Nervous system Flashcards
How does your nervous system work?
By sending electrical signals to different parts of your body. That tell you how to act.
Two main parts of the nervous system?
CNS AND PNS
What does the CNS consist of?
The brain and spinal cord.
What does the CNS serve as?
Serving as the control center for
processing information and directing responses.
What does the brain do?
Manages complex functions like thought, memory, emotion, and movement.
What does the spinal cord do?
Acts as a communication highway, relaying signals between the brain and the body.
The PNS connects the ___ to the body.
CNS
Two main parts of PNS?
The somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
What does the somatic system do?
Controls voluntary movements
and sensory information.
Divisions of the autonomic system?
Sympathetic and
parasympathetic systems.
What does the sympathetic system do?
Prepares the body for action
(fight-or-flight).
What does the parasympathetic system do?
Conserves energy and supports “rest and digest” functions.
How do all of these systems help the body?
Ensure the body responds to
internal and external stimuli efficiently.
Functions Of The Nervous System?
Sensory input, integration, motor output and hemostasis.
Where are the neurotransmitters released and how?
Neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic cleft when a nerve impulse reaches a synapse.
What do the neurotransmitters attach to?
Receptors on the neighboring neuron, either stimulating or inhibiting it.
What do the neurotransmitters consist of?
Dopamine, Serotonin, Acetylcholine, GABA.
Dopamine function?
Associated with motivation, reward, and motor
control.
Serotonin function?
Controls hunger, mood, and sleep.
Acetylcholine function
Contributes to memory and muscle contraction.
GABA function?
Aids in controlling muscular tone and anxiety.
How do these parts and processes help the body?
Enable the nervous
system to respond and adapt to the surroundings in an efficient
manner, preserving general homeostasis and enabling
complex activities.
What is the reflex arc?
Pathway that a reflex takes through the nervous system, allowing for rapid,
automatic responses to certain stimuli.
Nature of reflexes?
Involuntary, meaning they happen without conscious
thought, which is why they’re often quick and protective.
Phase 1 of Reflex arc and their function?
Receptor, a receptor detects a stimulus.
Phase 2 of Reflex arc and their function?
Sensory neuron, sensory neuron sends an electrical signal toward the central nervous system (CNS) , specifically the spinal cord.
Phase 3 of Reflex arc and their function?
Integration center, the signal reaches the spinal cord, where it’s processed. In the spinal cord, an interneuron may connect the sensory neuron to the motor neuron.
Phase 4 of Reflex arc and their function?
Motor neuron, the CNS sends a response signal through a motor neuron, which travels back to the muscle or gland that will react to the stimulus.
Phase 5 of Reflex arc and their function?
Effector, is the muscle or gland that carries out the reflex action.
Name Five diseases of the nervous system?
Huntington, Parkinson, Alzheimer, Multiple sclerosis, Peripheral Neuropathy.
Explanation of first?
This gene codes for the production of a protein called huntingtin that is toxic to
the nerve cells in the striatum which then causes issues like involuntary movements, muscle spasms, and difficulty walking and cerebral cortex.
Explanation of second?
A progressive disorder affecting movement, characterized by tremors, stiffness, slowness of movement, and impaired balance.
Explanation of third?
A degenerative brain disease causing memory loss, confusion, and difficulty with
thinking and reasoning.
Explanation of fourth?
An autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers, leading to impaired nerve signaling.
Explanation of fifth?
Damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, often causing numbness, tingling, pain, and muscle weakness. It affects the nerves that are responsible for transmitting signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body, allowing us to feel sensations and move
our muscles.
