Nervous System Flashcards
what does the nervous system do?
-coordinates the processes and actions of the human body
what are nerve cells aka?
-what do they do?
-aka neurons
-they communicate through electrical impulses and allow the body to process and respond to stimuli
what is within the neuron?
-a nucleus which transmits electrical impulses through their axons and dendrites
what is the axon?
-what is it often covered in?
-axon is the stemlike structure which carries information to other neurons throughout the body
-myelin which is a fatty insulating substance
-long-extension
what is Schwann cells?
they are cells which produce myelin and is important for nerve regeneration
what do dendrites do?
-what do they look like?
-receive information from other neurons
-they are short, branch-like extensions that generate electrical impulses
what. are the two systems of the nervous system?
-central nervous system which makes up the brain and spinal cord
-peripheral nervous system which is the collection of nerves that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
the brain is the?
control center of the body and is responsible for nearly all the body’s processes and actions
what does the spinal cord relay?
-information between the brain and the peripheral nervous system and coordinates many reflexes
what is the spinal cord protected by?
the vertebral column, a structure of bones that enclose the delicate nervous tissue
vertebre column divisions:
-Cervical vertebrae has 7
-thoracic has 12
-lumbar has 5
-sacrum has 5
-coccyx has 5
-sacrum and coccyx are fused together and cannot move
the functions of the nervous system are broken down into?
-the autonomic nervous system )which has two more subdivisions)
-somatic nervous system
what is the autonomic system responsible for?
-controls involuntary actions that occur in body like respiration, digestion and circulatory and more
somatic nervous system is responsible for?
-the body’s ability to control skeletal muscles and voluntary movements, some movements aren’t voluntary like reflexes
what is the autonomic nervous system broken down into?
-parasympathetic NS
-sympathetic NS
what does the parasympathetic NS do?
-stimulated by body’s need for rest and recovery by:
-decreasing heart rate
-decreasing blood pressure and muscular activation for sleep or digesting food
what does the sympathetic NS do?
-responsible for body’s reaction to stress and induces a “fight-or-flight” response to stimuli like getting scared
-increases heart rate and blood pressure
what is a stroke do and aka?
-aka cardiovascular accident and occurs when blood flow to brain tissue is disrupted
blockage in the vasculature of the brain is aka?
-embolus, the condition is called ischemic stroke
hemorrhagic stroke is
bleeding in the brain, often caused by ruptured anerysm
what are diseases of the nervous system?
-Parkinson’s disease
-ALS
-multiple sclerosis MS
-Alzheimer’s disease
meningitis is?
-inflammation of the meninges
what is meninges?
protective membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord
enCEPHAlitis is?
-inflammation of the brain
epileptic seizures are?
brief episodes caused by disturbed or overactive nerve cell activity in the brain
the cell body within the nervous system contains?
-nucleus and organelles
myelin or myelin sheath does what? where is located?
-produced by Schwann cells, they are fatty substance that covers the axon and help increase the speed of nerve impulses
what is axon terminal?
-release neuron transmitters
synapse is?
-most often between?
-consists of?
-points of contact between neurons where information is passed from one neuron to the next
-most often form between axons and dendrites
-consist of a presynaptic neuron, synaptic cleft, and a postsynaptic neuron
what does the postsynaptic neuron do?
-presynaptic?
-synaptic cleft?
-receive information /receives chemical messengers
-the sending of action potential into the neuron/neurotransmitters are released
-synaptic cleft separates pre and postsynaptic
what do sensory neurons do?
afferent or efferent?
-send messages to CNS, carry information from sensory receptors of the skin and other organs to the central nervous system
-afferent
what do motor neurons do?
afferent or efferent?
-send messages to muscles, carry motor information away from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands of the body-
efferent (EXIting the cns to the muscles)
what is ganglia or ganglion?
a structure containing a number of nerve cell bodies, typically linked by synapses, and often forming a swelling on a nerve fiber, found in the PNS
sequence of NS
-electrical impulse to the dendrites of neurons, then along the axon and causes chemical neurotransmitters to be secreted from axon terminals in the synapse.
