What are the Neurons building blocks and of nervous system? Brain 1. Neurons 2. Glia: supports neurons Neuron: Structure Neuron: Structure Three basic parts: • Axon terminals 1. Cell body 2. Axon •Synapse 3. Dendrites Neuron: Function specialized in • Receiving • Transmitting • Processing information One way transmission: from dendrites to axon 1 How Neurons Communicate One way transmission: from dendrites to axon. 1. Electrical 2. Chemical 1. Electrical signals 1 (b) Action potential • Resting Potential - sudden change in the electrical charge across the neuron’s membrane - electrical system in equilibrium - all-or-none response (polarization of ions) (threshold) Synapse How Neurons Communicate? Neurotransmitters 2. Chemical Transmission 2 effects: 1. Excitatory generate action potential in the next neuron 2. Inhibitory more difficult for the second neuron to fire 2 Damage Brain 1-2. Medulla & Pons 3 • control heart rate & breathing 3 Main Parts 2 • carry visual & auditory information 1 • respiration • movement 1. Hindbrain • facial expression • sleep 2. Midbrain Damage to Pons: 3. Forebrain Locked-in syndrome 3. Reticular formation I. Hindbrain 4. Cerebellum a) Filters sensory information “little brain” b) Regulate overall arousal in the brain Coordinated motor activity • If damaged - sleepy or aroused; Damage: poorly coordinated muscle functioning -coma 3 II. Midbrain III. Forebrain Involve in 1. Thalamus - Vision - Receive -Hearing - Filter - Organize - Pain-relieving function -Transmit - Some motor movements information from our senses (except smell) to other parts of the brain 2. Hypothalamus • Eating & drinking (amount of nutrition stored in cells) • Aggression Regulates: Sexual behavior 3. Limbic system b) Amygdala a) Hippocampus: organizes memory functioning emotions damage - inability to store • stimulation – elicit aggression & rage new information • damage – reduces aggression 4 4. Cerebral Cortex Corpus Callosum 2 hemispheres Corpus callosum A set of axons connecting the two hemispheres Split-Brain Phenomenon 4 regions or lobes 1. Occipital Lobe 2. Parietal Lobe Vision a) spatial awareness “neglect” phenomenon Damage: • “Blindness” • Face-blindness • Inability to recognize colors • Motion-blindness 5 2. Parietal Lobe 3. Frontal lobe a) Primary Motor Cortex Sensory Cortex Processes information about pain, touch, temperature 4. Temporal Lobe 3. Frontal lobe -hearing b) “executive system “ - some aspects of vision - Planing Damage to the L hemisphere - Decision making inability to understand spoken words - Forming concepts Damage to the R hemisphere - Processing & storing information recognize speech, but not organizations of sound (melody, tune) -Self-regulation 6.