NERVOUS SYSTEM / NEUROTRANSMITTERS Flashcards
1
Q
NEURONS
A
- one of the major types of cells in the nervous system.
- responsible for sending and receiving messages throughout the body.
2
Q
CELL BODY (SOMA)
A
- part of the neuron that contains the nucleus and houses the cell’s genetic material.
3
Q
DENDRITES
A
- small branches radiating from the cell body.
- receive messages from other cells and transmit those messages towards the rest of the cell.
4
Q
AXON
A
- transports information in the form of electro-chemical reactions from the cell body to the end of the neuron.
5
Q
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
A
- the chemicals that function as messengers allowing neurons to communicate with each other.
6
Q
GLIAL CELLS
A
- specialized cells of the nervous system.
- involved in mounting immune responses, removing waste, and synchronizing the activity of billions of neurons in the nervous system.
7
Q
MYELIN
A
- a fatty sheath that insulates axons from one another, resulting in increased speed and efficiency of neural communication.
8
Q
RESTING POTENTIAL
A
- relatively stable state during which the cell is not transmitting messages.
9
Q
ACTION POTENTIAL
A
- a wave of electrical activity that originates at the base of the axon and rapidly travels down its length.
10
Q
REFRACTORY PERIOD
A
- brief period in which a neuron cannot fire.
11
Q
SYNAPSES
A
- the microscopically small spaces that seperate individual nerve cells.
12
Q
ALL-OR-NONE PRINCIPLE
A
- individual nerve cells fire at the same strength every time and action potential occurs.
13
Q
SYNAPTIC CLEFT
A
- the small space between the axon terminal (terminal button) and the dendrite.
14
Q
REUPTAKE
A
- neurotransmitter molecules that have been released into the synapse are reabsorbed into the axon terminals of the presynaptic neuron.
15
Q
KEY NEUROTRANSMITTERS (NAME ALL SIX)
A
- glutamate
- GABA
- acetylcholine
- dopamine
- norepinephrine
- serotonin
