Central Nervous System
The two organs that make up the central nervous system.
What are the brain and spinal cord?
The largest part of the brain; it controls thinking, memory, and speech.
What is the cerebrum?
$100 When blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel bursts; also called a CVA.
What is a stroke (cerebrovascular accident)?
The bones of the spine that protect the spinal cord.
What are the vertebrae?
The system made up of all the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
This system controls involuntary body functions such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion.
What is the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?
$100 The nickname for the sympathetic response to danger or stress.
What is “fight or flight”?
The nickname for the parasympathetic response that calms the body.
What is “rest and digest”?
The three layers of protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
What are the meninges?
The part of the brain that controls balance and coordination of movement.
What is the cerebellum?
$200 This 4-letter acronym helps you recognize stroke warning signs in a resident.
What is FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time)?
The number of pairs of spinal nerves.
What is 31?
The number of pairs of cranial nerves.
What is 12?
The two divisions of the autonomic nervous system.
What are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?
What the sympathetic system does to heart rate and blood pressure.
What is increases them?
$200 What the parasympathetic system does to heart rate.
What is slows it down?
The clear fluid that cushions and protects the brain and spinal cord.
What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
This part connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls breathing and heart rate.
What is the brainstem?
A “mini-stroke” with symptoms that go away, usually within 24 hours.
What is a TIA (transient ischemic attack)?
Paralysis of the legs and lower part of the body.
What is paraplegia?
Nerves that carry messages such as touch, pain, and temperature from the body to the brain.
What are sensory (afferent) nerves?
The autonomic nervous system is part of this larger division of the nervous system.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
What happens to the pupils when the sympathetic system is activated.
What is they dilate (get larger)?
What happens to the pupils when the parasympathetic system is active.
What is they constrict (get smaller)?
The basic working cell of the nervous system that sends electrical messages.
What is a neuron (nerve cell)?
A stroke on the LEFT side of the brain usually causes weakness on this side of the resident’s body.
What is the right side?
The most common type of stroke, caused by a clot blocking an artery.
What is an ischemic stroke?
Paralysis of the arms, legs, and trunk, usually from a neck injury.
What is quadriplegia?
Nerves that carry messages from the brain and spinal cord out to the muscles.
What are motor (efferent) nerves?
The steady, balanced internal state the ANS works to maintain.
What is homeostasis?
What the sympathetic system does to digestion.
What is slows it down?
Cranial nerve X, which carries most parasympathetic messages to the heart, lungs, and digestive organs.
What is the vagus nerve?
The part of a neuron that carries messages away from the cell body.
What is the axon?
The lobe of the cerebrum at the back of the head that controls vision.
What is the occipital lobe?
The ring of arteries at the base of the brain that provides backup blood flow.
What is the Circle of Willis?
A fast, automatic response that travels through the spinal cord without waiting for the brain, like pulling a hand off a hot stove.
What is a reflex?
The division of the PNS that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles.
What is the somatic nervous system?
The small area of the brain that regulates the ANS, body temperature, hunger, and thirst.
What is the hypothalamus?
The hormone released by the adrenal glands during fight or flight.
What is epinephrine (adrenaline)?
The main neurotransmitter released by parasympathetic nerves.
What is acetylcholine?