The Body Flashcards
neuron/nerve cell
a cell that transmits nerve impulses; a nerve cell
epithelium
the thin tissue that forms the outer layer of the body’s surface and lines the alimentary canal and other hollow structures
alimentary canal
the whole passage along which food passes from the mouth to the anus; the gastrointestinal tract; the doughnut
olfactory receptor cells
receptors in the olfactory epithelium that are responsible for detecting odorants which give off a sense of smell
olfactory epithelium
a specialized epithelial tissue in the nasal cavity that is involved in smell
central nervous system
controls most functions of the body and mind and is made up of two parts, the spinal cord and the brain
peripheral nervous system
its role is to connect the central nervous system to the limbs and organs, essentially acting as a relay between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. It consists of two parts, the nerves and the ganglion
ganglion
a structure containing a number of cell bodies
gland
an organ in the human or animal body that secretes particular chemical substances
receptor cells
cells that detect and receive stimuli. They do this by receiving and binding to extracellular melocules
what is the difference between receptor cells and neurons?
receptor cells detect and receive stimuli and the nerve cells respond and react to them
chemoreceptor
a sensory cell or organ that is responsive to chemical stimuli
mechanoreceptor
receptors in the skin and other organs that are responsive to touch and pressure eg. a mosquito landing on your arm
photoreceptor
cells in the retina that convert light into signals that can stimulate biological processes
thermoreceptor
a non-specialized sense receptor, or more accurately the receptive portion of a sensory neuron, that codes absolute and relative changes in temperature, primarily within the innocuous range.
