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bio 12 > the nervous system > Flashcards

the nervous system Flashcards

1
Q

what are the two major divisions of the nervous system?

A

Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous system (PNS)

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2
Q

what are nerve cells called?

A

neurons

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3
Q

what does the central nervous system include?

A

the brain and spinal cord

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4
Q

what does the peripheral nervous system contain?

A

everything else (that’s not brain and spinal cord)

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5
Q

what are the parts of a neuron?

A

dendrites, cell body, axon, myelin sheath, schwann cell, nodes of ranvier, synaptic endings

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6
Q

what is a dendrite’s function?

A

dendrites have lost of surface area to pick up nerve impulses and conduct the impulse towards the cell body

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7
Q

what is the cell body?

A

the metabolic center of the cell

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8
Q

what does the cell body do?

A

metabolic reactions occur there (ie: cellular respiration, protein synthesis, lipid synthesis)

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9
Q

what is the function of an axon?

A

conducts nerve impulses away from the cell body

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10
Q

what is the myelin sheath and what is the function of it?

A

it is made of lipids and wraps around the axon and cell body to insulate it.

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11
Q

what is a schwann cell?

A

produces the myelin sheath and has tightly packed spirals of cell membranes that form layers of the myelin

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12
Q

what are the nodes of ranvier?

A

gaps in the myelin where the axon is not insulated and allows more rapid nerve conduction along the axon

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13
Q

what are synaptic endings?

A

the end of the axon where vesicles containing neurotransmitters are located

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14
Q

what are neurons?

A

specialized nerve cells that carry nerve impulses

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15
Q

what are the three types of neurons?

A
  1. sensory
  2. motor
  3. interneuron
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16
Q

what is another name for a sensory neuron?

A

afferent neuron

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17
Q

what is another name for a motor neuron?

A

efferent neuron

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18
Q

what is another name for an interneuron?

A

association neuron or connector neuron

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19
Q

what does a sensory neuron do?

A

takes messages from sense organs to CNS

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20
Q

what does a motor neuron do?

A

takes messages from the CNS to a muscle fibre or gland

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21
Q

what does an interneuron do?

A

conveys “messages” between parts of the nervous system

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22
Q

what are the characteristics of a sensory neuron?

A

long dendrites and short axon

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23
Q

what are the characteristics of a motor neuron?

A

short dendrites and long axon

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24
Q

what are the characteristics of an interneuron

A

interneurons are completely contained within CNS. dendrites and axons can be long or short

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25
Q

what is nerve conduction?

A

an electrical impulse that moves in one direction along the length of a nerve fiber

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26
Q

what changes occur with nerve conduction?

A

voltage and concentrations of certain ions

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27
Q

what can be used to measure potential differences in voltages?

A

an oscilloscope

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28
Q

what are the three phases of nerve impulse conduction

A
  1. resting potential
  2. action potential
  3. refractory period
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29
Q

what is resting potential?

A

the potential difference across the membrane of the axon when it is NOT conducting an impulse

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30
Q

what is resting potential equal to?

A

-70mv

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31
Q

why is resting potential negative?

A

the presence of large organic negative ions (proteins) in the axoplasm

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32
Q

what is the axoplasm

A

cytoplasm inside the axon

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33
Q

during resting potential where are sodium ions more concentrated?

A

the outside of the membrane

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34
Q

during resting potential where are potassium ions more concentrated?

A

the inside of the axon

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35
Q

how is the uneven distribution of Na+ and K+ ions maintained?

A

active transport across sodium/potassium pumps

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36
Q

what is action potential?

A

when a nerve is stimulated by electric shock, ph change, or mechanical stimulation (touch, temp) and a nerve impulse is generated (the impulse is called action potential)

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37
Q

during the upswing in action potential the -70mv becomes what number?

A

+40mv

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38
Q

what is the upswing?

A

the membrane becomes permeable to Na+ ions and sodium moves from outside to inside.

