Chapter 12 All Vocab

Question 1

bipolar neurons

Answer 1

nerve cell with one dendrite and one axon; only found in special sense organ

Question 2

autonomic nervous system

Answer 2

this controls the regulation of smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands at the subconscious level

Question 2

interneurons

Answer 2

an association nerve cell that relays information between sensory and motor nerve cells

Question 3

somatic nervous system

Answer 3

this is the system used to control skeletal muscles and voluntary contractions

Question 4

neurons

Answer 4

cells of the nervous system that perform communication, information processing, and control functions

Question 5

central nervous system

Answer 5

this consists of the brain and spinal cord

Question 6

axon

Answer 6

part of a nerve cell used to propagate an action potential

Question 7

neuroglia

Answer 7

supporting cells of the nervous sytem

Question 8

peripheral nervous system

Answer 8

consists mainly of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord

Question 9

afferent (sensory) division

Answer 9

conducts impulses from receptors in the PNS to the CNS

Question 10

unipolar neurons

Answer 10

nerve cell with fused dendrites with an axon, and a cell body off to the side; most sensory nerve cells of the PNS are classified as these

Question 11

dendrites

Answer 11

these are used to receive signals from other neurons

Question 12

multipolar neurons

Answer 12

nerve cell with two or more dendrites and a single axon; most common nerve cell in the CNS

Question 13

efferent (motor) division

Answer 13

conducts impulses from the CNS to muscles, glands, and adipose tissue

Question 14

action potential

Answer 14

this is a propagated change in the transmembrane potential that affects an entrire excitable membrane

Question 15

excitatory neurotransmitters

Answer 15

these chemicals cause depolarization and generate action potentials on the postsynaptic membrane

Question 15

threshold

Answer 15

this is the point, when reached, ay which an action potential begins

Question 16

absolute refractory period

Answer 16

period of time in which a membrane is establishing a normal resting potential and cannot respond to any stimulus regardless of how big it is

Question 17

repolarization

Answer 17

process of restoring the normal resting potential

Question 18

sodium-potassium pump

Answer 18

this is the active transport mechanism used to maintain a membrane’s resting potential by moving ions back and forth across the plasma membrane

Question 19

resting potential

Answer 19

transmembrane potential of a cell while not active

Question 20

excitable membrane

Answer 20

this is capable of generating and conducting an action potential; an example would be the sarcolemma of skeletal muscle fibers

Question 21

hyperpolarization

Answer 21

process of increasing the negativity of the normal resting potential

Question 22

propagation

Answer 22

this is the term describing the relaying on an electrical message from one location to the next along a membrane

Question 23

inhibitory neurotransmitters

Answer 23

these chemicals cause hyperpolarization and suppress the generation of action potenitals

Question 24

relative refractory period

Answer 24

period of time in which a membrane is establishing a normal resting potential and can be depolarized with a larger-than-normal stimulus

Question 25

depolarization

Answer 25

process of shifting a resting potential to a more positive potential

Question 26

action potential

Answer 26

this is a propagated change in the transmembrane potential that affects an entire excitable membrane

Question 27

threshold

Answer 27

this is the point, when reached, at which an action potential begins

Question 28

excitatory neurotransmitters

Answer 28

these chemicals cause depolarization and generate action potentials on the postsynaptic membrane

Question 29

absolute refractory period

Answer 29

period of time in which a membrane is establishing a normal resting potential and cannot respond to any stimulus regardless of how big it is

Question 30

repolarization

Answer 30

process of restoring the normal resting potential

Question 31

sodium-potassium pump

Answer 31

this is the active transport mechanism used to maintain a membrane’s resting potential by moving ions back and forth across the plasma membrane

Question 32

resting potential

Answer 32

transmembrane potential of a cell while not active

Question 33

excitable membrane

Answer 33

this is capable of generating and conducting an action potential; an example would be the sarcolemma of skeletal muscle fibers

Question 34

hyperpolarization

Answer 34

process of increasing the negativity of the normal resting potential

Question 35

propagation

Answer 35

this is the term describing the relating of an electrical message from one location to the next along a membrane

Question 36

inhibitory neurotransmitters

Answer 36

these chemicals cause hyperpolarization and suppress the generation of action potentials

Question 37

relative refractory period

Answer 37

period of time in which a membrane is establishing a normal resting potential and can be depolarized with a larger-than-normal stimulus

Question 38

depolarization

Answer 38

process of shifting a resting potential to a more positive potential