Kinesiology 1080A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Spatial Navigation, Reticular Formation, David H. Hubel

• School: Western University
• Department: Kinesiology
• Course: Kinesiology 1080A/B
• Professor: Matthew Heath

Document Summary

Somatic nervous system collects data from intrafusal muscle fibres. Cerebral cortex/ cerebrum is the big boss : tell everything else what to do and when to do it. Thalamus, basal ganglia, pons, and cerebellum are in second command: exert influence on the spinal cord, send information to the brainstem. Luigi galvani (1737-1798: common final pathway before information gets sent to the spinal cord. Spinal cord is a slave system to all of the above. Hook frogs up to a lightening rod and would observe the frog when lightening strikes. Bioelectric signals generated via neurons is how humans and animals move. Neurons are the building blocks of the cns. Diagram: alpha motor neuron: synapses directly with extrafusal muscle fibres. Gamma/ fusee motor neuron synapses with an intrafusal muscle fibre. Helmholtz (1850s: interested in the speed of nerve conduction, used isolated muscle and motor nerve of a frog.