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Biology 12 > Nervous System > Flashcards

Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

Acetylcholine (ACh)

A

most common neurotransmitter; used in brain and transmission to muscles

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2
Q

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE)

A

enzyme which dissolves Ach

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3
Q

Action potential

A

upswing or depolarization; when a nerve impulse is sent out from a cell body, the sodium gates in the postsynaptic neuron open and the sodium enters into the cell— causes a switch of charges

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4
Q

Adrenal medulla

A

inner part of the adrenal gland; makes adrenaline and norepinephrine

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5
Q

Adrenaline/epinephrine

A

hormone released from adrenal glands and prepares the body for fight or flight

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6
Q

All or none response

A

action potentials either happen or they don’t; there is no such thing as a “partial firing” of a neuron

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7
Q

Autonomic nervous system

A

communicates with internal organs and glands; controls things you’re unaware of (automatic)

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8
Q

Axomembrane

A

surrounds axon

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9
Q

Axon

A

carries impulses away from cell body

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10
Q

Axoplasm

A

plasma in the membrane of an axon

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11
Q

Calcium ion

A

has a positive charge of 2+; maintains positive and negative charge balance inside and outside neuron

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12
Q

Cell body

A

contains nucleus; coordinates cell activities

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13
Q

Central nervous system (CNS)

A

consists of brain and spinal cord; does not repair well, therefore, it has three levels of protection (bone casing, meninges, cerebral spinal fluid); takes in sensory information, process information, and send out motor signals

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14
Q

Cerebellum

A

“little brain” in Latin; responsible for muscle control and allows the body to maintain its sense of balance and coordination as it responds to stimuli

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15
Q

Cerebrum

A

largest part of the brain; central processing area, responsible for voluntary activity + where memory is kept

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16
Q

Corpus callosum

A

myelinated nerve fibres which connect the two brain hemispheres together; allow for communication between both areas

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17
Q

Dendrite

A

carries impulses to cell body (receives message)

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18
Q

Depolarization

A

when sodium gates open and the inside of the neuron becomes positively charged

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19
Q

Effector

A

muscle gland receiving reflex

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20
Q

Excitatory neurotransmitter

A

neurotransmitter that excites the neuron into firing; this passes the impulse to the next cell

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21
Q

Hypothalamus

A

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; centre for homeostasis within the body, sampling and responding to changes in the blood passing through it to maintain a constant internal environment; causes release of hormones through the pituitary glands

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22
Q

Impulse

A

signal (electricity) which travels along nerve fibres and releases neurotransmitters; the means by which information is passed on

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23
Q

Inhibitory neurotransmitter

A

block or prevent the chemical message from being passed on any further

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24
Q

Interneuron

A

central nervous system (brain+spinal cord) neurons which relay messages from sensory neurons to motor neurons

25
Medulla oblongata
located in hindbrain; controls involuntary activities (ie. reflex)
26
Meninges
membranous layers surrounding the CNS (has three layers)
27
Motor neuron
found in motor, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous system, therefore, it has no myelin sheath; responsible for output (receives messages from interneuron and takes it to muscles)
28
Myelin sheath
fatty substance surrounding parts of the neuron
29
Neuroendocrine control centre
hypothalamus and pituitary gland; receive messages from the nervous system and respond by making and releasing hormones
30
Neuron
most basic but most highly specialized cell of the nervous system; made up of cell body, dendrites, and axons
31
Neurotransmitters
chemicals that allow nervous impulses to move around
32
Node of Ranvier
gaps with no myelin sheath along the axon
33
Norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
used in sympathetic branch of autonomic nervous system; like a cousin of adrenaline (chemically similar)
34
Parasympathetic nervous system
calms flight or fight instinct (relaxes body after stress or danger; contains sensory and motor neurons
35
Peripheral nervous system
portion of the nervous system which is not central; contains motor and sensory neurons: the link from the receptors to the CNS and from the CNS to the effectors
36
Pituitary gland
endocrine glands attached to the hypothalamus; two parts (anterior and posterior), responsible for making, releasing, and storing its own hormones
37
Polarized membrane
a membrane which has positive and negative charges on opposite sides: rest potential
38
Postsynaptic membrane
dendrite membrane equipped with receptor sites to receive neurotransmitters to complete synaptic transmission
39
Potassium gate
proteins in the membrane of neurons that change shape and allow potassium ions out of the neurons during repolarization
40
Presynaptic membrane
the membrane on the end of an axon at a synapse; where neurotransmitters are released
41
Contractile (protractile) protein
attached to the synaptic vesicle and contracts when bonded with calcium to bring vesicles down to membrane
42
Receptor
sites which receive neurotransmitters (located on postsynaptic membrane)
43
Reflex arc
simplest complete neural pathway; signal is received at the receptor, then travels to the sensory neuron, interneuron and motor neuron, where it is then passed onto the effector advantage: immediacy of response
44
Refractory period
the period of time which a cell is incapable of repeating an action potential; when charges go back to normal inside and outside the cell
45
Repolarization
downswing (potassium gates open) to reduce positive charge
46
Resting potential
polarized membrane, charges remain separate and all sodium/potassium gates are closed: hence, has potential to move
47
Saltatory transmission
"jumping", impulses only occur at the exposed portions of the neurons (nodes of Ranvier): impulses jump from node to node and can travel much faster in this manner
48
Schwann cell
make up myelin sheath and wrap around cells in the spinal cord; allow regeneration
49
Sensory neuron
contained in somatic and parasympathetic nervous systems; conduct impulses from receptors to the CNS
50
Sodium gate
opens to let sodium in during upswing (depolarization)
51
Sodium-potassium pump
during the refractory period, the pump restores sodium and potassium to their original concentrations
52
Somatic nervous system
communicates with sense organs and voluntary muscles (has sensory and motor neurons)
53
Sympathetic nervous system
consists of motor neurons that release noradrenaline, which gets the body ready for activity and may activate fight or flight
54
Synapse
the space between a neuron and the next cell
55
Synaptic cleft/gap
space between neurons where a nerve impulse is transmitted through neurotransmitters
56
Synaptic ending
the enlarged ending of an axon at a synaptic gap
57
Synaptic vesicle
store and deliver neurotransmitters to the presynaptic membrane to be released into the synaptic gap
58
Thalamus
acts as a filter for the higher brain: all impulses traveling to the cerebral cortex pass through the thalamus, which sorts them to the correct association area

Biology 12 (5 decks)

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