Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Anatomy & Physiology > Week 7 - Nervous System > Flashcards

Week 7 - Nervous System Flashcards

1
Q

define the three specific functions of the nervous system

A
  1. sensory input - gathering information
    - sensory receptors monitor changes, called “stimuli” occurring inside and outside the body
  2. integration
    - nervous system processes and interprets sensory input and decides whether action is needed
  3. motor output
    - a response, or effect, activates muscles or glands
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

describe the organization of the nervous system, including the structural and functional classifications

A
  • structure (structural classification)

- activities (functional classification)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what is the central nervous system (CNS)?

A

Organs

  • brain
  • spinal cord
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what are the functions of the central nervous system (CNS)?

A
  • integration; command center
  • interprets incoming sensory information
  • issues outgoing instructions
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A
  • nerves extending from the brain and spinal cord
  • spinal nerves: carry impulses to an from the spinal cord
  • cranial nerves: carry impulses to and from the brain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what are the functions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A

serves as communication lines among sensory organs, the brain and spinal cord, and glands or muscles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what are the functional classifications?

A
  • sensory (afferent) division

- motor (efferent) division

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what is the sensory (afferent) division?

A

nerve fibers that carry information to the central nervous system

  • somatic sensory (afferent) fibers carry information from the skin, skeletal muscles, and joints
  • visceral sensory (afferent) fibers carry information from visceral organs
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what is the motor (efferent) division?

A

nerve fibers that carry impulses away from the central nervous system organs to effector organs (muscles and glands)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what are the two subdivisions of the motor (efferent) division?

A

somatic nervous system = voluntary
- consciously (voluntarily) controls skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system = involuntary

  • automatically controls smooth and cardiac muscles and glands
  • further divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what are the basic structures and functions of neuroglia types?

A
  • support cells in the CNS are grouped together as neuroglia

general functions:

  • support
  • insulate
  • protect neurons
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what are the two principal cells types that the nervous tissue is made of? (structure and function)

A

1) supporting cells (called “neuroglia, “glial cells” “glia”)
- resemble neurons
- unable to conduct nerve impulses
- never lose the ability to divide

2) neurons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Describe the CNS glial cells: astrocytes

A
  • abundant, star-shaped cells
  • brace and anchor neurons to blood capillaries
  • determine permeability and exchanges between blood and capillaries and neurons
  • protects neurons from harmful substances in the blood
  • control the chemical environment of the brain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Describe CNS glial cells: microglia

A
  • spiderlike phagocytes
  • monitor health of nearby neurons
  • dispose of debris
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

describe CNS glial cells: ependymal cells

A
  • line cavities of the brain and spinal cord

- cilia assist with circulation of cerebrospinal fluid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

describe CNS glial cells: oligodendrocytes

A
  • wrap around nerve fibers in the central nervous system

- produce myelin sheaths

17
Q

What are the PNS glial cells?

A

Schwann cells
- form myelin sheath around nerve fibers in the PNS

Satellite cells
- protect and cushion neuron cell bodies

18
Q

what are neurons?

A
  • neurons = nerve cells

- cells specialized to transmit messages (nerve impulses)

19
Q

what are the major regions of all neurons?

A

cell body - nucleus and metabolic center of the cell

processes - fibers that extend from the cell body

20
Q

what is the cell body of the neuron?

A
  • cell body is the metabolic center of the neuron
  • nucleus with lark nucleolus
  • nissl bodies: rough endoplasmic reticulum
  • neurofibrils: intermediate filments that maintain cell shape
21
Q

what are the processes (fibers)?

