NSCI 110 1st Edition Exam 1 Study Guide Chapters 1 5 Chapter 1 I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X Brain and behavior have evolved together a Is most complex living organ and found in many groups of animals b Behavioral disorders can be understood by looking at the brain Brain tissue found within the skull a Cerebrum forebrain divided into 2 hemispheres i Conscious behaviors ii Brainstem responsible for most unconscious behaviors b Cerebellum responsible for learning and coordinated motor movements Neurons control the nervous system a Have receptors in skin sensory muscles motor internal organs sensory and motor i Communicates with brain cells through the spinal cord The central nervous system is encased in bone skull and vertebrae a All other neurons that proliferate constitute the peripheral nervous system Thinking is a behavior that forms patterns over time a Behaviors consist of inherited or innate and learned actions b Animals with simpler nervous systems rely more heavily on innate behaviors i Have less of a capacity for learning new responses Aristotle and mentalism a The idea that the mind is responsible for behavior b The psyche is responsible for consciousness perceptions emotions opinion memory reason Descartes and dualism a Linked the mind to the body b Proposes that most automatic activities such as breathing can be physically explained and that the nonmaterial mind is responsible for rational behavior c Difficulty in his theories led to the mind body problem i Proposed the language and action tests Darwin and materialism a Idea that behavior can be fully explained by the physical structure of the brain and rest of nervous system b Darwin looked at structure of animals and animal behavior discovered many commonalities c Mendel discovered that genes give rise to physical traits i New traits appear because of alternative allelic combinations d Because all species are related their brains and behavior must be too i Brains of complex animals evolved from simpler ones but are also greatly shaped by learning and new experience Epigenetics is the study of differences in gene expression due to experience and environment a Can persist throughout a lifetime and be passed on to the next generation The evolution of the nervous system is as follows a b c d e f g XI XII Brain cells and muscles allow animals to move Nerve net consisting of just neurons sensory and motor Bilateral symmetry arises Segmentation arises repeating similar segments Ganglia are clusters of neurons that resemble brains Spinal cord arises in chordates Brain displays the greatest degree of encephalization i Displays specializations What does brain size signify a Principle of proper mass explains that larger brains accompany more complex behaviors i Brain body size ratio of about 2 3 Neoteny the slowness of maturation has helped humans retain some juvenile characteristics Chapter 2 I II III IV V VI VII The brain exhibits neuroplasticity a Also gives rise to phenotypic plasticity same genotype but epigenetics causes different expression The nervous system can be anatomically and functionally divided The meninges covers the brain and spinal cord a Dura mater is the outer most layer fibrous b Arachnoid membrane connective tissue i Subarachnoid space is filled with CSF 1 Cushions brain and allows flow of nutrients c Pia mater is the innermost layer thin wrapping around the brain connective Orientations a Spatial orientation i Ventral inferior vs dorsal superior ii Anterior rostral vs posterior caudal iii Medial vs lateral b Anatomical orientation i Coronal section produces a frontal view ii Horizontal section produces a dorsal view iii Sagittal section produces a medial view 1 Mid sagittal plane Outer layer of forebrain is the cerebral cortex a Gyri are bumps and sulci are grooves on the surface i Longitudinal fissure separates left and right hemispheres Cerebral circulation a Arteries emerge from the neck and wrap around the brainstem cerebrum and cerebellum where they pierce its surface i Three major arteries send blood to the cerebrum 1 Anterior cerebral artery 2 Middle cerebral artery 3 Posterior cerebral artery ii Strokes in these arteries are extremely severe 1 Affect opposite sides Internal features of the brain a Gray matter consists of cell bodies and capillaries VIII IX X i Collect and modify info b White matter is most nerve fibers with myelinated axons i Form neural connections c Ventricles contain CSF i There are four in the human brain they are all connected ii Flow from two lateral to the third to the fourth 1 Then into the cerebral aqueduct which runs down the spinal cord iii Thought to be important in maintaining brain metabolism iv Allows certain substances access to the brain and helps get rid of wasteful ones v Cushions hard impacts to the head d If cut sagittally i The corpus callosum is a band of white matter that allows communication between the two hemispheres 1 Underneath lies subcortical structures like the brainstem 2 Many cortical subcortical connections as well Cells in the nervous system a Neurons carry out major functions i Are connected by axons that collect together to form entire nerves PNS or tracts CNS b Glial cells aid and regulate activities The spinal cord is responsible for principle movements a Houses spinal nerves that carry sensory and motor signals i Spinal reflexes are automatic the signals aren t sent to the brain The brainstem begins where the spinal cord enters the skull extends into the forebrain a Receives afferent neurons and sends efferent ones to the spinal cord b Responsible for most unconscious behavior c Divided into i Hindbrain 1 Important in motor functions breathing balance 2 Includes the cerebellum 3 The reticular formation is a netlike mixture of gray and white matter responsible for awakeness 4 The pons contains nuclei that receives input from the cerebellum 5 The medulla contains nuclei that regulate vital functions like breathing and heart rate ii Midbrain 1 Tectum dorsal receives a ton of sensory info from the eyes and ears a Superior colliculus receives visual info and inferior colliculus receives auditory info b Work together to produce orienting movements related to sensory input 2 Tegmentum ventral a Red nucleus controls limb movements b Substantia nigra key in motor activity c Periacqueductal gray matter controls species typical behaviors sexual behaviors iii Diencephalon can be placed in the brainstem or forebrain integrates sensory and motor info