The Nervous System Flashcards
What is nerve tissue made up of?
Neurons
What do neurons do?
Send information around the body
How do neurons send information around the body?
By conducting electrical impulses (nerve impulses) from one area of the body to another
What are nerves?
Bundles of neurons that are surrounded by connective tissue
What are receptors in our muscles and skin sensitive to?
Pressure, temperature, and pain
What are reflexes?
Actions that are done subconciously
What are sensory organs?
Eyes, ears, taste buds, and touch receptors
What are sensory receptors?
Special cells or tissues that receive input from our external environment and send signals along the peripheral nerves to our central nervous system
What makes up the peripheral nervous system?
The nerves that carry signals between the central nervous system and the body
What are the three groups of nerves the peripheral nervous system can be divided into?
- Nerves that control the voluntary muscles
- Nerves that carry information from the sensory organs to the brain
- Nerves that regulate involuntary functions (breathing, heartbeat, digestion, etc.)
What can be a result of severe damage to the spinal cord?
Paralysis
What controls reflexes?
The spinal cord
What does the central nervous system consist of?
The brain and spinal cord
What does the nervous system tell the circulatory system?
When the heart should beat faster
What does the nervous system tell the respiratory system?
When to breath faster
