Nervous System Functions
This division of the nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord.
What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)?
This lobe is primarily responsible for voluntary movement.
What is the frontal lobe?
This cranial nerve controls muscles of facial expression.
What is Cranial Nerve VII (Facial)?
This part of the neuron receives incoming signals.
What are dendrites?
This motor pathway controls voluntary movement.
What is the pyramidal tract?
This division carries sensory information to the CNS and motor commands away from it.
What is the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?
This lobe contains the primary auditory cortex.
What is the temporal lobe?
This cranial nerve is responsible for hearing and balance.
What is Cranial Nerve VIII (Vestibulocochlear)?
This structure carries electrical impulses away from the cell body.
What is the axon?
This motor pathway helps regulate posture, muscle tone, and automatic movement.
What is the extrapyramidal system?
These are the three primary functions of the nervous system.
What are sensory input, integration, and motor output?
Damage to this lobe often results in impaired sensation and spatial awareness.
What is the parietal lobe?
This cranial nerve provides motor control of the tongue.
What is Cranial Nerve XII (Hypoglossal)?
This fatty covering speeds nerve impulse conduction.
What is the myelin sheath?
Damage to this pathway often results in spastic weakness and loss of fine motor control.
What is the corticospinal (pyramidal) tract?
This nervous system function allows us to understand spoken language and formulate an appropriate response.
What is integration?
This lobe processes visual information.
What is the occipital lobe?
These two cranial nerves are especially important for swallowing because they provide sensation and motor control to the pharynx and larynx.
What are Cranial Nerves IX (Glossopharyngeal) and X (Vagus)?
Put these reflex arc structures in order: receptor, sensory neuron, integration center, motor neuron, effector.
What is Receptor → Sensory neuron → Integration center → Motor neuron → Effector?
This arterial structure provides collateral blood flow around the brain if one artery becomes blocked.
What is the Circle of Willis?
During swallowing, this system coordinates sensory feedback with motor output to safely move food from the mouth to the stomach.
What is the central nervous system (brainstem and cerebral cortex)?
This frontal lobe region is primarily responsible for planning and producing speech.
What is Broca's area?
Injury to this cranial nerve may cause vocal fold paralysis and dysphagia.
What is the Vagus nerve (CN X)?
This gap between neurons allows neurotransmitters to transmit signals.
What is the synapse (synaptic cleft)?
A stroke affecting the left middle cerebral artery is most likely to impair these communication functions.
What are speech and language (aphasia and/or motor speech disorders)?