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Biology 30 > This System is Nervous > Flashcards

This System is Nervous Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a neuron?

A

A nerve cell. It is the fundamental unit of the nervous system.

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2
Q

What is a brain?

A

Organ of the Central Nervous System where information is processed and integrated.

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3
Q

What is a ganglion?

A

A cluster of nerve cell bodies in a centralized nervous system.

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4
Q

What are sensory neurons?

A

A nerve cell that receives information from the internal or external environment and then sends it to the central nervous system.

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5
Q

What are interneurons?

A

An association neuron. A nerve cell within the central nervous system that forms synapses with sensory and or motor neurons.

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6
Q

What are motor neurons?

A

A nerve cell that transmits signals from the brain or spinal cord to muscles or glands.

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7
Q

What is a central nervous system?

A

Organization of neurons that carry out integration. Includes the brain and a longitudinal nerve cord.

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8
Q

What is a peripheral nervous system?

A

The neurons that carry information into and out of the central nervous system.

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9
Q

What is a cell body?

A

Part of the neuron that loses the nucleus and most other organelles.

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10
Q

What are dendrites?

A

One of usually numerous extensions of a neuron that receives signals from other neurons.

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11
Q

What is an axon?

A

An extension or process of a neuron that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body toward target cells.

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12
Q

What is an axon hillock?

A

The region where the axon joins the cell body. Typically the region where nerve impulses are generated.

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13
Q

What is a synapse?

A

The junction where one neuron communicates with another cell across a narrow gap.

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14
Q

What is a synaptic terminal?

A

A bulb at the end of an axon in which neurotransmitter molecules are stored and from which they are released.

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15
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

Molecule that is released from the synaptic terminal of a neuron at a chemical synapse.

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16
Q

What is a presynaptic cell?

A

The transmitting cell at a synapse.

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17
Q

What is a postsynaptic cell?

A

The target cell at a synapse.

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18
Q

What are glial cells (glia)?

A

Supporting cells that are essential for the structural integrity of the nervous system.

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19
Q

What is a synaptic cleft?

A

A narrow gap, separating the synaptic terminal of a transmitting neuron from a receiving neuron or effector cell.

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20
Q

What is membrane potential?

A

The difference in electrical charge across a cell’s plasma membrane.

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21
Q

What is resting potential?

A

The membrane potential of a nonconducting excitable cell, with the inside of the cell more negative than the outside.

22
Q

What are ion channels?

A

A transmembrane protein channel that allows a specific ion to flow across the membrane down its concentration gradient.

23
Q

What is equilibrium potential?

A

The magnitude of a cell’s membrane voltage at equilibrium. It is calculated using the Nernst Equation.

24
Q

What are gated ion channels?

A

A gated channel for a specific ion. The opening or closing of such channels may alter the membrane potential.

25
Q

What is hyper hyperpolarization?

A

A change in a cell’s membrane potential such that the inside of the membrane becomes more negative relative to the outside.

26
Q

What is depolarization?

A

A change in a cell’s membrane potential such that the inside of the membrane becomes less negative relative to the outside.

27
Q

What are voltage gated ion channels?

A

A specialized ion channel that opens or closes in response to changes in membrane potential.

28
Q

What is a threshold?

A

The potential that an excitable cell membrane must reach for an action potential to initiated.

29
Q

What is the refractory period?

A

The short time immediately after an action potential in which the neuron cannot respond to another stimulus, owing to the inactivation of voltage gated sodium channels.

30
Q

Whats is a myelin sheath?

A

Around the axon of a neuron, an insulating coat of cell membranes from Schwann cells or oligodendrocytes.

31
Q

What are oligodendrocytes?

A

A type of glial cell that forms insulating myelin sheaths around the axons of neurons in the central nervous system.

32
Q

What are schwan cells?

A

A type of glial cell that forms insulating myelin sheaths around the axons of neurons in the peripheral nervous system.

33
Q

What are nodes of Ranvier?

A

Gap in the myelin sheath of certain axons where an action potential may be generated.

34
Q

What is saltatory conduction?

A

Rapid transmission of a nerve impulse along an axon, resulting from the action potential jumping from one node of fancier to another, skipping the myelin sheathed regions of membrane.

35
Q

What are synaptic vesicles?

A

Membranous sac containing neurotransmitter molecules at the tip if an axon.

36
Q

What are excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP)?

A

An electrical change in the membrane of a postsynaptic cell caused by the binding of am excitatory neurotransmitter from a presynaptic cell to a postsynaptic receptor. Makes it more likely for a postsynaptic cell to develop an action potential.

37
Q

What are inhibitory postsynaptic potentials?

A

An electrical change in the membrane of a postsynaptic cell caused by the binding of am excitatory neurotransmitter from a presynaptic cell to a postsynaptic receptor. Makes it more difficult for a postsynaptic cell to develop an action potential.

38
Q

What is temporal summation

A

A phenomenon of neural integration in which the membrane potential of the postsynaptic cell in a chemical synapse is determined by the combined effect of EPSPs or IPSPs produced in rapid succession.

39
Q

What is spatial summation?

A

A phenomenon of neural integration in which the membrane potential of the postsynaptic cell in a chemical synapse is determined by the combined effect of EPSPs or IPSPs produced nearly simultaneously by different synapses.

40
Q

What is acetylcholine?

A

Neurotransmitter that functions by binding to receptors and altering the permeability to receptors and altering the permeability of the postsynaptic membrane to specific ions either depolarizing or hyperpolarizing the membrane.

41
Q

What is serotonin?

A

A neurotransmitter, synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan, that functions in the central nervous system.

42
Q

What is dopamine?

A

A neurotransmitter that is a catecholamine, like epinephrine and norepinephrine.

43
Q

What is epinephrine?

A

A catecholamine that, when secreted as a hormone by the adrenal medusa, mediates “fight or flight” responses to short term stresses; also released by some neurons as a neurotransmitter; also known as adrenaline.

44
Q

What is norepinephrine?

A

A catecholamine that is chemically and functionally similar to epinephrine and acts as a hormone or neurotransmitter; also known as noradrenaline.

45
Q

What is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)?

A

Anemone acid that functions as a CNS neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of vertebrates.

46
Q

What is glutamate?

A

An amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.

47
Q

What are neuropeptides?

A

A relatively short chain of amino acids that serve as a neurotransmitter.

48
Q

What is substance P?

A

A neuropeptide that is a key excitatory neurotransmitter that mediates the perception of pain.

49
Q

What are endorphins?

A

Any of several hormones produced in the brain and anterior pituitary that inhibits pain perception.

50
Q

What are biogenic amines?

A

Neurotransmitters derived from amino acids.

Biology 30 (10 decks)

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