10. Nervous System Flashcards
cerebrum
-thinking, personality, sensations, movements, memory
thalamus
- relay station (triage center) for sensory impulses
- control of awareness and consciousness
hypothalamus
- body temperature, sleep, appetite, emotions
- control of the pituitary gland
cerebellum
-coordination of voluntary movement and balance
pons and midbrain
-connection of nerve fiber pathways including those to the eyes and face
medulla oblongata
- nerve fibers over, left to right and right to left
- contains centers to regulate heart, blood vessels, and respiratory system
acetylcholine
-neurotransmitter chemical released at the ends of nerve cells
afferent nerve
-carries messages towards the brain and spinal cord (sensory nerve)
af-, ad-
towards
-ferent
carrying
arachnoid membrane
-middle layer of the three membranes (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord
astrocyte
-type of glial (neuroglial) cell that transports water and salts from capillaries
autonomic nervous system
-nerves that control involuntary body functions of muscles, glands, and internal organs
axon
-microscopic fiber that carries the nervous impulse along a nerve cell
blood-brain barrier
- protective separation between the blood and brain cells
- makes it difficult for substances (such as anticancer drugs) to penetrate capillary walls and enter the brain
brainstem
- posterior portion of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord
- includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblangata
cauda equina
-collection of spinal nerves below the end of the spinal cord
cell body
-part of a nerve cell that contains the nucleus
central nervous system
-the brain and the spinal cord
cerebellum
-posterior part of the brain that coordinates muscle movements and maintains balance
cerebral cortex
- outer region of the cerebrum
- containing sheets of nerve cells
- gray matter of the brain
cerebrospinal fluid
-circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord
cerebrum
- largest part of the brain
- responsible for voluntary muscle activity, vision, speech, taste, hearing, thought, and memory
cranial nerves
-12 pairs of nerves that carry messages to and from the brain with regard to the head and neck (except the vagus nerve)