Structure and Function Continued Flashcards
star-shaped cells with many processes that stretch around and between neurons and, sometimes, blood vessels; increase blood flow to areas that need it; secrete chemicals; help form the outer membrane around the brain and the blood brain barrier
Astrocytes
gaps between sections of myelin where the axon is exposed
Nodes of Ranvier
- tiny, mobile cells that remove debris from injured or dead cells
- Two Functions: 1) house-keeping, 2) immune function
Microglial Cells
consists of the brain and spinal cord
Central Nervous System (CNS)
includes all other parts of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System
transmit information from the spinal cord and brain to muscles and glands
Motor Nerves
convey information from the body to the CNS
Sensory Nerves
nerves that interconnect the brain and the major muscles and sensory systems of the body
Somatic Nervous System
nerves that connect to the viscera (internal organs)
Autonomic Nervous System
innervate (supply part of body with nerves) the head, neck, and visceral organs directly from the brain; some are sensory, some are motor, and some are both
Cranial Nerves
connect to the spinal cord; each spinal nerve consists of a group of motor fibers that project from the spinal cord (in the ventral root) and a group of sensory fibers that enter the spinal cord (in the dorsal root)
Spinal Nerves
The Autonomic Nervous System is the Main System for Controlling the Body’s Organs
just know this!
prepares the body for action- the “fight or flight” response
sympathetic nervous system
helps the body return to homeostasis- rest and digest (relax and recuperate)
parasympathetic nervous system
is the outermost, convoluted layer of the brain
cerebral cortex
