Chapter 3 Key Terms Pt. 1 [The Brain]

Question 1

neurons

Answer 1

cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks

Question 2

cell body (“soma”)

Answer 2

the part of a neuron that coordinates information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive

Question 3

dendrites

Answer 3

the part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body

Question 4

axon

Answer 4

the part of a neuron that carries information to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Question 5

synapse

Answer 5

the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another

Question 6

myelin sheath

Answer 6

an insulating layer of fatty material

Question 7

glial cells

Answer 7

support cells found in the nervous system

Question 8

sensory neurons

Answer 8

neurons that receive information from the external world and convey this information to the brain via the spinal cord

Question 9

motor neurons

Answer 9

neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to produce movement

Question 10

interneurons

Answer 10

neurons that connect sensory neurons, motor neurons, or other interneurons

Question 11

resting potential

Answer 11

the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron’s cell membrane

Question 12

action potential

Answer 12

an electric signal that is conducted along a neuron’s axon to a synapse

Question 13

terminal buttons

Answer 13

knoblike structures that branch out from an axon

Question 14

neurotransmitters

Answer 14

chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron’s dendrites

Question 15

receptors

Answer 15

parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and initiate or prevent a new electric signal

Question 16

agonists

Answer 16

drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter

Question 17

antagonists

Answer 17

drugs that block the function of a neurotrasmitter

Question 18

nervous system

Answer 18

an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body

Question 19

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 19

the part of the nervous system that is composed of the brain and spinal cord

Question 20

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 20

the part of the nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body’s organs and muscles

Question 21

somatic nervous system

Answer 21

a set of nerves that conveys information between voluntary muscles and the central nervous system

Question 22

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 22

a set of nerves that carries involuntary and automatic commands that control blood vessels, body organs, and glands

Question 23

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 23

a set of nerves that prepares the body for action in challenging or threatening situations

Question 24

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 24

a set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state

Question 25

spinal reflexes

Answer 25

simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions