Nervous System: Major Components Flashcards
What are the two parts the nervous system is divided into?
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
What part of the nervous system consists of the brain, cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord?
Central nervous system (CNS)
What are the components of the CNS?
Brain
Cerebellum
Spinal Cord
What part of the nervous system consists of nerves leading to and from the CNS, including cranial nerves leaving the brain stem, and spinal roots exiting the spinal cord to form peripheral nerves?
Peripheral nervous system
What are the components of the PNS?
Nerves leading to and from the CNS (cranial nerves leaving the brainstem and spinal roots exiting the spinal cord to form peripheral nerves)
What type of nerves connect the CNS (brain and spinal cord) with the rest of the body to receive and share information (sensory) and control functions (motor)
Peripheral nerves
What two systems is the PNS divided into?
Somatic (body) nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Which system contains voluntary reactions to outside stimulation under conscious control?
Somatic (body) nervous system
Which system has 31 pairs of spinal nerves to control muscle contraction and receive sensory information from the body?
Somatic (body) nervous system-PNS
Which system has 12 pairs of cranial nerves (sensory or motor) with primary functions to include eye movement, smell, face/tongue sensation, innervation of SCM and trapezius?
somatic (body) nervous system-PNS
What are the components of PNS-somatic (body) nervous system
- Voluntary reactions to outside stimulation under conscious control
- 31 pairs of spinal nerves to control muscle contraction and receive sensory information
- 12 pairs of cranial nerves (sensory or motor) with primary function of eye movement, smell, face/tongue sensation, innervation of SCM and trapezius
Which system consists of the involuntary system with the primary function to maintain homeostasis- regulate digestion, circulation, and cardiac muscle contraction?
Autonomic nervous system-PNS
Which system innervates glands, smooth (visceral) muscle, and myocardium?
Autonomic nervous system-PNS
What are the components of the PNS-autonomic nervous system?
- Involuntary system; primary function is to maintain homeostasis- regulates digestion, circulation, and cardiac muscle contraction
- Innervates glands, smooth (visceral) muscle, and myocardium
How does the nervous system communicate for the body?
Nerve cells
What are the two types of nerve cells?
Neurons
Neuroglia
What nerve cells transmit nerve impulses?
Neurons
What nerve cells is non-neuronal supporting cells that provide critical services for neurons?
Neuroglia
What are the subtypes of neurons?
Afferent (sensory) neurons
Interneurons
Efferent (motor) neurons
What type of neuron receives sensory input from periphery of the body and transports it to the CNS (conduct information toward the CNS from muscles, skin, joints, viscera) and include touch, pain, heat and cold, vibration, proprioception, stereognosis (identify object by touch without vision), sound, light, taste, etc?
Afferent (sensory) neurons
What is the function of the afferent (sensory) neuron
receives sensory input from periphery of the body and transports it to the CNS (conduct information toward the CNS from muscles, skin, joints, viscera) and include touch, pain, heat and cold, vibration, proprioception, stereognosis (identify object by touch without vision), sound, light, taste, etc?
What neuron connects neurons to other neurons that organize information from many different sources for later interpretation?
Interneurons
What is the function of interneurons?
To connect the neurons to other neurons that organize information from many different sources for later interpretation
What neuron conducts away from the CNS and transmits information to the extremities to signal muscles to produce movement?
Efferent (motor) neuron
What is the function of the efferent (motor) neuron?
conducts away from the CNS and transmit information to the extremities to signal muscles to produce movement
What are the subtypes of neuroglia?
Astrocytes
Oligodendrites
Microglia
Which neuroglia maintains capillary endothelial and provides a vascular link to neurons and also contributes to metabolism of CNS and regulate concentrations of neurotransmitters?
Astrocytes
What is the function of astrocytes (neuroglia)?
Maintains capillary endothelium thus providing a vascular link to neurons and also contributes to metabolism and regulates concentrations of neurotransmitters
Which neuroglia wraps myelin sheaths around axons in white matter and produce satellite cells in the gray matter that participate in ion exchange between neurons?
Oligodendrites
What is the function of oligodendrites- neuroglia?
Wraps myelin sheaths around axons in white matter and produce satellite cells in gray matter that participate in ion exchange between neurons
Which neuroglia consists of phagocytes of the CNS because they engulf and digest pathogens and assist with nervous system repair after injury?
Microglia
What is the function of the microglia- neuroglia?
They’re the phagocytes of the CNS because they engulf and digest pathogens and assist with the nervous system repair after injury
What are the neuron structures?
Dendrites
Cell Body
Axons
Which neuron structure function to receive information and transfers it to the cell body and bringing impulses into the cell body from other neurons?
Dendrites
Which neuron structure is composed of nucleus and various organelles?
Cell body
Which neuron structure processes information it receives, synthesizes proteins and supports functional activities of the neuron such as transmitting electrochemical impulses and repairing cells?
Cell body
Which neuron structure functions as the message-sending component of the nerve cell extending from the cell body and is responsible for transmitting impulses from the cell body to target cells (muscle, glands, and other neurons)
Axons
Which neuron structure can be myelinated (faster) and unmyelinated (slower)?
Axon
What is a lipid/protein that encases and insulates the axon?
Myelin
What increases the speed of impulse conduction but is not continuous causing electrical impulses to jump from one node (nodes of Ranvier) to the next via saltatory conduction?
Myelin sheath
What is the space between the axons of one neuron and the dendrite of the next neuron; allows neurons to communicate with each other?
Synapse
Describe the electrochemical reaction at the synapse
A neurotransmitter is released in response to an electrical action potential that travels down the nerve (axon)
What typically happens to patients with CNS pathology?
Often on drugs that affect the neurotransmitters by either inhibiting or facilitating neurotransmitter activity
What are the common neurotransmitters?
acetylcholine, glutamate, GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine
What has axons that have a high concentrations of myelin appearing white because of the fat in the myelin; found in the brain and spinal cord?
White matter
What consists of the cell bodies and dendrites grouped together in the CNS; those with similar functions are grouped together and called nuclei; covers the entire cerebrum (cerebral cortex); also found in the spinal cord?
Gray matter
What are tracts?
Bundles of axons
How are fiber tracts named?
Upon their origin and destination
What are the different types of fiber tracts?
- Afferent (bringing sensory information to the brain)
- Efferent (take motor messages to smooth and skeletal muscles of the body)
