Chapter 5: Nervous System I: Cells, Concepts, Peripheral System Flashcards
Voltage existing going from outside to inside of a cell.
Membrane potential
Entity capable of propagating action potentials.
Excitable cell
Type of animal cell capable particularly of transmitting electrochemical information from one end to another.
Neuron
Propagatable depolarization of the plasma membrane of an excitable animal cell.
Action potential
Gap between nerve cells over which signal is propagated via the release, diffusion, and reception of neurotransmitters.
Synapse
Combining by post-synaptic neurons of pre-synaptic signals, potentially towards establishment of an action potential.
Summation
Sufficient membrane depolarization of the plasma membrane of an excitable cell to trigger extensive lateral propagation of that depolarization.
Threshold potential
The portion of neurons other than the axon or dendrites.
Cell body
Neuronal extensions that carry signals away from the cell bodies of neurons.
Axon
Long bundles of axons.
Nerve
Neuronal extensions that carry signals away from synapses.
Dendrite
Chemicals that diffuse across synapses to signal post-synaptic cells
Neurotransmitter
Non-neuron, nervous-system support cells.
Glial cells
Glial-cell based insulator of the axons of neurons.
Myelin sheath
Glial-cell based insulation of the axons of neurons.
Myelination
Schwann cells
Myelin-supplying cells of the peripheral nervous system.
Oligodendrocytes
Myelin-supplying cells of the central nervous system.
Gaps between myelinating cells found along axons.
Nodes of Ranvier
What otherwise is known as the voluntary, peripheral nervous system.
Somatic division
The means by which your body relays action potentials towards the central nervous system.
Sensory nerves
The means by which your body relays action potentials towards skeletal muscles.
Motor nerves
What otherwise is known as the involuntary, peripheral nervous system.
Autonomic division
Aspect of the peripheral nervous system that is responsible especially for involuntary responses to emergency situations.
Sympathetic division
Aspect of the peripheral nervous system that is responsible especially for involuntary responses to non-emergency situations.
Parasympathetic division
Entity that when interacting with a second, especially extracellular entity gives rise to a well-defined and anticipated change in the physiological state particularly of the first entity.
Receptor
Specialized cells or complexes of cells that in animals are capable of detecting environmental or internal signals and converting those signals into action potentials.
Sensory receptors
Skin- and hair-associated neurons that detect the presence of immediately local entities found outside of the body.
Touch receptors
Specialized neurons that convey the sensation of pain to the central nervous system.
Nociceptors
Nerves involved in receiving reception of a stimulus.
Afferent pathway
Nerves involved in converting the reception of a stimulus into a response to a stimulus.
Integrating center
Nerves involved in effecting a response to a stimulus.
Efferent pathway
Rapid, involuntary responses to stimuli that do not involve integration at the level of the brain.
Reflex
Neural pathway involving an afferent pathway that is followed by integration other than within the brain which in turn is followed by an efferent pathway and resulting response.
Reflex arc
Multiple sclerosis
Disease associated with inflammatory damage to myelin sheaths located in the central nervous system.
Polio
Virus-caused gastrointestinal disease that in relatively rare cases can lead to the death of a subset of motor neurons.
