Glossary for 5.3

Question 1

pacinian corpuscle

Answer 1

A pressure sensor found in the skin.

Question 2

sensory receptors

Answer 2

cells/sensory nerve endings that respond to a stimulus in the internal or external environment of an organism and can create action potentials.

Question 3

transducer

Answer 3

A cell that converts one form of energy into another - in this case to an electrical impulse.

Question 4

motor neurones

Answer 4

neurones that carry an action potential from the CNS to the effector.

Question 5

myelinated neurone

Answer 5

has an individual layer of myelin around it.

Question 6

non-myelinated neurone

Answer 6

has no individual layer of myelin.

Question 7

relay neurones

Answer 7

join sensory neurones to motor neurones.

Question 8

sensory neurones

Answer 8

neurones that carry an action potential from the sensory receptor to the CNS.

Question 9

action potential

Answer 9

A brief reversal of the potential across the membrane of a neurone causing a peak of +40mV compared to the resting potential of -60mV.

Question 10

positive feedback

Answer 10

a mechanism that increases a change taking the system further away from the optimum.

Question 11

resting potential

Answer 11

the potential difference across the membrane while the neurone is at rest.

Question 12

cholinergic synapse

Answer 12

a synapse that uses acetylcholine as ts neurotransmitter

Question 13

neurotransmitter

Answer 13

a chemical used as a signalling molecule between two neurones in a synapse.

Question 14

summation

Answer 14

occurs when the effects of several effects of several excitatory post synaptic potentials (EPSPs) are added together.