Nervous System anatomy pt. 3
What are the lobes of the brain and what information is each responsible for processing?
Frontal lobe- decision making, planning, motor function (primary motor cortex)
Parietal lobe - somatosensory information (primary somatosensory cortex), spatial awareness
temporal lobe - hearing, language comprehension
occipital lobe - vision + visual processing
The somatic nervous system is responsible for:
voluntary motor control
proprioception
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic division (fight or flight)
Parasympathetic division (rest + digest)
what is the main purpose of the medulla oblongata?
controlling heart rate, blood pressure, respiration (like the autopilot of your brain)
Which cranial nerves are housed in the pons region of the brain?
Cranial nerves V-VIII (trigeminal, abducens, facial, vestibulocochlear)
What is the difference between sensation and perception
Sensation is the raw detection of a stimulus before the brain processes it (pre-integration)
Perception is the interpretation of that stimulus by the brain (post-integration)
What is the main purpose of the retina? What type of receptors are contained in the retina?
The retina is responsible for turning light into signals that can be processed by the brain. It contains photoreceptors to be able to detect light
What is an autonomic visceral reflex?
automatic motor responses initiated by internal stimuli to maintain homeostasis (i.e. decreasing heart rate when you're scared, coordination of digestion, pupillary reflexes, etc.)
Which part of the brain is for coordination + balance center of the brain?
cerebellum
The pineal gland is responsible for the secretion of what hormone?
Melatonin
What are the 5 special senses?
Do you yourself have a 6th sense?
Special senses: vision, hearing, taste, smell, equilibrium
6th sense? probably not lol
What is the purpose of the eustachian tube in the ear?
The eustachian tube equalizes pressure between the middle ear and the throat
What is the main 'control center' for the autonomic nervous system?
Hypothalamus
About what percentage of your blood goes to your brain?
about 20%
Spinal nerves have a dorsal root and a ventral root, each containing a neuron type. Which type of neuron is contained in the dorsal root? Which type in the ventral root?
Dorsal roots contain afferent (sensory) neurons
Ventral roots contain efferent (motor) neurons
What are the 5 types of sensory receptors? What does each detect
mechanoreceptors - physical touch
Thermoreceptors - temperature
Nociceptors - tissue damage
Chemoreceptors - chemicals
photoreceptors - light
Where to first-order neurons carry signals from (and to)? Second-order neurons? Third-order?
First-order: from receptor to spinal cord/brainstem
Second-order: from brainstem to thalamus
Third-order: from thalamus to primary somatosensory cortex
What are sympatholytic drugs? What are sympathomimetic drugs? give an example of each
Sympatholytic: block the sympathetic nervous system; beta-blockers to reduce blood pressure
Sympathomimetic: activate the sympathetic nervous system; epinephrine to increate heart rate + dilate airways
What is the name of the backup route for blood flow in your CNS at the base of your brain?
circle of Willis
What are the 4 plexuses that were discussed in class? what specific nerves emerge from each?
Cervical plexus; phrenic nerve
Brachial plexus; axillary, musculocutaneous, median, radial and ulnar nerves
Lumbar; femoral + obturator nerves
Sacral; sciatic nerve
Encapsulated nerve endings are more specialized and provide more precise information than free nerve endings, why?
The connective tissue capsule on encapsulated nerve endings requires stronger stimulus to be picked up by the dendrite. The stimulus is required to be stronger to penetrate the capsule, resulting in more precise information
What is decussation?
The crossing over of neural pathways in the CNS causing sensation to be processes on the opposite side of the body
What are parasympatholytic drugs? What are parasympathomimetic drugs? Give an example of each
Parasympatholytic: block the parasympathetic nervous system; atropine - increases heart rate
Parasympathomimetic: activate the parasympathetic nervous system; pilocarpine - stimulates digestion
Which cranial nerves are involved in taste? Which are involved in eye movement?
Taste: facial (VII) and glossopharyngeal (IX)
Eye movement: Oculomotor (III) Trochlear (IV) and Abducens (VI)