CH 5 (5-10, 15% of the CPT) Flashcards
The Nervous, Skeletal, and Muscular Systems
Human movement system (HMS)
The collective components and structures that work together to move the body: muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems.
Kinetic chain
A concept that describes the human body as a chain of interdependent links that work together to perform movement.
Nervous system
A network of specialized cells called neurons that transmit and coordinate signals, providing a communication network within the human body.
Neuron
A specialized cell that is the functional unit of the nervous system
Nucleus
A cellular structure that contains the majority of the cell’s genetic material
Organelle
A cellular structure that performs specific functions within a cell
Mitochondrion
A cellular structure that uses nutrients to create energy for the cell
Electrolytes
Minerals that have an electrical charge to help transmit nerve impulses throughout the body, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Central nervous system (CNS)
A division of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord.
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Nerves that connect the rest of the body to the central nervous system.
Afferent pathway
Sensory pathway that relays information to the central nervous system.
Efferent pathway
A motor pathway that relays information from the central nervous system to the rest of the body.
Interneurons
Neurons located within the spinal cord and brain that transmit impulses between afferent and efferent neurons.
Mechanoreceptors
Specialized structures that respond to mechanical forces (touch and pressure) within tissues and then transmit signals through sensory nerves.
Somatic nervous system
Nerves that serve the outer areas of the body and skeletal muscle and are largely responsible for the voluntary control of movement.
Autonomic nervous system
A division of the peripheral nervous system that supplies neural input to organs that run the involuntary processes of the body (e.g., circulating blood, digesting food, producing hormones).
Sympathetic nervous system
Subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that works to increase neural activity and put the body in a heightened state.
Sensory function
Ability of the nervous system to sense changes in either the internal or external environment.
Proprioception
The body’s ability to naturally sense its general orientation and relative position of its parts.
Integrative function
The ability of the nervous system to analyze and interpret the sensory information to allow for proper decision-making, which produces an appropriate response.
Motor function
The neuromuscular (or nervous and muscular systems) response to the integrated sensory information.
Muscle spindles
A sensory receptor sensitive to changes in muscular length and the rate of that change
Stretch reflex
Neurological signal from the muscle spindle that causes a muscle to contract to prevent excessive lengthening.
Stretch reflex
Neurological signal from the muscle spindle that causes a muscle to contract to prevent excessive lengthening.