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Practical Nursing > Nervous system > Flashcards

Nervous system Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the nervous system?

A

The communication network of the body, keeps the body in touch with the internal and external environment

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2
Q

What are the two anatomical categories of the nervous system?

A

Central nervous system (CNS)- brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)- other nerves

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3
Q

Functions of the nervous system

A

Coordinate the body’s activites- voluntary and involuntary movement
Allows the body to recognize and respond to changes in its external and internal environments

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4
Q

Function of the neuron

A

Receives input from the body’s internal and external environment and relays electrical impulses between the nervous system

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5
Q

Anatomy of the neuron

A

Cell body- the main part of the neuron
Dendrites- special fibers that extend from cytoplasm of cell body
Axon that divides into telodendria
End of axon has synaptic terminals

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6
Q

What is a telodendria?

A

Small branches found at the distal end of the axon

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7
Q

What is the axon?

A

A fiber that extends from a neuron cell that conducts impulses away from the cell, each nerve cell has one axon

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8
Q

The larger the diameter of an axon

A

the faster it can transmit info

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9
Q

What is the axon of the neuron covered by?

A

Myelin sheath, a fatty tissue that wraps the axon to protect it and speeds up impulses as they travel down the axon

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10
Q

What are dendrites?

A

Special fibers who extend from a neuron that conducts impulses towards the cell body

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11
Q

What is a synaptic terminal?

A

Connects one neuron to the other

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12
Q

What is a synapse?

A

The junction where the axon terminal of one neuron meets with another neuron, where the impulses between neurons are transmitted

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13
Q

What is the synaptic cleft?

A

A space where the impulses must jump because the axon terminal doesn’t directly touch the neuron

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14
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

Special chemical in axon terminals that helps impulses jump the synapse cleft

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15
Q

Categorization of neurons

A

Afferent (sensory neurons), efferent (motor neurons), interneurons (central or connecting neurons)

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16
Q

What is an afferent neuron?

A

Conduct impulses to the brain and spinal chord
Afferent- direction toward a central organ
Ex: CNS
Stimulated by physical and chemical input from environment
Responsible for senses

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17
Q

What is an efferent neuron?

A

Carry impulses away from CNS to muscles, glands, and organs resulting in voluntary and involuntary movement

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18
Q

What is an interneuron?

A

Conduct impulses from sensory neurons to motor neurons, help facilitate reflexes

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19
Q

Function of the brain

A

Interprets, organizes, stores information, controls and directs bodily functions

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20
Q

What is the cerebrum?

A

The most superior part of the brain/largest portion, highly developed portion
Seperated into right and left hemispheres

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21
Q

What are hemispheres connected by?

A

Corpus callosum, allows them to communicate

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22
Q

Function of cerebrum

A

Controls thinking, sensory, speech, voluntary movement, reasoning

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23
Q

What is the cerebellum?

A

Posterior to the brain stem, responsible for coordinating voluntary muscle movement, posture, balance, muscle tone

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24
Q

What is the diencephalon?

A

Found just above brain stem, between cerebral hemispeheres
Divided into the thalamus and hypothalamus

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25
Q

Thalamus function

A

Directs much of sensory impulses to the proper locations in the cerebral cortex

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26
Q

Hypothalamus function

A

Controls bodily functions that help maintain homeostasis, plays roles in emotion, controls release of hormones of the pituitary gland

27
Q

What is the cerebral cortex?

A

Gray matter, outside layer of cerebrum, performs most sensory processing, divided into two hemispheres
Memory, analyzation, behavior, personality

28
Q

What is the frontal lobe

A

Largest lobe and located in front of cerebral hemipshere –> thinking, planning, personality, voluntary movement
Called executive

29
Q

What is the temporal lobe? (2)

A

Posterior to frontal lobe, inferior to parietal lobe
Functions include hearing (auditory), smell (olfactory), language, emotion, memory, gustatory
Wernicke (understanding)

30
Q

What is the parietal lobe? (2)

A

Posterior to the frontal lobe and superior to temporal
Language, learning, spacial recognization
Somatosensory (Pressure), gustatory (taste)

31
Q

What is the occiptial lobe?

A

Smallest lobe of cerebral cortex
Interpreting and processing, sends interpreted visual info to other parts of the brain
Visual cortex

32
Q

What is the brain stem?

