Unit 3

• What is the somatic nervous system: The part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscles.
• What is the autonomic nervous system: A network of nerves that controls involuntary functions such as heart rate and breathing.
• What is the role of the spinal cord, with reference to the spinal reflex?

  Automatic response to a stimulus.
• What are the areas of the cerebral cortex?

  Frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.
• What does the frontal cortex do?

  Executive functions, decision-making, and personality.
• What does the parietal cortex do?

  Allows an individual to perceive dimensional shapes, perception and recognition of one's own body, Sensory processing, spatial navigation, attention.
• What does the temporal cortex do?

  Processes sensory input, memory, language, and emotion.
• What does the occipital cortex do?

  Visual processing.
• What form of language processing occurs in the Broca's area?

  Word production
• What form of language processing occurs in the Wernicke's area?

  Comprehension.
• What form of language processing occurs in Geschwind's territory?

  It is the bridge between the two areas.
• What areas of the brain are involved with voluntary movement?

  Primary Motor Cortex, Cerebellum, and Basal Ganglia.
• What areas are responsible for emotion?

  Amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and the limbic system.
• What is the limbic system?

  A complex network of brain structures involved in emotions, motivation, and memory.
• What does the amygdala do?

  Emotion processing.
• What does the prefrontal cortex do?

  Executive functions, decision-making, and impulse control.
• What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters?

  Excitatory neurotransmitters increase the likelihood of a neuron firing an action potential, while inhibitory neurotransmitters decrease the likelihood of a neuron firing an action potential.
• What is Glutamate (excitatory or inhibitory)?

  Excitatory neurotransmitters.
• What is gamma-amino butyric acid (excitatory or inhibitory)?

  Inhibitory neurotransmitter.
• What is acetylcholine and what does it do?

  Neurotransmitter. It is involved in muscle movement, memory, and autonomic nervous system functions.
• What is epinephrine and what does it do?

  Hormone. Increases heart rate and blood flow.
• What is norepinephrine and what does it do?

  Neurotransmitter. Regulates stress response, alertness, and arousal.
• What is dopamine and what does it do?

  Neurotransmitter. It plays a role in pleasure, reward, and movement.
• What is serotonin and what does it do?

  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, and sleep.
• What does interference in neurotransmitter functions do to the human body?

  Stops signals, causing muscle spasms, lack of movement, memory loss, etc
• What are the biological influences on visual perception?

  Genetics, brain structures, and ageing.
• What is the function and biological make up of the Central Nervous System?

  Function: Control center for the body, processes information, coordinates responses by sending messages to the peripheral nervous system. Biological makeup: Brain and spinal cord.
• What is the function and biological make-up of the Peripheral Nervous System?

  Function: Communication between the central nervous system and the rest of the body by using motor and sensory neurons to allow movement and senses. Biological make-up: Nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord.
• The autonomic nervous system is divided into two sections. What are they and what do they do?

  Sympathetic and parasympathetic. Sympathetic activates fight or flight response, parasympathetic promotes rest and digest.
• The reflex arc is divided into two forms: What are they and what do they do?

  1. Monosynaptic reflex arc: Involves a single synapse and is responsible for rapid, automatic responses. 2. Polysynaptic reflex arc: Involves multiple synapses and allows for more complex and coordinated responses.
• The cerebral cortex is the name given to the outer area of the cerebrum. What are the sections that it is made up of?

  Four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital
• What is the function of the Thalamus?

  Relay station of sensory information to the Primary Cortex of the relevant lobe
• What is the function of the frontal lobe?

  The frontal lobe, the largest lobe, is responsible for speech, abstract thought, planning, and social skills.
• Where is the Primary Motor Cortex located and what is its function?

  Location: Frontal lobe, adjacent from the central fissure. Function: Controls voluntary movements of the body's skeletal muscles.
• What does it mean when the Primary Motor Cortex functions contralaterally?

  the left side of the PMC controls the right side of the body; and the right side controls the left side of the body.
• What is the function of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex?

  Sensory processing such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain. It also functions contralaterally.
• What will be the result if someone were to damage their Primary Somatosensory Cortex?

  The individual will be unable to process sensation from parts of the body of the opposite side where the damage is.
• What will be the result if someone were to damage their Temporal Lobe?

  People with this damage often are unable to recognize songs, faces, or paintings. People with damages to the primary auditory cortex often experience forms of deafness.
• What typically occurs with Broca's aphasia?

  Difficulty speaking, putting grammatically correct sentences together and articulating words. Individuals are still able to comprehend language.
• What typically occurs with Wernicke's Aphasia?

  Individuals will struggle to comprehend language and produce sentences that are fluent, but meaningless.