NERVOUS Flashcards
The nervous system consist of
the spinal cord, the brain, and the nerves
Function of the nervous system
sensory input
integration
motor output
neurons
the functional unit of the nervous system
transmission of nerve impulse
Main parts of a neuron
cell body, axon, dendrites
Direction of the nerve impulses
dendrites transmit the impulse towards the cell body, while the axons transmit the impulse away from the cell body
Central nervous system
comprised of the brain and spinal cord
control center
Peripheral nervous system
spinal and cranial nerves
somatic and autonomic
Autonomic> sympathetic and parasympathetic
neurons transmit nerve impulses toward the CNS
Sensory (afferent)
neurons transmit nerve impulses away from the CNS toward the effector organs such as muscles, glands, and digestive organs
Motor (efferent)
The major parts of the brains are
cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata
associated with movement and sensory input
cerebrum
responsible for muscular coordination
cerebellum
controls many vital functions such as respiration and heart rate
medulla oblongata
How long is the spinal cord
18 inches long from the base of skull to the first or second lumbar vertebrae
How many pairs of spinal nerves exit the spinal cord?
31
are those in which nerve impulses travel through the spinal cord only and do not reach the brain
simple (spinal) reflexes
most abundant, skeletal muscle
acetylcholine
“feel good”
dopamine
sleep, appetite, mood, and headache
serotonin
releases acid in the stomach
histamine
amino acid, inhibitory neurotransmitter of the spinal cord
glycine
Chemical synapse:
action potential
calcium is released
synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters
neurotransmitters diffuse into the synaptic cleft, bind to specific receptors
bind to ion channels, grade potential
reuptake
junction that mediate info transfer from one neuron to another
synapse
