Motor Circuit and Reflexes Flashcards
What is a sensory input?
Takes a stimulus from the body and brings the information to the brain; it is an afferent
What does afferent mean?
Takes information to the brain
What is a motor output?
Takess the information from the brain given by the sensory neuron and puts it to the muscle fibers to give it directions; it is an efferent
What is an efferent?
Takes information from the brain
What are the 4 types of motor systems and where are they located?
1.Control/Planning(Brain) 2.Reflexes(Spinal Chord) 3.Motivation/Atomaticity(Basil Ganglia deep inside the nuclei) 4.Error/Coordination(Cerebellum)
What is a motor neuron?
A neuron that tells a muscle to contract or relax
What is the neurotransmitter released by motor neurons??
Acetylcholoine
What is a neuromuscular junction?
Motor neuron that synapses onto muscle fiber
Where are smooth muscles located?
Digestive tract, arteries and related strucutre
Where are striated muscle located?
Cardiac and skeletal
What are the two types of striated muscles
Fast twitch and slow twitch
What are characteristics of fast twitch?
-light in color(white)
-can exert huge forces
-fatigues quickly
-relies of stored storage
What are characteristics of slow twitch?
-dark in color(red)
-exerts small, steady forces
-fatigues very slowly
-rich in mitochondria so it can make its own energy
What is a motor unit?
Muscle fibers innervated by a single motor neuron
How do muscles work?
Muscles pull, they don’t push. They are also antagonist muscle pairs which means when one flexes the other extends