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39
Q

what is it called when when sodium ions move inside and make the axon positive?

A

depolarization

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40
Q

during the upswing why does the membrane become permeable to sodium ions

A

sodium channels open

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41
Q

what is the downswing in action potential?

A

the membrane become permeable to K+ ions and potassium moves from inside to outside of axon

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42
Q

what is it called when potassium moves from inside to outside and makes the axon negative again?

A

repolarization

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43
Q

why does the membrane become permeable to K+ during the downswing?

A

potassium channels open

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44
Q

what is the refractory period?

A

in between nerve impulses/transmissions when K+ and Na+ ions are returned to their original postition

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45
Q

what does the refractory period require?

A

ATP and a carrier protein

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46
Q

what gives nerves their white and shiny appearance?

A

myelin

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47
Q

what is the speed of transmission in myelinated fibers?

A

200m/s

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48
Q

what is the speed of transmission in non-myelinated fibers?

A

0.5m/s

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49
Q

why is transmission faster with a myelinated fiber?

A

nerve impulses “jump” from node to node in myelinated fibers and must de and repolarize each point along the fiber in non-myelinated fibers

50
Q

what are advantages of myelinated fibers over non myelinated?

A
  • think faster
  • respond faster
  • move faster
51
Q

what is at the end of an axon?

A

synaptic endings

52
Q

what do synaptic endings do?

A

release neurotransmitters to affect the potential of the next neurons

53
Q

what is a synapse?

A

the region between the end of an axon and the cell body or dendrite it is attached to

54
Q

what are synaptic endings?

A

swollen terminal knobs on the ends of axon terminal branches

55
Q

what is a presynaptic membrane?

A

the membrane of the synaptic ending

56
Q

what is a postsynaptic membrane?

A

the membrane of the next neuron just beyond the axons synaptic membrane

57
Q

what is a synaptic cleft?

A

the space between the pre and post membranes

58
Q

what are neurotransmitter substances?

A

chemicals that transmit the nerve impulses across a synaptic cleft

59
Q

what are excitatory transmitters?

A

they make post-synaptic membranes more permeable to Na+

60
Q

what are some examples of excitatory transmitters?

A

epinephrine, dopamine, glutamate

61
Q

what are inhibitory transmitters?

A

make post-synaptic membranes less permeable to Na+

62
Q

what are examples of inhibitory transmitters?

A

GABA, serotonin, glycine

63
Q

what do synaptic vesicles do?

A

contain the neurotransmitters near the surface of synaptic endings

64
Q

what are neurotransmitters?

A

small molecules. they can be single amino acids, short chains of aa, or derivatives of protein.

65
Q

what do neurotransmitters do?

A

take nerve impulses across synapses

66
Q

what does an excitatory message do?

A

it tells a neuron to fire

67
Q

what does an inhibitory message do?

A

tells a neuron not to fire

68
Q

what does the PNS focus on?

A

voluntary and involuntary control

69
Q

The Peripheral Nervous System consists of nerves that contain only _____ dendrites and/or axons

A

long

70
Q

neuron cell bodies are only found where?

A

brain, spinal cord, ganglia

71
Q

what are ganglia?

A

collections of cell bodies in the PNS

72
Q

what are the three types of nerves?

A
  1. sensory nerves
  2. motor nerves
  3. mixed nerves
73
Q

what do sensory nerves contain?

A

long dendrites of sensory neurons

74
Q

what do motor nerves contain?

A

only the long axons of motor neurons

75
Q

what do mixed nerves contain?

A

contain both the long dendrites of sensory neurons and the long axons of motor neurons

76
Q

how many pairs of cranial nerves do humans have attached to the brain?

A

12

77
Q

how many pairs of spinal nerves do humans have?

A

31

78
Q

where do the roots of mixed nerves lie within?

A

the vertebral column

79
Q

the dorsal root can be identified by what?

A

the presence of an enlargement called the dorsal root ganglion

80
Q

what does the dorsal root ganglion contain?

