Nervous System 2 Flashcards
What does the Central Nervous System consist of?
brain + spinal cord
What is the spinal cord and its function?
- column of nerve fibres
- highway for neurons
- takes sensory and motor information between CNS and PNS
Is sensory afferent or efferent?
afferent
Is motor afferent or efferent?
efferent
What does afferent mean?
towards
What does efferent mean?
away
What does the PNS consist of?
MOG - muscles, organs and glands
What is the peripheral nervous system?
everything outside of the CNS
What is the function of the PNS?
- collect send sensory information to the CNS
- receive motor information from CNS and distribute it
What are the 2 sub types of the PNS?
Somatic and Autonomic
What does the somatic nervous system include?
muscles
What is the somatic nervous systems function?
voluntary movement
What does the autonomic nervous system do?
involuntary movement
What does the autonomic nervous system include?
organs and glands
What are the 3 sub groups of the autonomic nervous system?
sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric
What does the sympathetic nervous system do?
prepares body for action (Fight, Flight or Freeze)
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
returns the body to homeostasis, calms body down
What are the 3 types of neurons?
sensory, motor and interneurons
What is the sensory neurons function?
sends sensory information towards brain (afferent)
What is the motor neurons function?
sends motor info FROM brain to body (efferent)
What are the interneurons function?
sends information between sensory and motor neurons
What are the most common neuron?
interneuron
Where can interneurons be found?
Central nervous system only
What is spinal reflex?
an automatic unconscious response activated by pain or threats
How does spinal reflex occur?
interneuron interprets a sensory neurons message and deems it as dangerous, thus sending a motor neuron down prematurely in order to get out of danger faster
What do the dendrites do?
receives incoming messages from presynaptic neuron
What does the axon do?
pathway in which neural messages travel
What do the myelin sheaths do?
tissue that encases axon and speeds up message transmission speed
What does the axon terminals do?
exit pathway for neural messages
What do the terminal buttons do?
releases neurotransmitter to postsynaptic neuron for communication
What is neuraltransmission?
process in which neurons communicate
What is the presynaptic neuron?
neuron that sends the impulse
What is the postsynaptic neuron?
neuron that receives the impulse
What are the ions doing when a neuron is in its resting state?
negative inside and positive outside
What happens to the ions when a neuron is activated?
As the impulse travels across the neuron the ions switch charges
What are the two effects a neural transmitter can release?
excitatory and inhibitory
What does an inhibitory effect do?
decreases likelihood of neurons firing
What does an excitatory effect do?
increases likelihood of neurons firing
What does a neuromodulator do?
increases a neurotransmitters inhibitory or excitatory effects
What is neuroplasicity?
the brains ability to change as a result of experience
What are the four types of neuroplasicity?
developmental and adaptive or function and structure
What is developmental plasicity?
natural change with growth
What is adaptive plasticity?
plasticity as a result of brain damage/trauma
What is synaptic plasticity?
neuroplasicity at a cellular level
What is long-term potentiation?
increase of synaptic strength through high frequency stimulation
What is long-term depression?
reduction of efficiency due to low frequency stimulation
What is sprouting?
neural connection creation