Nervous System Basics
This system consists of the brain and spinal cord.
What is the central nervous system (CNS)?
The spinal cord is protected by these bones.
What are the vertebrae?
The nerves outside the brain and spinal cord make up this nervous system.
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
This is an automatic, rapid response to a stimulus.
What is a reflex?
Numbness, tingling, or “pins and needles” is called this.
What is paresthesia?
This is the basic functional cell of the nervous system.
What is a neuron?
The spinal cord is part of this major division of the nervous system.
What is the central nervous system?
Humans have this many pairs of spinal nerves.
What are 31 pairs?
This pathway carries nerve impulses during a reflex response.
What is a reflex arc?
This term describes weakness or paralysis affecting one side of the body.
What is hemiplegia?
These neuron structures receive incoming signals and carry them toward the cell body.
What are dendrites?
These protective membranes surround both the brain and spinal cord.
What are the meninges?
These nerves carry sensory information from receptors toward the CNS.
What are afferent (sensory) nerves?
Pulling your hand away from a hot surface is an example of this type of response.
What is a withdrawal reflex?
Injury to this nerve may produce wrist drop.
What is the radial nerve?
This part of a neuron carries impulses away from the cell body.
What is the axon?
This fluid cushions and protects the brain and spinal cord.
What is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)?
These nerves carry impulses from the CNS to muscles and glands.
What are efferent (motor) nerves?
The knee-jerk reflex is also known by this name
What is the patellar reflex?
Compression or irritation of this large nerve can cause pain traveling from the lower back into the leg.
What is the sciatic nerve?
This fatty covering increases the speed of nerve impulse transmission along an axon.
What is the myelin sheath?
In adults, the spinal cord normally ends near this vertebral level.
What is L1–L2?
A nerve containing both sensory and motor fibers is classified as this.
What is a mixed nerve?
This neuron within the CNS commonly connects sensory and motor neurons during a reflex.
What is an interneuron?
Damage to the spinal cord in the cervical region can result in paralysis of all four extremities.
What is quadriplegia/tetraplegia?