Nervous System Worksheets Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the difference between what the nervous and endocrine systems stimulate?

Nervous system stimulates muscles while the endocrine system stimulates organs.

What is the difference between how the nervous and endocrine systems stimulate?

Nervous system uses impulses while the endocrine system uses hormones.

What are the two divisions of the human nervous system?

Central: brain and spinal cord; Peripheral: receptors.

What are the 2 types of cells found in the nervous system, and what are their functions?

Neurons: conduct, transmit/transport, and receive nerve impulses; Neuroglia: nourish and protect neurons – no axons or dendrites. Signup and view all the answers

What is a nerve impulse?

Change in polarity that flows along the membrane of a nerve fiber. Signup and view all the answers

What is a synapse?

Region between two nerve cells where the nerve impulse is transmitted. Signup and view all the answers

What is a neurotransmitter? Name an example.

Chemical made at the ends of axons responsible for transmission across a synapse. Examples: acetylcholine, norepinephrine. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between gray matter and white matter? Where is each located?

Gray Matter: nonmyelinated nerve fibers containing cell bodies, dendrites, and axon terminals; White Matter: myelinated nerve fibers containing axons that connect different parts of gray matter. Signup and view all the answers

What is a reflex arc? Why is it important?

Quick response to stimuli that bypasses the brain. It's important because reflexes are faster than reactions. Signup and view all the answers

What are 3 reflexes?

Accommodation, acoustic, ankle-jerk, knee-jerk, shivering, sneeze. Signup and view all the answers

What are the lobes of the cerebrum and what are their primary functions?

Frontal: control of skeletal muscle; Parietal: computing sensory info; Temporal: speech and hearing; Occipital: vision. Signup and view all the answers

What is an EEG and what is it used for by the medical profession?

EEG = Electroencephalogram - records brain's electrical activity. Signup and view all the answers

What is CSF?

Cerebrospinal Fluid. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?

Cushion brain. Signup and view all the answers

Where is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) found in the human nervous system?

Subarachnoid space and spinal canal (produced by choroid plexus). Signup and view all the answers

What is the fight or flight response?

Do you stay and fight, or turn and run away. Signup and view all the answers

What is Parkinson's and what causes it?

Progressive disease of the nervous system marked mainly by tremors, caused by too little dopamine. Signup and view all the answers

What is cerebral palsy, and what causes it?

Damage to motor areas of the brain marked by muscle weakness especially in the extremities, caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. Signup and view all the answers

What is a stroke, and what causes it?

(Hemorrhage) damaged part of the brain, caused by stopping of blood flow to brain that can kill neurons. Signup and view all the answers

What is a subdural hematoma?

Accumulation of blood between dura mater and brain, usually caused by severe head injury. Signup and view all the answers

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Progressive mental deterioration of the brain and loss of mental ability, caused by general degeneration of the brain. Signup and view all the answers

What is hydrocephalus?

Enlargement/swelling of the brain caused by excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Signup and view all the answers

What is the general function of the cerebrum?

To control thoughts and emotions. Signup and view all the answers

What is the general function of the cerebellum?

To control movement. Signup and view all the answers

What is the general function of the medulla oblongata?

To transfer impulses to the spinal cord and thalamus from the body, and to control breathing, heart rate, etc. Signup and view all the answers

Right hemisphere controls body movement on the ______ side of the body.

Left Signup and view all the answers

Sensation is controlled in the ______ lobe.

Parietal Signup and view all the answers

What is the fibrous meninx attached to cranial bones?

Dura Mater. Signup and view all the answers

What meninx is attached to the brain surface?

Pia Mater. Signup and view all the answers

What is the middle meninx?

Arachnoid Mater. Signup and view all the answers

What is the space containing cerebrospinal fluid?

Subarachnoid Space. Signup and view all the answers

What meninx contains the sagittal sinus?

Dura Mater. Signup and view all the answers

What separates the frontal and parietal lobe?

Central sulcus. Signup and view all the answers

What separates cerebral hemispheres?

Longitudinal cerebral fissure. Signup and view all the answers

What is between the temporal and parietal lobes?

Latitudinal cerebral fissure. Signup and view all the answers

What is between the occipital and parietal lobes?

Parieto-occipital fissure. Signup and view all the answers

What controls heart and breathing rates?

Medulla Oblongata. Signup and view all the answers

What functions in will, intelligence, and memory?

Cerebrum. Signup and view all the answers

What controls body temperature and water balance?

Hypothalamus. Signup and view all the answers

What controls muscular coordination?

Cerebellum. Signup and view all the answers

What is the pathway for fibers between the cerebrum and the pons, cerebellum, and medulla?

Midbrain. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe?

