The Nervous System Flashcards
Components of the CNS
Brain
Spinal cord
PNS
Peripheral nervous system
Components of the PNS
Sensory neurones
Motor neurones
Transmit nerve impulses in only one direction (away from the cell body)
Features of motor neurones
Dendrites
Cell body
Axon
Axon
Carries the nerve impulse from the cell body
Dendrites
Make connections with other neurones
Role of the PNS
The PNS carries nerve impulses from receptors that act as the body sensors towards the CNS along sensory neurones
The role of the CNS
Takes all information contain in inputs from sensory neurones and processes it
It then sends impulses via motor neurones to effector organs
What are nerve impulses
Electrical signals transmitted from the cell body towards the axon terminals
Myelin sheath
Consists of Schwann cells which acts in a similar way to the insulation on an electric cable
Nodes of ranvier
The small gaps between the Schwann cells
Synapses
Connections between neurones
Neurotransmitters
Nerve impulses carried across the synapse by chemicals
Most common neurotransmitter
Acetylcholine