3.2 Flashcards
What are dendrites?
Small branches from the cell body that receive messages from other cells and transmit those messages towards the rest of the cell
What do axons do?
Transports information in the form of electrochemical reactions from the cell body to the end of the neuron
What are neurotransmitters?
The chemicals that function as messages allowing neurons to communicate with each other
What are motor neurons?
They carry messages away from the brain and spinal cord toward muscles
What are sory neurons?
Receives info from the bodily senses and bring it toward the brain
What are glial cells?
Specialized cells of the nervous system that are involved in mounting immune responses to the brain, removing waste, and synchronizing the activity of the billions of neurons that constitute the nervous system
What is the critical function of the glial cells?
To insulate the axon of the neuron
What is myelin?
Fatty sheath that insulates axon from one another, resulting in increased speed and efficiency of neural communications
What does resting potential mean?
Relatively stable state during which the cell us not transmitting messages
What is Electrostatic gradient?
The inside and outside of a cell that has different charges (negative and positive)
What is concentrated gradient?
Different types of ions that are more densely packed on one side of the membrane than the other
How does synapses work?
Substances spread out and are evenly distributed, so if small pores (ion channels) open up in the neurons cell membrane, there would be a natural tendency for positively charged sodium ions to rush into the cell
What does a membrane transport do?
When a neuron is stimulated, positive ions go to the cell that changes the potential of the neuron.
What is action potential?
A wave of electrical activity that originates at the base of the axon and rapidly travels down its length
What are axon terminals?
Bulb like extensions filled with vesicles that contain neurotransmitters
