ALL TASKS OF IPN & PSY 1023 Body and Behaviour
English: Extensive elaboration of all tasks of the BB block. Co-written with
what the tutor said (usually in red). An 8 for this exam.
Dutch: Uitgebreide uitwerking van alle taken van het blok BB. Meegeschreven
met wat de tutor zei (meestal in rood). Een 8 gehaald voor dit tentamen.
Content / Inhoud
Problem 1 Your point of view.............................................................................................................1
Problem 2 Insane in the membrain! ................................................................................................. 18
Problem 3 Bungeejumping ............................................................................................................... 33
Problem 4 OMG! .............................................................................................................................. 49
Problem 5: Swiping, hitting, tapping ................................................................................................ 62
Problem 6 Dormio ergo sum ............................................................................................................ 81
Problem 7: Rumbles in my tummy ................................................................................................. 100
Problem 8: Brain in trouble ............................................................................................................ 120
Problem 1 Your point of view
n.harutyunyan@student.maastrichtuniversity.nl
Learning goals:
1. How is the brain organized? Broad major subdivisions. (STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION!)
2. What are the different views of the brain (anterior etc.)
3. What is the picture on page 13?
4. What does brain damage says us about different regions?
Pinel, J., & Barnes, S. (2017). Biopsychology (Tenth edition. ed.). NY NY that is, New York, NY:
Pearson. CHAPTER 3 ANATOMY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
GENERAL LAYPOUT OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
- List and describe the major divisions of the nervous system
The vertebrate nervous system is composed of two divisions: the central nervous system and the
peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system (CNS) is the division of the nervous system
located within the skull and spine wervelkolom and the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the
division located outside the skull and spine.
The central nervous system is composed of two divisions: the brain and the spinal cord.
- The brain is the part of the CNS located in the skull;
- The spinal cord is the part located in the spine.
The peripheral nervous system is composed of two divisions: the somatic nervous system and the
autonomic nervous system.
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, - The somatic nervous system (SNS) is the part of the PNS that interacts with the external
environment. It is composed of afferent nerves that carry sensory signals from the skin,
skeletal muscles, joints, eyes, ears and so on, to the central nervous system (sensory
pathways) and efferent nerves that carry motor signals from the CNS to the skeletal muscles
(motor pathways).
- The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the part of the peripheral nervous system that
regulates the body’s internal environment. The ANS has two kind of efferent nerves:
o Sympathetic nerves (arousing) are autonomic motor nerves that project from the
CNS in the lumbar (small of the back) and thoracic (chest area) regions of the spinal
cord
o Parasympathetic nerves (calming) are those autonomic motor nerves that project
from the brain and sacral (lower back) region of the spinal cord.
Important principles of the respective functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic:
- Sympathetic nerves stimulate, organize, and mobilize energy resources in threatening
situations, whereas parasympathetic nerves act to conserve energy
- Each autonomic target organ receives opposing sympathetic and parasympathetic input, and
its activity is thus controlled by relative levels of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity
- Sympathetic changes are indicative of psychological arousal, whereas parasympathetic
changes are indicate of psychological relaxation.
Most of the nerves of the peripheral nervous system project from the spinal cord, but there are 12
pairs of exceptions: the 12 pairs of cranial nerves, which project from the brain. The longest cranial
nerves are the vagus nerves (X)
- Describe the three meninges and explain their functional role
The brain and spinal cord (CNS) are the most protected organs in the body. They are encased in bone
and covered by three protective membranes, the three meninges.
- The outer meninx = dura mater
- Immediate inside the dura mater is the fine arachnoid membrane
- Beneath the arachnoid membrane is a space called the subarachnoid space (contains many
large blood vessels and cerebrospinal fluid
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, - Then the innermost meninx, the pia mater, which adheres to the surface of the CNS
Within the bony case enclosing the CNS is a triple-layered set of membranes, the meninges.
o The outer dura matter is a tough double layer of tissue enclosing the brain in a kind
of loose sack
o The middle arachnoid membrane is a very thin sheet of delicate (gevoelig) tissue that
following the brain’s contours
o The inner pia matter is a moderately tough taai tissue that clings (hechten) to the
brain’s surface.
- Explain where cerebrospinal fluid is produced and where it flows
Also protecting the CNS is the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which fills the subarachnoid space, the
central canal of the spinal cord (= a small channel that runs the length of the spinal cord) and the
cerebral ventricles (= four large internal chambers of the brain; two lateral ventricles, the third
ventricle and the fourth ventricle) of the brain.
The cerebrospinal fluid supports and cushions the brain. CSF is produced by the choroid plexuses
(networks of capillaries, or small blood vessels that protrude into the ventricles from the pia mater)
and excess overmaat cerebrospinal fluid is continuously absorbed from the subarachnoid space into
large blood-filled spaces, or dural sinuses which run through the dura mater and drain into the large
jugular veins halsaders of the neck.
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, The CSF circulating through the ventricular system has at least two main functions:
- First, it acts mechanically as a shock absorber for the brain: floating in CSF, the brain is
protected from sudden movements of the head that would smash it against the inside of the
skull
- Second, CSF provides a medium for the exchange of materials, including nutrients between
blood vessels and brain tissue
Each hemisphere contains a lateral ventricle, extending into all four lobes of the hemisphere. The
lateral ventricles are lined with a specialized membrane called the choroid plexus, which produces
CSF by filtering blood.
CSF flows from the lateral ventricles into the third ventricle and continues down a narrow passage to
the fourth ventricle, which lies between the cerebellum and pons.
Just below the cerebellum, three small openings allow CSF to exit the ventricular system and circulate
over the outer surface of the brain and spinal cord. CSF is absorbed back into the circulatory system
through large veins beneath the top of the skull.
- Explain what the blood-brain barrier is and what functional role it serves
A mechanism impedes the passage of many toxic substances from the blood into the brain: the
blood-brain barrier. This barrier is a consequence of the special structure of cerebral blood vessels.
In the brain, the cells of the blood vessel walls are tightly packed, thus forming a barrier to the
passage of many molecules – particularly proteins and other large molecules.
DIRECTIONS
- Illustrate the neuroanatomical directions
Directions in the vertebrate nervous system are described in relation to the orientation of the spinal
cord. The vertebrate system has three axes: anterior-posterior, dorsal-ventral, and medial-lateral.
- Anterior/rostral means toward the nose end (the anterior end)
- Posterior/caudal means toward the tail end (the posterior end)
- Dorsal/superior means toward the surface of the back or the top of the head (the dorsal
surface)
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