Nervous system (2) Flashcards
Nerve cell; transmits information throughout the body
Neuron
Part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons
Dendrite
Supports and Protects
Neuroglia
White taffy substance covering the axon
Myelin
The difference in electrical charge across a cell membrane
Membrane Potential
The membrane potential of a neuron at rest
Resting Potential
Nerve impulse
Action Potential
A junction at which a neuron meets another cell
Synapse
A signal molecule that transmits nerve impulses across synapses
Neurotransmitter
Part of a neuron that conducts nerve impulses
Axon
Bundle of nerves
Nerve
Conducts impulse towards the CNS
Afferent nerve fiber
carries motor responses from the central nervous system to muscles, glands and other organs
Motor Neuron
site of capacity for learning, memory, perception and intellectual function
Cerebrum
Consists of the brain and spinal cord
Central nervous system
Relays sensory information
Thalamus
dense cable of nervous tissue that runs through the vertebral column
Spinal cord
contains neurons that branch throughout the body
Peripheral nervous system
carries information from sense organs to the central nervous system
Sensory neuron
The body’s main processing center
Brain
regulates breathing, heart rate and endocrine functions
Brainstem
Link neurons to each other
Interneurons
collection of structures leading down to the spinal cord
Hypothalamus
regulates balance, posture and movement
Cerebellum
a sudden, rapid and involuntary self-protective motor response
Reflex