A

Where the spinal cord and brain connect
Midbrian, pons, medulla oblangota

33
Q

Function of the brain stem

A

Responsible for routing impulses to and from spinal cord
Controls vital involuntary functions such as breathing, digesting, circiulation

34
Q

What is the main communication system between the brain and body

A

Spinal cord

35
Q

Where is the spinal cord located

A

Starts at brainstem base to the first area of the lumbar in the lower back
Encased in the vertebral column
Controls many actions and acts as pathway between brain and PNS

36
Q

What helps the CNS from being damaged

A

Bones, membranes, fluids
Skull- protects brain
Vertebrae- protects spinal cord
Meninges- dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater

37
Q

What is cerebrospinal fluid?

A

Fluid that moves throughout the brains four ventricles and around the spinal cord

38
Q

Function of cerebrospinal fluid

A

Acts as shock absorber that protects brain and cord
Carries nutrients to some parts of CNS
Helps remove metabolic products and waste

39
Q

Peripheral system main function

A

Relay impulses back and forth between CNS and rest of the body

40
Q

What is the PNS divided into?

A

Somatic (voluntary), autonomic (involuntary) nervous systems

41
Q

What is the function of the somatic nervous system?

A

Transmits sensory info and controls bodies voluntary actions

42
Q

What is the function of the autonomic nervous system?

A

Controls bodies involuntary activities such as breathing

43
Q

What are cranial nerves?

A

Directly connect to the brain and relay impulses mainly from the head and neck
Located in the PNS (except optic nerve)
12 different pairs

44
Q

What are spinal nerves?

A

Transmit impulses between spinal cord and rest of the body, including internal organs, muscles, skin
31 pairs

45
Q

What is the optic pair and what is it responsible for?

A

Second pair of cranial nerves, made up of nerve cells
Responsible for transferring visual impulses from retina to the brain’s vision centers
Located back of the eye, connects eye to brain

46
Q

Is the optic nerve part of the PNS?

A

No

47
Q

What is the ANS?

A

The automatic nerve system
Controls involuntary activities such as digestion and circulation
Made of divisons that work together to acheive homeostasis

48
Q

What are the divisions of the ANS?

A

Enteric, sympathetic, parasympathetic

49
Q

What does the enteric nervous system control?

A

Digestive system, also known as second brain or gut because it cannot function without being stimulated by the CNS

50
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A

Activated in conditions of stress and produces fight or flight response

51
Q

Parasympathetic nervous system

A

Reverses fight or flight symptoms of the sympathetic system, returns body to a relaxed or normal state

52
Q

What is a cerebrovascular accident?

A

Stroke
Occurs when there is a reduction in blood flow to the brain
Risk factors: Smoking, heart disease, diabetes

53
Q

What can cause a stroke? Symptoms? Treatment?

A

Burst blood vessel, blood clot, or blocked vessel
Paralysis, difficulty swallowing, visual or speech impairment, mental confusion
Clot breaking drugs (thrombolytics) used in the first three hours of a stroke, anticoagulants prevent strokes, therapy

54
Q

What is myasthenia gravis?

A

Neuromuscular disorder where proper nerve pulses are not sent to muscles

55
Q

What causes myasthenia gravis? Symptoms? Treatment?

A

Abnormal reaction of the immune system that leads it to attack receptors in muscles, leads to breakdown of communication of nerves and muscles
Muscle weakness
No cure, focusing on management of symptoms

56
Q

What is MS?

A

Multiple sclerosis, potentially disabling disorder of the CNS

57
Q

MS causes? Symptoms? Treatments?

A

Exact cause is unkwon, considered to be an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the myelin sheath
Double vision, tingling, numbness, difficulty walking, weakness, paralysis
No cure

58
Q

What is autism spectrum disorder?

A

Broad range of characteristics to do with social skills, repetitive behavior, and communication

59
Q

Cause of autism? Symptoms? Treatment?

A

Cause is unknown, appears to be related to genetics or environment
Delay in language or social development, repetitive behavior
No cure, symptoms can be relieved by therapies

60
Q

What is alzheimers disease?

A

A progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes impairment in memory and cognitive functioning

61
Q

What is the motor speech area?

A

Brocus

62
Q

Motor homonculus

A

Representation of your body in the frontal area, shows percentages or frontal lobe devoted to motor activities

63
Q

Broca’s aphasia

A

Limited language, you can understand everything, frontal lobe

64
Q

Wernicke aphasia

A

Jumbled words/ can’t understand, side of brain

Practical Nursing (8 decks)

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