1. What are the two major anatomical parts of the central nervous system?
The two major anatomical parts of the central nervous system are the brain, which is
surrounded by the skull; and the spinal cord, which is surrounded by vertebrae.
2 Compare the functions of the somatic versus the autonomic nervous
systems.
The somatic nervous system serves to carry sensory information to the central nervous
system through the spinal and cranial nerves and carry motor instructions away
from the central nervous system to create movement. —> afferent info into CNS
The autonomic nervous system serves to balance our internal functions. It splits into two
different nervous system divisions, one being the sympathetic nervous system,
which is responsible for all bodily arousal and commonly known for controlling
the “fight or flight” response; and the other being the parasympathetic nervous
system which is responsible for calming the organs or “rest and digest”.
3 What do the terms afferent and efferent refer to?
The term afferent refers to the sensory information that comes in to the central nervous
system from our skin and organ sensory receptors. The term efferent refers to
the motor information that leaves the central nervous system and is brought to
the muscles and glands creating movement.
4 What is a dermatome?
A dermatome is an area of skin that has afferent nerve fibres coming from a single
spinal-cord dorsal root.
part of body innervated by one nerve leaving the spinal cord, dermatome zones on
body.
5 Spinal nerves: classify the dorsal and ventral spinal nerves as sensory vs.
motor and afferent vs. efferent.
The dorsal spinal nerves are afferent, meaning they carry sensory information from the
body’s sensory receptors in to the central nervous system. The ventral spinal
nerves are efferent, meaning they carry motor information out of the central
nervous system to the body’s muscles and glands.
, 6 Do the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems belong to the
autonomic nervous system or the somatic nervous system? What is the
basic function of each of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems?
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system belong to the autonomic nervous
system. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body’s arousal, it
can increase the blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate for action. It is
also responsible for the “fight or flight” response. decrease digestive system,
decrease body maintenance system (ex. liver cleaning blood), open pupils wider.
The parasympathetic nervous system is essentially the opposite of the former as it is
responsible for calming the body’s organs and conducts “rest and digest”.
increasing priority on digestive and maintenance processes. decrease heart rate
and blood pressure. regulate body systems.
7 Draw the outline of a person’s head from the side with an outline of the
brain inside. Label: dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior, coronal section,
horizontal section, and the four major lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal,
occipital).
(picture)
8 Write a phrase to describe the general functions of: the four major lobes,
cerebellum, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, Broca’s area, Wernicke’s
area, brainstem, corpus callosum, hypothalamus, primary motor area,
somatosensory area, basal ganglia.
frontal lobe: responsible for executive/cognitive function (ex. reasoning, critical thinking,
language, motor control, emotion). decision making/personality
parietal lobe: responsible for sensory information and contains the somatosensory
cortex. general awareness - spatial, integration of different sensory modalities
temporal lobe: responsible for auditory information, taste, smell, and memory. Also
contains Wernicke’s area. spatial navigation
occipital lobe: responsible for visual information.
The two major anatomical parts of the central nervous system are the brain, which is
surrounded by the skull; and the spinal cord, which is surrounded by vertebrae.
2 Compare the functions of the somatic versus the autonomic nervous
systems.
The somatic nervous system serves to carry sensory information to the central nervous
system through the spinal and cranial nerves and carry motor instructions away
from the central nervous system to create movement. —> afferent info into CNS
The autonomic nervous system serves to balance our internal functions. It splits into two
different nervous system divisions, one being the sympathetic nervous system,
which is responsible for all bodily arousal and commonly known for controlling
the “fight or flight” response; and the other being the parasympathetic nervous
system which is responsible for calming the organs or “rest and digest”.
3 What do the terms afferent and efferent refer to?
The term afferent refers to the sensory information that comes in to the central nervous
system from our skin and organ sensory receptors. The term efferent refers to
the motor information that leaves the central nervous system and is brought to
the muscles and glands creating movement.
4 What is a dermatome?
A dermatome is an area of skin that has afferent nerve fibres coming from a single
spinal-cord dorsal root.
part of body innervated by one nerve leaving the spinal cord, dermatome zones on
body.
5 Spinal nerves: classify the dorsal and ventral spinal nerves as sensory vs.
motor and afferent vs. efferent.
The dorsal spinal nerves are afferent, meaning they carry sensory information from the
body’s sensory receptors in to the central nervous system. The ventral spinal
nerves are efferent, meaning they carry motor information out of the central
nervous system to the body’s muscles and glands.
, 6 Do the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems belong to the
autonomic nervous system or the somatic nervous system? What is the
basic function of each of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems?
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system belong to the autonomic nervous
system. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the body’s arousal, it
can increase the blood pressure, heart rate and breathing rate for action. It is
also responsible for the “fight or flight” response. decrease digestive system,
decrease body maintenance system (ex. liver cleaning blood), open pupils wider.
The parasympathetic nervous system is essentially the opposite of the former as it is
responsible for calming the body’s organs and conducts “rest and digest”.
increasing priority on digestive and maintenance processes. decrease heart rate
and blood pressure. regulate body systems.
7 Draw the outline of a person’s head from the side with an outline of the
brain inside. Label: dorsal, ventral, anterior, posterior, coronal section,
horizontal section, and the four major lobes (frontal, parietal, temporal,
occipital).
(picture)
8 Write a phrase to describe the general functions of: the four major lobes,
cerebellum, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, Broca’s area, Wernicke’s
area, brainstem, corpus callosum, hypothalamus, primary motor area,
somatosensory area, basal ganglia.
frontal lobe: responsible for executive/cognitive function (ex. reasoning, critical thinking,
language, motor control, emotion). decision making/personality
parietal lobe: responsible for sensory information and contains the somatosensory
cortex. general awareness - spatial, integration of different sensory modalities
temporal lobe: responsible for auditory information, taste, smell, and memory. Also
contains Wernicke’s area. spatial navigation
occipital lobe: responsible for visual information.
