The Central Nervous System Flashcards
What 3 things does the brain consist of
brain, brainstem and cerebellum
What are the spinal cord divisions
cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral
How is memory divided
short term and long term
What 3 things alter memory
disease, drugs and sleep abnormalities
What is neuronal biology similar to and composed of?
- group of interacting computers
- composed of select group of neurons that are responsible for certain functions
What does ganglia or nucleus refer to?
a group of neurons that have a specific funtion
What is an example of ganglia or nucleus?
processing auditory signals
What are synapses?
connections between neurons
How are synapses characterized?
by presynaptic and postsynaptic sites
How do chemicals get from the presynaptic site to the postsynaptic site?
chemicals from the presynaptic site cross the synaptic cleft to reach the postsynaptic site
What do the electrical signals do?
help neurons receive information, process it and transmit to other cells
Who do electrical signals cause?
The release of chemicals at the synapses
What are the 2 types of extensions from neurons?
dendrites and axons
What are dendrites?
neuronal extensions that receive electrical signals and transmit them to the neuron
What are axons?
neuronal extensions that transmit electrical signals to other neurons or muscle cells
In axons, at the synapse, what does the electrical signal cause?
a release of neurochemicals
What are the 3 categories of neurons?
sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons
Sensory Neurons
transmit external information such as sound, touch, smell and etc
Interneurons
exchanging information between neurons
Motor neurons
send signals to the effector cells and skeletal muscle
What is neuronal communication dependent on?
various electrical signals
What are the 4 major electrical signals that neuronal communication is dependent on?
Resting Potential
Action potential
inhibitory
excitatory potentials
Short-term memory
the ability to store information in seconds or minutes after passing
Example of short-term memory
memorizing a phone number to dial then forget