Neuro Flashcards
The nervous system consists of the ________,
which includes the brain and spinal cord, and the
________, which includes the somatic and autonomic
nervous systems.
Central nervous system (CNS);
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
These are the information processing units of the
nervous system and are made of 3 primary parts:
the cell body (soma), dendrites, and axon.
Neurons
Regarding the PNS, the ________ controls the actions of skeletal muscles, is responsible for voluntary movement, and responds to signals from the 5 senses; the ________ regulates involuntary activity (e.g., heartbeat, breathing) and has 2 subdivisions- the
sympathetic and parasympathetic.
Somatic nervous system;
autonomic nervous system
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are short fibers at the end of a cell body that respond to stimulation from other neurons and carry this information toward the cell body, while the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a single fiber that carries information away from the cell body.
Dendrites;
axon
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ division of the autonomic nervous system mobilizes the body's resources and prepares for "fight or flight," while the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ system deactivates the once active organs and is active during relaxation.
Sympathetic;
parasympathetic
The electrochemical process by which information is received and processed within a neuron, whereby a cell becomes electrically excited, "fires," and creates a nerve impulse called an action potential is referred to as what?
Conduction
This part of the CNS is responsible for carrying information between the brain and the PNS.
Spinal
cord
The fact that, in any given neuron, the action potential is the same magnitude every time it occurs is referred to as the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_; basically, once the minimal threshold of electrical stimulation is reached, a neuron fires.
All-Or-None Law
TRUE or FALSE: Stronger electrical stimulation generates more action potentials in a neuron and causes them to occur in a greater number of
neurons.
TRUE: Though size and speed of an action potential are NOT related to stimulation intensity
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is when one half of a person's body is paralyzed, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is when a person experiences loss of use of all limbs, and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is when the lower extremities of a person's body is paralyzed.
Hemiplegia;
quadriplegia;
paraplegia
What 2 factors
have an effect
on the speed of
conduction?
Diameter of
the axon and
myelin sheath
What term refers to the process whereby terminal buttons take up and store excess neurotransmitters for future use?
Reuptake
What is the small space that separates individual neurons called?
Synapse
(or synaptic
cleft)
The breaking down of unused neurotransmitters into inactive metabolites that are eventually removed as waste is called what?
Enzymatic degradation
This term means "partial paralysis" and is characterized by muscle weakness without full paralysis; one cause is less severe damage to the spinal cord.
Paresis
Neurotransmitters that have an \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ effect on post-synaptic cells increase the likelihood that an action potential will occur, while those with an \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ effect decrease the chances of an action potential occurring.
Excitatory;
inhibitory
This neurotransmitter causes muscles to contract and is associated with impairments in voluntary movement; in the brain it is involved in learning/memory, with depletion of its receptors in the cortex and hippocampus occurring in Alzheimer's disease.
Acetylcholine
ACh
With respect to movement, excess dopamine or an increased sensitivity to dopamine receptors is related to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, while degeneration of dopamine secreting neurons is linked to the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
Tourette’s
syndrome;
Parkinson’s
disease
What are neurons
that secrete
acetylcholine
called?
Cholinergic
neurons
A lack of this neurotransmitter is linked to depression, OCD, PTSD, and aggression, while high levels play a role in schizophrenia, anorexia, and autism.
Serotonin
What 3 neurotransmitters are grouped into the class referred to as catecholamines?
Norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopamine
The most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, low levels of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ are associated with anxiety and Parkinson's disease, while deficits in the brain's motor regions is associated with dementia and involuntary jerking of the arms and legs.
Gamma-Amino
Butyric Acid
(GABA)
Depleted levels of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ at brain synapses are associated with some types of depression, while excessive levels are associated with \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
Norepinephrine;
dopamine;
schizophrenia
What primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS is associated with learning, memory, and long-term potentiation (transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory)?
Glutamate