The Brain - Module 10 - Nervous & Endocrine Systems Flashcards
Nervous System
Fast, electro-chemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
Nerves
Bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the CNS with muscles, glands and sense organs
Sensory (afferent) Neurons
Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord
Motor (efferent) Neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Inter neurons
Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
Somatic Nervous System
The division of the PNS that controls the body’s skeletal muscles (voluntary)
Autonomic Nervous System
The part pf the PNS that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (ex. heart)
Sympathetic Nervous System
The division of the autonomic NS that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The division of the autonomic NS that calms the body, conserving its energy
Neural Networks
The brain’s neurons cluster into working groups
Reflex
A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus
Endocrine System
Slow, chemical communication system, a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
Hormones
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues
