Nervous System Vocab

Question 0

neuron process that carries impulses away from the nerve cell body; efferent process; the conducting portion of a nerve cell.

Answer 0

Axon

Question 1

nerve cells that carry impulses toward the central nervous system.

Answer 1

Afferent neuron

Question 2

the brain and the spinal cord.

Answer 2

Central nervous system

Question 3

Each of the two parts of the cerebrum (left and right) in the brain of a vertebrate.

Answer 3

Cerebral hemisphere

Question 4

the branching extensions of neurons that carry electrical signals to the cell body; the receptive portion of a nerve cell.

Answer 4

Dendrites

Question 5

neurons that conduct impulses away from the central nervous system.

Answer 5

Efferent neuron

Question 6

the gray area of the central nervous system; contains unmyelinated nerve fibers and nerve cell bodies.

Answer 6

Gray matter

Question 7

the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Answer 7

Meninges

Question 8

bundle of neuronal processes (axons) outside the central nervous system.

Answer 8

Nerve

Question 9

cells of the nervous system specialized to transmit messages throughout the body.

Answer 9

Neurons

Question 10

a system of nerves that connects the outlying parts of the body with the central nervous system.

Answer 10

Peripheral nervous system

Question 11

the state of an unstimulated neuron or muscle cell in which the inside of the cell is relatively negative in comparison to the outside; the resting state.

Answer 11

Polarization

Question 12

automatic reaction to a stimulus.

Answer 12

Reflex

Question 13

a division of the peripheral nervous system; also called the voluntary nervous system.

Answer 13

Somatic nervous system

Question 14

white substance of the central nervous system; the myelinated nerve fibers.

Answer 14

White matter

Question 15

the division of the nervous system that functions involuntarily; innervates cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and glands.

Answer 15

Autonomic nervous system

Question 16

the portion of the brain consisting of the medulla, pons, and midbrain.

Answer 16

Brain stem

Question 17

part of the hindbrain; involved in producing smoothly coordinated skeletal muscle activity.

Answer 17

Cerebellum

Question 18

the fluid produced by choroid plexuses; fills the ventricles and surrounds the central nervous system.

Answer 18

Cerebrospinal fluid

Question 19

the loss of a state of polarity; the loss of a negative charge inside the plasma membrane.

Answer 19

Depolarization

Question 20

a group of nerve cell bodies located in the peripheral nervous system.

Answer 20

Ganglion

Question 21

completes the pathway between afferent and efferent neurons; also called an association neuron.

Answer 21

Interneurons

Question 22

a white, fatty lipid substance.

Answer 22

Myelin

Question 23

the nonneuronal tissue of the central nervous system that performs supportive and other functions; also called glia.

Answer 23

Neuroglia

Question 24

A gap in the myelin sheath of a nerve, between adjacent Schwann cells.

Answer 24

Nodes of Ranvier

Question 25

a network of interlacing nerves, blood vessels, or lymphatics.

Answer 25

Plexus

Question 26

a peripheral nerve ending specialized for response to particular types of stimuli

Answer 26

Receptor

Question 27

restoration of the membrane potential to the initial resting (polarized) state.

Answer 27

Repolarization

Question 28

the region of communication between neurons, or a neuromuscular junction between a neuron and a muscle cell.

Answer 28

Synapse