A

dendrites: conduct impulses toward the cell body
- neurons may have hundreds of dendrites

axons: conduct impulses away from the cell body
- neurons have only one axon arising from the cell body at the axon hillock
- end in axon terminals, which contain vesicles with neurotransmitters
- axon terminals are separated from the next neuron by a gap

synaptic cleft: gap between axon terminals and the next neuron
synapse: functional junction between nerves where a nerve impulse is transmitted

22
Q

describe myelin

A
  • white, fatty material covering axons
  • protects and insulates fibers
  • speeds nerve impulse transmission
23
Q

describe myelin sheaths

A

1) schwann cells - wrap axons in a jelly roll-like fasion (PNS) to form the myelin sheath
- neurilemma - part of the Schwann cecll external to the myelin sheath
- nodes of Ranvier - gaps in myelin sheath along the axon

2) Oligodendrocytes - produce myelin sheaths around axons of the CNS
- lack a neurilemma

24
Q

Functional Classification - Describe Sensory (afferent) neurons

A
  • carry impulses from the sensory receptors to the CNS
    receptors:
  • cutaneous sense organs (skin)
  • proprioceptors (muscles and tendons)
25
Q

Functional Classification - Describe Motor (efferent) neurons

A

carry impulses from the central nervous system to viscera and/or muscles and glands

26
Q

Functional Classification - Describe Interneurons (association neurons)

A
  • cell bodies located in the CNS

- connect sensory and motor neurons

27
Q

What is structural classification?

A

based on number of processes extending from the cell body

28
Q

Describe structural classification - Multipolar Neurons

A

many extensions from the cell body

  • all motor and interneurons are multipolar
  • most common structural type
29
Q

Describe structural classification - Bipolar neurons

A

one axon and one dendrite

  • located: special sense organs (nose and eyes)
  • rare in adults
30
Q

Describe structural classification - Unipolar neurons

A

have a short single process leaving the cell body

  • sensory neurons found in PNS ganglia
  • conduct impulses both toward AND away from the cell body
31
Q

what are the functional properties of neurons?

A

1) irritability
- ability to respond to a stimulus and convert it to a nerve impulse
2) conductivity
- ability to transmit the impulse to other neurons, muscles, or glands

32
Q

what are the types of sensory receptors?

A

1) free nerve endings (pain and temperature receptors)
2) Meissner’s corpuscle (touch receptor)
3) Lamellar corpuscle (deep pressure receptor)
4) Golgi tendon organ (proprioceptor)
5) Muscle spindle (proprioceptor)

33
Q

What is the electrical conditions of a resting neuron’s membrane?

A
  • the plasma membrane at rest is inactive (polarized)
  • fewer positive ions are inside the neuron’s plasma membrane than outside
  • —- K is the major positive ion inside the cell
  • —- Na is the major positive ion outside the cell
  • as long as the inside of the membrane is negative (fewer positive ions) than the outside, the cell remains inactive
34
Q

What are the steps of the nerve impulse?

A
  1. resting membrane is polarized
  2. stimulus initiates local depolarization
  3. depolarization and generation of an action potential
  4. propagation of the action potential
  5. repolarization
  6. initial ionic conditions restored
35
Q

Describe action potential initiation and generation

A
  • a stimulus changes the permeability of the neuron’s membrane to sodium ions
  • sodium channels now open, and sodium (Na+) diffuses into the neuron
  • the inward rush of sodium ions changes the polarity at that site and is called “depolarization”
  • a graded potential (localized depolarization) exists where the inside of the membrane is more positive and the outside is less positive
  • if the stimulus is strong enough and sodium influx great enough, local depolarization activates the neuron to conduct an action potential (nerve impulse)
36
Q

Describe propagation of the action potential

A
  • if enough sodium enters the cell, the action potential (nerve impulse) starts and is propagated over the entire axon
  • “all-or-none response” means the nerve impulse either is propagated or is not
  • fibers with myelin sheaths conduct nerve impulses more quickly
37
Q

Describe repolarization

A
  • membrane permeability changes again — becoming impermeable to sodium ions and permeable to potassium ions
  • potassium ions rapidly diffuse out of the neuron, repolarizing the membrane
  • repolarization involved restoring the inside of the membrane to a negative charge and the outer surface to a positive charge
  • initial conditions of the sodium and potassium ions are restored using the sodium-potassium pump
  • this pump, using ATP, restores the original configuration
  • 3 sodium ions are ejected from the cell
  • 2 potassium ions are returned to the cell
  • until repolarization is complete, a neuron cannot conduct another nerve impulse

Anatomy & Physiology (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions