Chapter 5: The Nervous System Flashcards
Human Movement System
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
Specialized cell that is the functional unit of the nervous system.
Nucleus
Cellular structure or organelle that contains the majority of the cell’s genetic material in the form of chromosomes.
Organelles
Tiny cellular structures that perform specific functions within a cell. Examples: Nuclei Mitochondria Lysosomes Ribosomes Endoplasmic reticulum
Mitochondria
The parts of the cell that use nutrients to create energy for the cell; commonly known as the powerhouses of the cell.
Effector sites
A part of the body, such as a muscle or organ, that receives a signal from a neuron to produce a physiological response.
Electroclytes
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.