Chapter 5 - The Nervous, Skeletal, and Muscular Systems Flashcards
The combination and interrelation of the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems. It includes functional anatomy, functional biomechanics, and motor behavior.
human movement system
What are the three primary functions of the nervous system?
- Sensory Function
- Integrative Function
- Motor Function
A conglomeration of billions of cells specifically designed to provide a communication network within the human body.
nervous system
The ability of the nervous system to sense changes in either the internal or external environment.
sensory function
The ability of the nervous system to analyze and interpret sensory information to allow for proper decision making, which produces the appropriate response.
integrative function
The neuromuscular response to the sensory information.
motor function
The cumulative sensory input to the central nervous system from all mechanoreceptors that sense body position and limb movement.
proprioception
Consists of a cell body containing the nucleus and other organelles, including lysosomes, mitchondia, and a Golgi complex.
neuron
Gather information from other structures and transmit it back into the neuron.
Dendrites
- A cylindrical projection from the cell body that transmits nervous impulses to other neurons or effector sites (muscles, organs).
(Passes messages away from the cell body to the other neurons, muscles or glands.) - It is the part of the neuron that provides communication from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body.
axon
A specialized cell that processes and transmits information through both electrical and chemical signals.
It is the functional unit of the nervous system and is divided into 3 main parts: the cell body, axon, and dendrites.
neuron
Transmit nerve impulses from effector sites (such as muscles and organs) via receptors to the brain and spinal cord.
They respond to touch, sound, light, and other stimuli
Sensory neurons
Neurons that transmit nerve impulses from one neuron to another.
Interneurons
Transmit nerve impulses from the brain and spinal cord to effector sites such as muscles or glands.
Example: brain tells hand muscles to let go of a hot coffee cup (after interpreted it was hot from sensory neurons and communicated through Interneurons).
Motor neurons
- Provides a connection for the nervous system to activate different effector sites, such as muscles (motor function).
- Relays information from effector sites back to the brain via sensory receptors (sensory function).
Provides a constant update on the relation between the body and the environment.
Peripheral nervous system
consists of 12 cranial nerves, 31 pairs of spinal nerves (which branch out from the brain and spinal cord), and sensory receptors that spread throughout the body.
peripheral nervous system
What are the subdivisions of the PNS and what are their main functions?
- Somatic nervous system: nerves that serve the outer areas of the body and skeletal muscle responsible for the voluntary control of movement.
- Autonomic nervous system: supplies neural input to the involuntary systems of the body (heart, digestive systems, and endocrine glands).
What are the subdivisions of the autonomic system and what are their functions?
- Sympathetic - increase levels of activation in preparation for activity
- Parasympathetic - decrease levels of activation during rest and recovery.
What are sensory receptors and what are the 4 subcategories they are divided into?
Sensory receptors are specialized structures located throughout the body that convert environmental stimuli (heat, light, sound, taste, and motion) into sensory information that the brain and spinal cord use to produce a response.
- mechanoreceptors (touch and pressure)
- nociceptors (pain receptors)
- chemoreceptors (smell and taste)
- photo receptors (vision)
Sensory receptors responsible for sensing distortion in body tissues / respond to mechanical pressure and outside forces (touch, pressure, stretching, sound waves, and motion) within tissues and then transmit signals through sensory nerves.
They are located in muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, and include muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs, and joint receptors.
mechanoreceptors
Receptors that run parallel to muscle fibers that are sensitive to change in length of the muscle
Help regulate the contraction of muscles via the stretch reflex mechanism when stretching.
Prevent overstretching and potential muscle damage.
Muscle spindles
Receptors sensitive to change in tension of the muscle
They are located where skeletal muscle fibers insert the tendons of skeletal muscle.
Activation will cause the muscle to relax, which prevents the muscle from excessive stress or possibility of injury.
Golgi tendon organs
Receptors surrounding a joint that respond to pressure, acceleration, and deceleration of the joint, and act to signal extreme joint positions in order to prevent injury.
Located in and around the joint capsule.
joint receptors
The linked system of nerves, muscles, and joints that work together to produce movements.
kinetic chain