The Nervous System Flashcards
What is the nervous system?
A complex network of nerve cells and fibres that coordinate actions and sensory information by transmitting nerve impulses between body parts
What is the structure of the Nervous system?
Nervous system
↙️ ↘️
Central Peripheral
-Brain -Somatic
-Spinal Cord -Autonomic⬇️
1.Sympathetic
2.Parasympathetic
What does the spinal cord do?
- Connects brain and peripheral nervous system
- Coordinates REFLEXES without intervention of brain
What does the peripheral nervous system do?
Carries messages to and from CNS
Difference between somatic & Autonomic Nervous system?
Somatic-controls voluntary muscles, transmits sensory info to CNS
Autonomic-Controls involuntary body functions
Sympathetic VS Parasympathetic?
Sympathetic-arouses body to expend energy (fight/flight)
Parasympathetic-calms to maintain energy
What are neurons?
- Smallest unit of the nervous system
- uses electrical impulses and chemical signals to transmit information
How many neurons are in the brain
100 billion
Name the parts and structure of a neuron
- Cell membrane
- Dendrites
- Nucleus
- Cell body (soma)
- Axon
- Myelin Sheath
- Nodes of Ranvier
- Olygodendrocite
- Synapse
What is a synapse?
The gap between two neurons between which nerve impulses pass through diffusion of neurotransmitters
Olygodendrocite vs Schwan cell?
Both are specialized glial cells that generate myelin sheaths.
Olygodendrocite-CNS. Can myelinate multiple axons.
Schwan-Peripheral. Only one axon per cell.
What are glial cells?
- Non neural
- Provide physical and metabolic support for neurons
Difference between glands and organs?
Glands-Release hormones
Organs- look into basic functions of the body
Name for neuron before and after neuron in discussion?
Pre Synaptic
Post synaptic
What are the functions of the nucleus?
- Contains genetic info
- Ensures and regulates health and function of neuron
