Brain and Nervous System

• What is the primary function of the cerebral cortex?

  Conscious thought
• What are the functions associated with the cerebral cortex?

  Personality, voluntary actions, and memory
• What are the main regions of the cerebral cortex?

  • Motor cortex: movement ratio
  • Sensory cortex: sensitivity
• What does the term "cerebellum" literally mean?

  Little brain
• What functions does the cerebellum control?

  Coordination of movement, balance, and posture
• How does the cerebellum process information?

  It amalgamates information from the retina, semi-circular canals, joints, and stretch receptors
• What is the primary role of the hypothalamus?

  Controls most of the body’s homeostatic mechanisms
• What homeostatic mechanisms does the hypothalamus control?

  Temperature control and osmoregulation
• What endocrine function does the hypothalamus perform?

  It controls the pituitary gland
• What does the medulla oblongata control?

  The autonomic nervous system
• What vital regulatory centers are found in the medulla oblongata?

  The cardiac centre and the respiratory centre
• What is the function of the nervous system?

  • Coordinates the actions of the body via electrical impulses
  • Divided into sections with different roles
• What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?

  1. Central nervous system

  • Brain
  • Spinal cord

  1. Peripheral nervous system

  • Sensory
  • Motor
• What are the two types of control in the peripheral nervous system?

  • Somatic (conscious control)
  • Autonomic (unconscious control)
• What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system?

  • Sympathetic (increases activity)
  • Parasympathetic (decreases activity)
• why do somatic and parasympathetic systems use the same neurotransmitter


  • acetylcholine
  • both part of Peripheral Nervous System