Somatomotor. Signup and view all the answers

What area gives voluntary control of body movements?

Somatomotor. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe?

Somatosensory. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by the occipital lobe?

Visual. Signup and view all the answers

What area controls muscles of lips, larynx, and tongue that are involved in speech?

Motor speech. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by visual images?

Visual. Signup and view all the answers

What area lies on top of the superior temporal gyrus?

Auditory. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by the medial surface of the temporal lobe?

Olfactory. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by touch sensations of the skin?

Somatosensory. Signup and view all the answers

What area coordinates learned motor skills?

Premotor. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by odor sensations?

Olfactory. Signup and view all the answers

What area is affected by sound sensations?

Auditory. Signup and view all the answers

What area provides assessment of sensory input?

Common integrative area (gnostic area). Signup and view all the answers

What is the second largest portion of the brain?

Cerebellum. Signup and view all the answers

What is composed of the midbrain, pons, and medulla?

Brain stem. Signup and view all the answers

What is fluid within the subarachnoid space?

Cerebrospinal fluid. Signup and view all the answers

What secretes the hormone melatonin?

Pineal gland. Signup and view all the answers

What provides an uncritical sensory awareness?

Thalamus. Signup and view all the answers

What generates impulses to keep the cerebrum alert?

Reticular Activating System (RAS). Signup and view all the answers

What is the lowest portion of the brain stem?

Medulla oblongata. Signup and view all the answers

What is the largest part of the brain?

Cerebrum. Signup and view all the answers

What is the fissure separating the cerebral hemispheres?

Longitudinal cerebral fissure. Signup and view all the answers

What receives sensory impulses and relays them to the cerebrum?

Thalamus. Signup and view all the answers

What contains fiber tracts associated with the sense of smell?

Fornix. Signup and view all the answers

What regulates body temperature?

Hypothalamus. Signup and view all the answers

What consists of fibers connecting cerebral hemispheres?

Corpus callosum. Signup and view all the answers

What is the stalk supporting the hypophysis (pituitary)?

Infundibulum. Signup and view all the answers

What enables cerebrospinal fluid to pass from the lateral ventricles into the third ventricle?

Interventricular foramen. Signup and view all the answers

What is the crossing of optic fibers?

Optic chiasma. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main pathway of motor fibers from the cerebrum?

Cerebral penduncles. Signup and view all the answers

What is the reflex center for movements in response to auditory and visual stimuli?

Corpora Quadrigemina. Signup and view all the answers

What connects third and fourth ventricles?

Cerebral aqueduct. Signup and view all the answers

What secretes cerebrospinal fluid into the ventricles?

Choroid plexus. Signup and view all the answers

Cerebrospinal fluid is released into the ventricles from the ______ in each ventricle.

Choroid plexus Signup and view all the answers

CSF passes from the lateral ventricles into the third ventricle via an opening, the foramen, and into the fourth ventricle through the _.

Interventricular, cerebral aqueduct Signup and view all the answers

From the fourth ventricle, the fluid passes via the into the _ below the cerebellum.

median aperture, midbrain Signup and view all the answers

How are reflexes a defense mechanism for the body? Give an example.

Reflexes act faster than reactions. Example: hand on stove, you automatically pull your hand away. Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important for doctors to test their patients' reflexes regularly?

To ensure the nervous system is functioning properly. Signup and view all the answers

Absence of the cancaneal reflex (ankle-jerk) may indicate damage to which region of the spinal cord?

Lumbar. Signup and view all the answers

What is an abnormal plantar reflex called and what happens? What does it signify?

Babinski's disease - toes extend and spread instead of curling - signifies damage in the cerebral cortex. Signup and view all the answers

The three major divisions of the brain are the ____, _, and ____.

Cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla. Signup and view all the answers

The folds upon the surface of the brain are known as _____.

Gyri. Signup and view all the answers

The optic nerves from the eyes cross before entering the brain. The crossed structure is known as the _______.

Optic chiasma. Signup and view all the answers

From what part of the brain does the vagus nerve originate?

Medulla. Signup and view all the answers

The hypophysis is more commonly known as the _____.

Pituitary gland. Signup and view all the answers

How many ventricles are there in the brain?

Four. Two laterals and the third and fourth. Signup and view all the answers

What is contained within the ventricles of the brain?

Cerebrospinal fluid. Signup and view all the answers

The brain is protected by a portion of the skull known as the _______.

Cranium. Signup and view all the answers

The swellings on the dorsal roots of spinal nerves are known as _____.

Ganglion. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Circle of Willis?

The arteries of the brain and brain stem. Signup and view all the answers

What is the minimum distance at which you can focus on an object?

Near point. Signup and view all the answers

What is the amount of detail your eye can distinguish?

