Nervous system Flashcards
What does the nervous system essentially consist of?
the brain, the spinal cord, and the nerves
the nervous system enables us to?
perceive many of the changes that take place in our external and internal environments and to respond to those changes
what are some examples of perception
5 senses:
seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching
the nervous system enables us to think….
reason, remember and carry out other abstract activities
the nervous system makes body movements by skeletal muscles possible by
supplying them with nerve impulses that cause contraction
all actions of the nervous system depend on
the transmission of nerve impulses over neurons, or nerve cells, the functional units of the nervous system
what are the main parts of a neuron?
the cell body, axon, and dendrites
dendrites transmit the impulses _______ the cell body.
TOWARD
axons transmit the impulses _______ the cell body
AWAY FROM
the nervous system is divided structurally into 2 systems:
the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
what is the CNS comprised of?
the spinal cord and brain
what is the PNS composed of?
all other neurons in the body; cranial nerves, spinal nerves and their roots and branches, peripheral nerves, and neuromuscular junctions
what kind of neurons transmit nerve impulses toward the CNS?
sensory (afferent) neurons
what kind of neurons transmit nerve impulses away from the CNS toward the effector organs such as muscles, glands, and digestive organs?
motor (efferent) neurons
what are the major parts of the brain?
the cerebrum (associated with movement and sensory input), the cerebellum (responsible for muscular coordination), and the medulla oblongata (controls many vital functions such as respiration and heart rate).
