3.1 Neurons Flashcards
Define ‘Neuron’
Cells in the nervous system that communicate with each other to perform information-processing tasks.
What do cell bodies do?
The part of the neuron that coordinates the information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive.
What do dendrites do?
The parts of the neuron that receive information from other neurons and relay it to the cell body.
What do axons do?
The part of the neuron that carries information to other neurons, muscles, or glands.
Define’ Myelin sheath’
An insulating layer of fatty material that cover the axon.
Define ‘Glial cells’
Support cells found in the nervous system that make up the myelin sheath.
What do glial cells do?
Some glial cells digest parts of dead neurons, some provide nutritional support for neurons, and others form the myelin sheath that insulates axons of nearby neurons and allows those axons to carry information more efficiently.
Define ‘Synapse’
The junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another.
What do sensory neurons do?
Receive information from the external world and convey the information to the brain via the spinal cord.
What do motor neurons do?
Carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement.
What do interneurons do?
Connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, and other interneurons.
