Nerves Flashcards
What are the 3 functions of the nervous system?
- Uses sensory receptors to monitor changes occurring inside and outside of the body. Each change is called a stimulus, gathering info = sensory input
- Processes and interprets the sensory input and makes decisions about should be done at each moment = integration
- Dictates a response by activating the effector organs (muscles and glands) = motor output
What are the two main divisions of the NS?
Central & Peripheral NS
What is contained within the central NS
brain & spinal cord, the integrative and control centres
What is contained in the peripheral NS
cranial and spinal nerves and ganglia, communication lines between the CNS and rest of the body
Where are the ganglia?
areas where the cell bodies of neurons are clustered
What type of nerves is in the sensory (afferent) division? What direction does the impulse travel?Give 2 examples
somatic and visceral sensory nerve fibres. Conducts impulses from receptor to the CNS. ex: skin is somatic and stomach is visceral
What type of nerve is in the motor (efferent) division? What direction does the impulse travel?
motor nerve fibers
conduct impulses from CNS to effectors (muscles and glands)
What are the two subdivisions of the motor (efferent) division?
Somatic and autonomic
T or F: The somatic nervous system is involuntary motor ?
FALSE. It is voluntary. Conducts impulses from CNS to skeletal muscles
The autonomic NS is…
And conducts impulses from the CNS to the… (3)
visceral motor (involuntary) cardiac muscles, smooth muscles, and glands
What are the 2 divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
The sympathetic and parasympathetic
What does the sympathetic division do?
Mobilize body systems during activity.
What does the parasympathetic division do?
conserve energy and promote house keeping functions during rest
What are two special somatic sensory senses?
Hearing & vision
What are two special visceral sensory senses?
taste and smell
T or F: Neuroglia are support cells
True. They are non-excitable and wrap around the neurons
Neurons are…
excitable nerve cells that transmit electrical signals
4 Functional characteristics of neurons
Conduct electrical signals
Extreme longevity
No mitosis
High metabolic rate
The cell body of a neuron is also called the…
soma
Other than the nucleus and cytoplasm, what does the cell body contain? (2)
- Neurofibrils = bundles of intermediate fibres that keep the cell from being stretched apart with tensile forces
- Chromatophilic substance = rough endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes that stain darkly
Most cell bodies are within the CNS, but some are in the…
PNS with the ganglion
Dendrites branch from the cell body and are…
receptive sites for signals, carried to cell body
Axons (3)
- Thin, uniform diameter
- Transmit signals away from the cell body
- Actin microfilaments and microtubules carry substances
Axon collaterals
branches that extend out from the axon at right angles