Nervous System Flashcards
Organization of the Nervous System
What are the 2 divisons of the Nervous System?
The Central Nervous System (CNS)
- Brain and spinal cord
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
- Nerves
PNS
What is the Afferent (Sensory) Division?
- Carry information from sensory receptors to the CNS
- Somatic sensory afferent fibres -> information from skin, muscles and joints
- Visceral sensory afferent fibres -> information form visceral organs
PNS
What is the Efferent (Motor) Division?
- Carry information from the CNS to effector organs (i.e., muscles and glands)
What are the Subdivisions of the Efferent Division?
Somatic Nervous System
&
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
What is the Somatic Nervous System?
- Conscious, voluntary control of skeletal muscle
- Also controls involuntary muscle reflexes
What is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)?
- Controls involuntary actions of glands, smooth muscle and cardiac muscle
- Sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric nervous systems
What are Neurons?
- Excitable – able to transmit electrical impulses
- Ables cell-to-cell communication
What are Neuroglia (glial cells)?
- Non-neuronal supporting cells
- Unable to transmit electrical impulses
Functional Classifications of Neurons
What are Afferent neurons?
carry information from tissues/organs towards the CNS
Functional Classifications of Neurons
What are Efferent neurons?
carry information away from the CNS towards the effector cells (i.e., muscle, glands)
Functional Classifications of Neurons
What are Interneurons?
connect neurons within the CNS
What is a The Synapse?
The junction where one neuron alters the electrical and chemical activity of another neuron.
Most commonly between the axon terminal of a neuron and the dendrites of another neuron
What are Astrocytes?
- Anchors neurons to capillaries, creating the blood-brain barrier
- Regulates the extracellular fluid by removing K ions and neurotransmitters around synapse
What are Ependymal Cells?
Regulate the production of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)
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