Visual acuity. Signup and view all the answers

What is the automatic adjustment of the eye for viewing objects at different distances?

Accommodation. Signup and view all the answers

What is the cornea or lens being unequally curved causing light rays to focus at different points, and a blur in the visual field?

Astigmatism. Signup and view all the answers

What is side vision, or seeing objects to the sides while looking straight known as?

Peripheral Vision. Signup and view all the answers

Is the human eye best adapted to close-up or distance vision? How do you know?

Distance - close objects blur. Signup and view all the answers

What structure is responsible for accommodation? How does this structure work?

Ciliary Muscle - bends the lens to focus. Signup and view all the answers

Why do people sometimes get headaches after doing close work for a long period of time?

Ciliary muscles are straining to keep lens bent. Signup and view all the answers

What would be the proper term for someone who has a dominant right eye and writes with their left hand?

Mixed Dominance. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Nervous System Overview

Nervous system stimulates muscles; endocrine system stimulates organs.
Nervous system uses electrical impulses for communication; endocrine system utilizes hormones.

Divisions of the Nervous System

Composed of two main divisions:
- Central Nervous System (CNS): includes brain and spinal cord.
- Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): includes receptors outside the CNS.

Cells of the Nervous System

Two primary cell types:
- Neurons: sensitive cells that conduct and transmit nerve impulses.
- Neuroglia: supportive cells that nourish and protect neurons; lack axons and dendrites.

Nerve Impulses and Synapses

A nerve impulse is a change in polarity that travels along a nerve fiber's membrane.
Synapse refers to the junction between two nerve cells, facilitating nerve impulse transmission.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers released at axon endings to transmit signals across synapses.
Examples include acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, GABA, serotonin, and endorphins.

Gray and White Matter

Gray Matter: Contains non-myelinated nerve fibers and neuron cell bodies, dendrites, and axon terminals.
White Matter: Composed of myelinated nerve fibers with axons connecting different gray matter areas.

Reflex Arcs

A reflex arc is a neural pathway that mediates reflex actions, allowingfor quicker reactions by bypassing the brain.
Essential for faster responses to stimuli, e.g., pulling hand away from a hot stove.

Major Brain Lobes

Frontal Lobe: Responsible for voluntary muscle control.
Parietal Lobe: Processes sensory information.
Temporal Lobe: Associated with speech and hearing.
Occipital Lobe: Primarily involved in vision.

EEG and CSF

EEG (Electroencephalogram): A test that records the brain's electrical activity.
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF): Protects and cushions the brain; found in the subarachnoid space and spinal canal.

Responses and Conditions

Fight or flight response: An instinctual response to perceived threats, deciding to confront or flee.
Parkinson's Disease: A progressive nervous system disorder characterized by tremors due to dopamine deficiency.
Cerebral palsy: Results from brain damage before or at birth, leading to motor weakness.
Stroke: Occurs from disrupted blood flow to the brain, risking neuron death.

Protective Structures and Fissures

Dura Mater: Tough outer meningeal layer attached to cranial bones.
Arachnoid Mater: Middle meningeal layer providing a web-like covering.
Pia Mater: Inner layer closely associated with the brain surface.
Various fissures (e.g., central sulcus, longitudinal cerebral fissure) help separate brain regions.

Brain Functions

Cerebrum: Governs thought and emotion.
Cerebellum: Coordinates movement and balance.
Medulla Oblongata: Controls vital functions like heart rate and breathing.

Sensory and Motor Areas

Somatosensory Area: Involved in processing touch sensations.
Somatomotor Area: Responsible for voluntary movement control.
Specialized areas (e.g., visual, auditory, olfactory) detected by their respective lobes.

Reflex Testing and Neurological Health

Regular reflex testing is crucial for assessing nervous system function.
Absence of certain reflexes may indicate spinal cord damage or neurological disorders.

Vision

Near point: The closest distance at which objects can be clearly seen.
Visual acuity: The detail level discernible by the eye.
Ciliary Muscle regulates lens shape for accommodation.
Astigmatism: Unequal lens curvature causing blurred vision.
Peripheral vision refers to the ability to see surrounding objects while gazing ahead.

Brain Anatomy

Circle of Willis: A crucial arterial structure supplying blood to the brain.
Four brain ventricles contain CSF for cushioning and nutrient transport.
Optic chiasma: The crossover point for optic nerve fibers before they engage the brain.

Dominance and Epistemology

Mixed dominance occurs when a person exhibits different dominant sides of the body for various tasks, such as writing or vision.

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Description

Test your knowledge of the human nervous system with these informative flashcards. Each card covers key differences and divisions within nervous and endocrine systems. Perfect for students looking to deepen their understanding of human biology.