Module 7 (Ch. 17) Flashcards
What is a neuron?
Cell specialized to carry electrical signal
What is a nerve impulse?
Electrical signal carried by neurons
What are the 3 components of a neuron?
Dendrites
Cell body
Axon
What carries nerve impulse toward cell body?
Dendrites
What carries nerve impulse away from cell body?
Axon
What are afferent neurons?
Sensory neurons
What is an integrative neuron?
Integrates/processes the sensory stimuli received from sensory neurons
What are efferent neurons?
Motor neurons
[Gray/White] matter is on the outside of the cerebrum.
Gray
[Gray/White] matter is on the inside of the cerebrum.
White
What are isolated clusters of gray matter found within white matter called?
Nuclei or ganglia
Why is white matter white?
Myelin
What does myelin do?
Sheaths axons and helps speed conduction of nerve impulses
Where do connections and processing occur in the brain?
Gray matter of cerebrum (then sent to the white matter to carry signals to distant sites)
The inside of the spinal cord is [gray/white] and the outside is [gray/white]
Inside: gray
Outside: white
Where do connections occur in the spinal cord?
Inner gray matter
What are white matter tracts of the spinal cord composed of?
Ascending pathways - sensory information
Descending pathways - motor information
How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?
31
How many pairs of cranial nerves are there?
12
Can peripheral nerves contain both sensory and motor neurons?
While some are one or the other, some nerves are mixed
Where does voluntary motor control originate?
Cerebral cortex (outer portion of the cerebrum)
What is an upper motor neuron?
Motor neuron that travels down in a descending white matter tract of the spinal cord
What is a reflex arc?
Pathway of a reflex has an arc-like shape
What is the purpose of a reflex?
Automatic responses to protect from danger (specifically children)