The Nervous System

Divisions of the Nervous System

Central N.S.(brain and

spinal cord)

Nervoussystem

Autonomic N.S.(controls

self-regulated action ofinternal organs and glands like

The heart and lungs)

Somatic N.S. (controls

voluntary movements ofskeletal muscles)

Sympathetic N.S. (arousing)

Parasympathetic N.S. (calming)

Peripheral N.S.

..remember how

“soma” means body?

“peripheral” just means on the outside, or NOT central…like your “peripheral vision”

Automatic Actions=Are Simple Reflexes

Reflex: a simple, autonomic, inborn response to a sensory stimulus. Spinal cord in charge and brain NOT involved.

The BrainThe Brain

Regions of the BrainRegions of the Brain

Hindbrain:Hindbrain: medullamedullaponsponsreticular reticular formationformationcerebellum cerebellum

The HindbrainThe Hindbrain Brainstem:Brainstem: lower base - connects the spinal lower base - connects the spinal

cord to the brain - oldest part of the brain - cord to the brain - oldest part of the brain - responsible for automatic survival functions.responsible for automatic survival functions.

Medulla: controls heartbeat and breathing

The HindbrainThe Hindbrain Cerebellum:Cerebellum: responsible responsible

for balance and movement for balance and movement - the “little brain” - - the “little brain” - attached to the rear of the attached to the rear of the brainstem.brainstem.

Pons:Pons: connects the lower connects the lower and mid brain regions - and mid brain regions - regulates brain during regulates brain during sleep and dreaming. sleep and dreaming.

Reticular Formation:Reticular Formation: helps control arousal. helps control arousal.

Regions of the BrainRegions of the Brain Midbrain:Midbrain: contains clusters of nerve contains clusters of nerve

cells.cells.

Regions of the BrainRegions of the Brain Forebrain:Forebrain: most important part of the brain most important part of the brain

-consists of: thalamus, limbic system, -consists of: thalamus, limbic system, hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex (which hypothalamus, and cerebral cortex (which contains the lobes of the brain.) contains the lobes of the brain.)

The ForebrainThe Forebrain Thalamus:Thalamus: the “sensory switchboard,” or “the the “sensory switchboard,” or “the

relay station.” All auditory (hearing), visual, relay station.” All auditory (hearing), visual, taste, and touch signals pass through it --> it taste, and touch signals pass through it --> it relays signals to the appropriate part of the relays signals to the appropriate part of the brain. brain.

The ForebrainThe Forebrain The Limbic System:The Limbic System: system plays a major system plays a major

role in controlling emotion and drives (sex, role in controlling emotion and drives (sex, hunger, etc.)hunger, etc.)

The Limbic SystemThe Limbic System Hippocampus:Hippocampus: involved in the formation of involved in the formation of

memories.memories.

Hypothalamus:Hypothalamus: involved in a variety of drives, involved in a variety of drives, such as hunger, thirst, and sex. Pleasure/reward such as hunger, thirst, and sex. Pleasure/reward center. Controls the pituitary gland. center. Controls the pituitary gland.

Pituitary Gland:Pituitary Gland: controlled by the controlled by the hypothalamus - regulates growth - regulates hypothalamus - regulates growth - regulates other glands in the endocrine system. The other glands in the endocrine system. The “master gland.”“master gland.”

Amygdala: Amygdala: neural clusters linked to emotions neural clusters linked to emotions like aggression and fear.like aggression and fear.

The Limbic SystemThe Limbic SystemMatch the picture with the part of the limbic Match the picture with the part of the limbic

system that is related to it.system that is related to it.

amygdala hypothalamus hippocampus

pituitary gland

The Limbic System’s “Reward The Limbic System’s “Reward Center”Center”

The Cerebral CortexThe Cerebral CortexThe Cerebral Cortex:The Cerebral Cortex: is the brain’s ultimate is the brain’s ultimate control and information processing center; control and information processing center; contains all the interconnected neural cells that contains all the interconnected neural cells that cover cerebral hemispheres. Contains lobes.cover cerebral hemispheres. Contains lobes.

The LobesThe Lobes

Frontal Lobe:Frontal Lobe: involved in speaking and involved in speaking and muscle movements along with making plans muscle movements along with making plans and judgments. Includes the and judgments. Includes the motor cortex:motor cortex: controls voluntary movements. controls voluntary movements.

Parietal Lobe:Parietal Lobe: includes the includes the somatosensory somatosensory cortexcortex which allows you to register and process which allows you to register and process body sensations (sense of touch). body sensations (sense of touch).

Frontal Lobe and Phineus Frontal Lobe and Phineus GageGage

How did Gage’s How did Gage’s accident affect accident affect him?him?

