Neurons Flashcards
neuron
nerve cell
dendrite
receive info and send it to the cell body (listeners)
axon
passes messages along to other neurons
myelin sheath
covers an axon, helps speed neural impulses
action potential
impulse fired by neuron, a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon
excitatory
positive signals
inhibitory
negative (stop) signals
threshold
minimum level of stimulation
synapse
meeting point between neurons
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers
reuptake
when sending neuron reabsorbs the excess neurotransmitters
axon terminal
end of neuron, forms junctions with other cells
receptors
where neurotransmitters bind to on the receiving neuron
synaptic gap
separation space between neurons
nervous system
sends information throughout the body
central nervous system (CNS)
brain and spinal cord, decision maker
peripheral nervous system
gathers info and transmits decision to body parts
nerves
electrical cables formed by axon bundles, link the CNA with the body’s sensory receptors, muscles and glands
sensory neurons
carry messages from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors inward to the brain and spinal cord for processing
motor neurons
send CNS instructions out to body’s tissues
interneurons
process information within CNS
neutral network
artifical network or mathematical model for information processing based on how neurons and synapses work in the human brain
somatic nervous system
enables voluntary control of skeletal muscles
autonomic nervous system
controls glands and muscles of internal organs
sympathetic nervous system
arouses and expends energy
parasympathetic nervous system
works with sympathetic system to calm you