A

cell bodies of sensory neurons

81
Q

what does the ventral root contain?

A

axons of motor neurons

82
Q

where to the two roots (dorsal and ventral) meet?

A

just before the spinal nerve leaves the vertebral column

83
Q

what are two branches of the peripheral nervous system?

A

autonomic and somatic

84
Q

what are reflexes?

A

automatic, involuntary responses to changes occurring inside or outside the body

85
Q

what is the main functional unit of the nervous system?

A

the reflex arc

86
Q

what are the steps to a reflex action?

A
  1. receptor stimulated
  2. sensory neuron carries impulse (via dorsal root ganglion)
  3. sensory neuron synapses with interneuron
  4. interneuron synapses with motor neuron
  5. motor neuron carries impulse
87
Q

what are two branches of the autonomic nervous system?

A

sympathetic and parasympathetic

88
Q

which of the PNS branches is voluntary movement

A

somatic

89
Q

which of the PNS branches is involuntary movement?

A

autonomic

90
Q

what is the main thing the sympathetic nervous system controls?

A

fight or flight response

91
Q

the parasympathetic nervous system gives off a ____ state?

A

relaxed

92
Q

the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems connect to _____ organs and have the _____ effects?

A

the same, opposite

93
Q

how many motor neurons does the sympathetic and parasympathetic system use for each impulse?

A

2

94
Q

how many ganglions does the sympathetic and parasympathetic system use for each impulse?

A

1

95
Q

what neurotransmitter is connected to the sympathetic NS?

A

noradrenalin/norepinephrine

96
Q

what neurotransmitter is connected to the parasympathetic NS?

A

aretylcholine

97
Q

what are the 3 protective membranes of the CNS called?

A

meninges

98
Q

what are the three meninges called?

A

dura mater, arachnoid, pia mater

99
Q

what are the spaces between meninges filled with for cushioning and protection?

A

spinal fluid (cerebro)

100
Q

what “nickname” does the spinal cord have?

A

superhighway of the nervous system

101
Q

what is grey matter?

A

cell bodies, where synapses occur and interneurons are located

102
Q

what is white matter?

A

myelinated nerve tracts

103
Q

how much does the brain weigh?

A

3 pounds (approx)

104
Q

what are the 4 lobes of the cerebral hemispheres?

A

frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital

105
Q

what are the sections of the hindbrain?

A

medulla oblongata

cerebellum

106
Q

what are the sections of the forebrain?

A

thalamus
hypothalamus
corpus callosum

107
Q

what is the medulla oblongata?

A

the “brain stem”

controls heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and reflex reactions

108
Q

what is the cerebellum?

A

controls balance and complex muscle movement. it is responsible for maintaining normal muscle tone and pressure

109
Q

what is the midbrain?

A

central relay station between the fore and hindbrain and medulla oblongata

110
Q

what is the thalamus?

A

receives sensory info from all parts of the body and channels them to the cerebrum

111
Q

what is the hypothalamus?

A

regulates homeostasis and controls pituitary gland

112
Q

what is the corpus callosum?

A

horizontal connecting piece between the two hemispheres of the brain. it transmits impulses between them

113
Q

which side of the brain is more creative/ visual?

A

right

114
Q

which side of the brain contains speech?

A

left

115
Q

what is the conscious brain?

A

the cerebrum

116
Q

what is the cerebrum?

A

the largest and most highly developed portion of the brain. intellect, learning, memory, and sensations are formed here.

117
Q

what does the frontal lobe control?

A

thinking, problem solving, movement, moving mouth/tongue to speak

118
Q

what does the parietal lobe control?

A

primary senses (touch, temp, pain) and understanding speech

119
Q

what does the temporal lobe control?

A

hearing, smelling, memory of visual scenes, music, complex sensory patterns

120
Q

what does the occipital lobe control?

A

vision, combining visual experiences with other sensory experiences

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