerve is likely affected?
The optic nerve (CN II)
What cranial nerve controls eye movement and pupil size?
Oculomotor nerve
POTENTIAL FOR DOUBLE POINTS!!
Describe the two divisions of the PNS
Extra credit: Name the two parts of each division
Somatic – These nerves control voluntary movements
(Motor, Sensory)
Autonomic - These nerves happen automatically/involuntarily
(Sympathetic, Parasympathetic)
Explain the position and function of the following: corpus callosum, cerebellum.
Corpus callosum - connects the two hemispheres and allows information to be passed from one side to the other
Cerebellum - located at the back of the brain; helps the body balance
Which type of receptor is primarily responsible for detecting pain, temperature, and crude touch?
Free nerve endings
You see someone sweating and their heart rate increases before a big test. Which division of the nervous system is at work?
The sympathetic division (fight or flight; inside the autonomic division)
What is the vagus nerve (Cranial nerve 5)?
The vagus nerve allows sensation around the ear and the digestive system and controls motor activity in the heart, throat and digestive system
Motor pathways are (descending/ascending), while sensory pathways are (descending/ascending).
Name 6 parts of the brain.
Brainstem - medulla, pons, reticular formation
Deep structures - amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus
Frontal lobe, motor cortex, sensory cortex, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, cerebellum, corpus callosum
What is the difference between Meissner's corpuscles and Merkel's disks?
Meissner's corpuscles: DYNAMIC touch/pressure
Merkel's disks: STATIC touch/pressure
A person is able to feel the vibration of a ringing phone in their pocket. Which type of sensory receptor is responsible?
Pacinian corpuscles
What is the significance and function of the trigeminal nerve (Cranial Nerve 5)?
The trigeminal nerve is the largest and most complex of the cranial nerves, with both sensory and motor function. It originates from the pons and conveys sensation from the scalp, teeth, jaw, sinuses, parts of the mouth and face to the brain, allows the function of chewing muscles, and much more
Define and list 6 types of glia.
Provide support functions for neurons
Astrocytes, Ependymal cells, microglial cells, satellite cells, Oligodendrocytes (form the myelin sheath around axons (CNS)), Schwann Cells (form the myelin sheath around axons (PNS))
Define the pituitary and penal glands.
Pituitary Gland– Master gland controls the functions of the other glands in the body including the thyroid, gonads (ovaries/testes), and adrenals
Pineal Gland - Circadian rhythm–Sleep/Wake cycle
What are Trigeminal Chemoreceptors?
A group of nerve endings in the nasal and oral cavities, and on the skin, that are sensitive to chemical irritants and other stimuli.
If a person can understand language but has difficulty speaking clearly, which part of their brain is affected?
HINT: It's in the frontal lobe!
Broca's area
Which cranial nerves are responsible for BOTH sensory and motor function?
Trigeminal nerve (CN V), facial nerve (CN VII), glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX), and vagus nerve (CN X)