The LobesThe Lobes Occipital Lobe:Occipital Lobe:

includes the visual includes the visual areas involved in areas involved in seeing.seeing.

Temporal Lobe:Temporal Lobe: includes the includes the auditory areas auditory areas which are involved which are involved in hearing. in hearing.

Association Areas:Association Areas: areas of cerebral cortex areas of cerebral cortex not involved in motor or sensory processes. not involved in motor or sensory processes. Makes up largest portion of cortex which is Makes up largest portion of cortex which is involved in higher mental functions such as involved in higher mental functions such as learning, memory, thinking, and speaking. learning, memory, thinking, and speaking.

Cerebral Cortex and LanguageCerebral Cortex and Language

Aphasia:Aphasia: impairment of language, usually impairment of language, usually caused by damage to the left hemisphere to caused by damage to the left hemisphere to the brain either in Broca’s or Wernicke’s area: the brain either in Broca’s or Wernicke’s area:

Broca’s Area: an area of the left frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements involved in speech Broca’s Aphasia

Wernicke’s Area: an area of the left temporal lobe involved in language comprehension Wernicke's Aphasia

Brain ReorganizationBrain Reorganization

Plasticity:Plasticity: the brain’s the brain’s capacity for modification capacity for modification as evident in brain as evident in brain reorganization following reorganization following damage (especially in damage (especially in children) and in children) and in experiments on the effects experiments on the effects of experience on brain of experience on brain development development brain plasticity

KEY NAMESUnit 2: Biological Bases of

Behavior

Discovered that a structure in the left Discovered that a structure in the left frontal lobe controls frontal lobe controls language language production. production.

This structure is now known as This structure is now known as “Broca’s”“Broca’s”

key name

Paul Paul BROCABROCA18

24-1

88

0

Discovered that a structure in the left Discovered that a structure in the left temporal lobe controls temporal lobe controls language language comprehension. comprehension.

This structure is now known as This structure is now known as “Wernicke’s”“Wernicke’s”

key name

Carl Carl WERNICKEWERNICKE18

48-1

90

5

1981 Nobel Prize Winner (medicine) 1981 Nobel Prize Winner (medicine) for for split-brain researchsplit-brain research

key name

Roger Roger SPERRYSPERRY19

13-1

99

4

Worked under Roger SperryWorked under Roger Sperry made important advances in our made important advances in our

understanding of functional understanding of functional lateralization in the brain and how lateralization in the brain and how the cerebral hemispheres the cerebral hemispheres communicate with one anothercommunicate with one another

key name

Michael Michael GazzanigaGazzaniga19

39-P

rese

nt

The Divided BrainThe Divided Brain Corpus Callosum:Corpus Callosum: large large

bundle of neural fibers that bundle of neural fibers that allows the two sides of the allows the two sides of the brain to communicate. brain to communicate. Carries messages between Carries messages between the two hemispheres. the two hemispheres.

Cutting it leads to Cutting it leads to split split brains.brains.

Split Brain Illustrates Left Brain Split Brain Illustrates Left Brain Used For Language and Right Used For Language and Right

Used For Spatial and Non-Used For Spatial and Non-Linguistic FunctionsLinguistic Functions

Right and Left Brain Functions Right and Left Brain Functions Cerebral dominanceCerebral dominance refers to these tendencies refers to these tendencies

for each brain hemisphere to exert control over for each brain hemisphere to exert control over different functions, such as language (left) or different functions, such as language (left) or perception of spatial relationships (right). perception of spatial relationships (right). Split Brain MovieSplit Brain Movie

Specialization of the Specialization of the Cerebral HemispheresCerebral Hemispheres

Left Hemisphere

Right Hemisphere

• Spontaneous speaking and writing

• Responses to complex commands• Word recognition

• Memory for words and numbers

• Sequences of movements

• Feelings of anxiety• Positive emotion

• Repetitive but not spontaneous speaking

• Responses to simple commands

• Facial recognition• Memory for shapes

and music

• Spatial interpretation• Emotional responsiveness

• Negative emotion

The Body’s Other The Body’s Other Communication Network Communication Network

(Slower)(Slower) The Endocrine The Endocrine

System:System: the body’s the body’s “slow” chemical “slow” chemical communication communication system; secretes system; secretes hormones into hormones into bloodstream. bloodstream.

Endocrine System Endocrine System ComponentsComponents Hormones:Hormones: cousins of neurotransmitters; cousins of neurotransmitters;

chemical messengers, mostly those chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another.produced in one tissue and affect another.

Adrenal Glands:Adrenal Glands: endocrine glands above the endocrine glands above the kidneys that secrete the hormones epinephrine kidneys that secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body (noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress.in times of stress.