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39.1 Evolution of the Nervous system
  • A survey of invertebrates shows a gradual increase in the complexity of the nervous system.
  • All vertebrates have a well-developed brain, but the forebrain is largest in mammals, particularly humans.
  1. What are two major evolutionary advances in the nervous system of Planarians?
    Answer
  2. What are the three regions of the vertebrate brain and what does each do?
    Answer
  3. What are the main functions of the human central nervous system?
    Answer
  4. What are the parts of the human central nervous systems?
    Answer
  5. The _______________ of the peripheral nervous system is responsible for voluntary movements, while the ________________ controls unconscious processes like breathing and smooth muscle in the digestive system.
    Answer
 Essential Study Partner Summaries of major points:
  1. Invertebrate nervous organization
  2. Vertebrate nervous organization
  3. The human nervous system
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39.2 Nervous tissue
  • Nervous tissue is made up of cells called neurons, which are specialized to carry nerve impulses and neuroglia that support and protect neurons
  • A nerve impulse is a self-propagating wave of depolarization (action potential) that travels along the length of a neuron.
  • Transmission of impulses between neurons is usually accomplished by means of chemicals called neurotransmitters.
  1. What are the functions of motor neurons, sensory neurons and interneurons?
    Answer
  2. What is a membrane potential?
    Answer
  3. When a neuron is conducting an impulse, the potential is called _____________, and when it is not conducting an impulse, the potential is called __________________.
    Answer
  4. The resting potential of a nerve is created by the difference in concentrations of what two ions and where is each the highest?
    Answer
  5. What occurs during the depolarization phase of the action potential?
    Answer
  6. What is the movement of potassium out of a cell at the end of an action potential called?
    Answer
  7. How does an action potential move across the synapse?
    Answer
 Essential Study Partner Summaries of major points:
  1. Neurons
  2. Myelination
  3. Types of neurons
  4. Transmission of the nerve impulses
  5. Resting potential
  6. Action potential
  7. Propagation of action potentials
  8. Transmission across a synapse
  9. Neurotransmitter molecules
  10. Synaptic integration
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39.3 Central nervous system: Brain and spinal cord
  • The central nervous system controls the other systems of the body and coordinates body functions.
  1. What is the function of cerebrospinal fluid?
    Answer
  2. What is the largest portion of the human brain and what are its major functions?
    Answer
  3. Fluid filled spaces in the brain are called ______________.
    Answer
  4. What is the difference between white and gray matter of the central nervous system?
    Answer
  5. What part of the brain provides a link between the nervous and endocrine systems and where is it found?
    Answer
  6. What part of the brain controls reflex actions such as heartbeat, breathing, coughing and sneezing?
    Answer
  7. What is the difference between semantic and skill memories?
    Answer
 Essential Study Partner Summaries of major points:
  1. Introduction to CNS
  2. The spinal cord
  3. The brain
  4. The brain stem
  5. The diencephalon
  6. The cerebellum
  7. The cerebrum
  8. The cerebral hemispheres
  9. The limbic system
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39.4 Peripheral nervous system
  • The peripheral nervous system contains nerves that conduct nerve impulses between the central nervous system and all body parts.
  1. What are nerves?
    Answer
  2. Where are the cell bodies of all nerves located?
    Answer
  3. Where do cranial and spinal nerves originate?
    Answer
  4. What is a reflex and why is it a very fast response?
    Answer
  5. How does the sympathetic division of the autonomic system prepare the body for emergency "fight or flight" situations?
    Answer
  6. What neurotransmitters control the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
    Answer
 Essential Study Partner Summaries of major points:
  1. Introduction to the PNS
  2. Somatic system
  3. The reflex arc
  4. Autonomic system
  5. Sympathetic system
  6. Parasympathetic system
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