Neurons; Nervous System

Question 1

What is the cell body?

Answer 1

The part of the neuron that houses the nucleus and most other organelles

Question 2

What are dendrites?

Answer 2

One of usually numerous, short, highly branched extensions of a neuron that receive signals from other neurons

Question 3

What is an axon?

Answer 3

A typically long extension, or process, of a neuron that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body toward target cells

Question 4

What is the axon hillock?

Answer 4

The composed shape of an axon where signals that travel down the axon are generated

Question 5

What is a synapse?

Answer 5

The junction where a neuron communicates with another cell across a narrow gap via a neurotransmitter or an electrical coupling

Question 6

What are synaptic terminals?

Answer 6

The part of each axon branch that forms the specialized junction

Question 7

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 7

Chemical messengers that pass information from the transmitting neuron to the receiving cell

Question 8

Information processing by a nervous system occurs in three stages

Answer 8

Sensory input, integration,

and motor output.

Question 9

Where does integration take place?

Answer 9

Processing center (nervous system)

Question 10

What system carries information into and out of the central nervous system?

Answer 10

Peripheral nervous system

Question 11

In the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS), the functions of the ___ and____are tightly coordinated

Answer 11

Brain and spinal cord

Question 12

What is the function of the brain?

Answer 12

Signaling between neurons functions in learning, feeling emotions, processing sensory information, and generating commands

Question 13

What is the function of the spinal cord?

Answer 13

Conveys information to and from the brain and generates basic patters of locomotion; produces reflexes

Question 14

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and what does it do?

Answer 14

Transmits information to and from the CNS and plays a large role in regulating both and animal’s movement and its internal environment

Question 15

What are the two efferent components of the PNS?

Answer 15

The motor system and the autonomic nervous system

Question 16

What does the motor system control?

Answer 16

Consists of neurons that carry signals to skeletal muscles

Question 17

Is that control voluntary or involuntary, or both? What are examples?

Answer 17

Can be voluntary, as when you raise your hand to ask a question, or involuntary, as in the knee-jerk reflex

Question 18

What does the autonomic nervous system control?

Answer 18

Regulation of smooth and cardiac muscle

Question 19

Is that control generally voluntary or involuntary?

Answer 19

Involuntary

Question 20

What does the enteric division of the autonomic nervous system control?

Answer 20

Active in the digestive tract, pancreas, and gallbladder

Question 21

Which promotes arousal and energy generation (fight-or-flight response)? (of the autonomic system)

Answer 21

Sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system

Question 22

Which promotes calming and a return to self maintenance (rest and digest response)?

Answer 22

Parasympathetic division of autonomic nervous system

Question 23

Do you see why the two systems have largely antagonistic functions?

Answer 23

Different in function but also different in organization and signals released