Nervous System Ch. 10 Flashcards
cerebrum
thinking, personality, sensations, movements, memory
thalamus
relay station (triage center) for sensory impulses control of awareness and consciousness
hypothalamus
body temperature, sleep, appetite, emotions
control of the pituitary gland
cerebellum
coordination of voluntary movements and balance
pons and midbrain
connection of nerve and nerve fiber pathways including those to the eyes and face
medulla oblongata
nerve fibers cross over, left to right and right to left; contains centers to regulate heart, blood vessels, and respiratory system
afferent nerve
carries messages TOWARD the brain and spinal cord
arachnoid membrane
middle layer of the three membranes (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord.
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
nerves that control involuntary body functions of muscle, glands, and internal organs.
axon
microscopic fiber that carries the nervous impulse along a nerve cell.
blood-brain barrier
protective separation between the blood and brain cells
brainstem
posterior portion of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord; includes midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
cell body
part of a nerve cell that contains the nucleus
central nervous system (CNS)
the brain and the spinal cord
cerebral cortex
outer region of the cerebrum, containing sheets of nerv cells; gray matter of brain
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord
cranial nerves
twelve pairs of nerves that carry messages to and from the brain with regard to the head and neck
dendrite
microscopic branching fiber of a nerve cell that is the first part to receive the nervous impulse
dura mater
thick, outermost layer of the meninges surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
efferent nerve
carries messages AWAY fromt the brain and spinal cord; motor nerve
glial cell (neuroglial cell)
supportive and connective nerve cell that does not carry nervous impulses.
gyrus (plural: gyri)
sheet of nerve cells that produces a rounded ridge on the surface of the cerebral cortex; convolution
menginges
three protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord
midbrain
uppermost portion of the brainstem
motor nerve
caries messages away from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and organs; efferent nerve
myelin sheath
covering of white fatty tissue that surrounds and insulates the axon of a nerve cell. Myelin speeds impulse conduction along axons
nerve
macroscopic cord-like collection of fibers (axons and dendrites) that carry electrical impulses
neuron
nerve cell that carries impulses throughout the body; parenchyma of the nervous system
neurotransmitter
chemical messenger released at the end of a nerve cell. stimulates or inhibits another cell, which can be a nerve cell, muscle cell, or gland cell.
parasympathetic nerves
involuntary, autonomic nerves that regulate normal body functions such as heart rate, breathing, and muscles of the gastrointestinal tract.
peripheral nervous system
nerves outside the brain and spinal cord: cranial, spinal, and autonomic nerves.
pia mater
thin, delicate inner membrane of the meninges
pons
part of the brain anterior to the cerebellum and between the medulla and the rest of the midbrain
receptor
organ that receives a nervous stimulus and passes it on to afferent nerves.
skin, ears, eyes, and taste buds.
sensory nerve
caries messages toward the brain and spinal cord from a receptor; afferent nerve
spinal nerves
thirty one pairs of nerves arising from the spinal cord
stimulus
agent of change or external environment that evokes a response
sulcus
depression of groove in the surface of the cerebral cortex; fissure
sympathetic nerves
autonomic nerves that influence bodily functions involuntarily in times of stress
synapse
space through which a nervous impulse travels between nerve cells or between nerve and muscle or glandular cells.
ventricles of the brain
canals in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid. ventricles are also found in the heart – they are two lower chambers of the heart
