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Cognitive Science: Anatomy and Functioning of the Nervous System and Brain - Prof. Barbara, Study notes of Psychology

An overview of cognitive science, focusing on the anatomy and functioning of the nervous system and brain. Topics include the role of neurons and glia, the structure of a neuron, the function of axons and synapses, and the importance of neurotransmitters. The document also covers the cerebral cortex, its lobes, and other key structures such as the hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus. Principles of functioning, methods of investigation, and historical cases like phineas gage are also discussed.

Typology: Study notes

2011/2012

Uploaded on 02/15/2012

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Chapter 2
Cognitive Science: The study of human thought, using all available scientific techniques and
including all relevant scientific disciplines for exploring and investigating cognition.
Nervous System Cells
Neurons
The basic building block of the brain and the entire nervous system. A neuron is a
cell that is specialized for receiving and transmitting a neural impulse.
Glia
Glia support the neurons in many ways.
They provide insulation, and remove waste products and foreign bodies.
They are 1/10th the size of the neurons, but about 10 times as numerous.
Anatomy of a neuron
Neurons have a variety of shapes, but they all have 3 basic parts.
A cell body that contains the nucleus and most of the organelles.
The dendrites - branching structures that receive transmissions from other
neurons.
The axon - a single, long, thin fiber with branching tips.
Axons
The axon sends electrochemical messages to neighboring cells.
Many axons have a coating of myelin, which speeds up transmission.
Synapses: The region where the axon terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of another come
together is the synapse.
Neurons and communication
Neurons are cells that receive and transmit information electrochemically.
Sensory neurons carry information from sense organs to the central
nervous system.
Neurons in the CNS process information, interpret it, and send commands
to muscles, glands, and organs.
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Chapter 2 Cognitive Science: The study of human thought, using all available scientific techniques and including all relevant scientific disciplines for exploring and investigating cognition. Nervous System Cells Neurons

– The basic building block of the brain and the entire nervous system. A neuron is a

cell that is specialized for receiving and transmitting a neural impulse. Glia

– Glia support the neurons in many ways.

• They provide insulation, and remove waste products and foreign bodies.

• They are 1/10th the size of the neurons, but about 10 times as numerous.

Anatomy of a neuron

– Neurons have a variety of shapes, but they all have 3 basic parts.

• A cell body that contains the nucleus and most of the organelles.

• The dendrites - branching structures that receive transmissions from other

neurons.

• The axon - a single, long, thin fiber with branching tips.

Axons

– The axon sends electrochemical messages to neighboring cells.

• Many axons have a coating of myelin, which speeds up transmission.

Synapses: The region where the axon terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of another come together is the synapse. Neurons and communication

– Neurons are cells that receive and transmit information electrochemically.

• Sensory neurons carry information from sense organs to the central

nervous system.

• Neurons in the CNS process information, interpret it, and send commands

to muscles, glands, and organs.

Neurotransmitter: The chemical substance released into the synapse between two neurons, responsible for activating or inhibiting the next neuron in sequence. Cerebral Cortex Cerebral cortex (Neocortex)

– The outer covering of the brain.

– The four lobes of the cerebral cortex: occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal.

• The occipital lobe is in the rear. It contains many specialized areas for

interpreting visual sensory information.

• It has special areas for shape, color, and motion.

Parietal Lobe

– The parietal lobe is directly in front of the occipital lobe.

– It contains the primary somatosensory cortex which is specialized for body senses

and awareness of the location of body parts. Temporal Lobes

– The temporal lobes are located on the sides of the head, near the ears.

– They are the main processing areas for hearing and complex aspects of vision.

– The left temporal lobe contains important areas for language processing and

comprehension. Frontal Lobes

– The frontal lobes are in the front of the brain.

– They contain the primary motor cortex, important for control of fine movements.

– The foremost part, the prefrontal cortex, is where organization, planning of action,

and aspects of memory are controlled. Other Structures to Know…

– The hypothalamus regulates emotional and motivated behavior.

– The amygdala, an almond-shaped structure crucial for emotional processing.

– The hippocampus is vital for long-term memory processing.

– thalamus: the gateway to the cortex; almost all messages entering the cortex come

through the thalamus

 These do not visualize brain activity.  Event-Related Potentials: The momentary changes in electrical activity of the brain when a particular stimulus is presented to the subject.