Nervous System Flashcards
What is the primary purpose of the peripheral nervous system?
To connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
What are the two components of the central nervous system?
The Brain and Spinal Cord
Sympathetic Nervous System
Increased neural activity to put body in a heightened state–fight or flight
Parasympathetic Nervous System
decreased in neural activity–puts body in relaxed state
Peripheral Nervous System
nerves that connect the rest of the body to the central nervous system
Somatic Nervous System
nerves that serve the outer areas of the body and skeletal muscles. Largely responsible for the voluntary control of movement
Autonomic Nervous System
Part of PNS that supplies neural input to organs–runs involuntary processes of the body
Proprioception
body’s natural ability to sense its general orientation and the relative position of its parts
Muscles Spindles
sensory receptors sensitive to change in length of muscle and rate of that change. They run parallel to the muscle fibers.
Strength Refex
neurological signal from the muscle spindle that causes a muscle to contract to prevent excess lengthening
Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO)
Specialized sensory receptor located at the point where skeletal muscles fibers insert into a tendon. They are sensitive to changes in muscle tension
Joint Receptors
receptors located in and around the joint capsule that respond to pressure, acceleration and deceleration of the joint.
Neuroplasticity
Brain constantly changes and grows, reforming neural pathways.
Neurocircuritry
neural connections
