Nervous System Basics
This type of nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord and acts as the control center.
What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)?
Tree-like structures that receive signals from other neurons.
What are dendrites?
The functional unit of the muscle system.
What is a sarcomere?
The response of a muscle to a single brief threshold stimulus.
What is a muscle twitch?
The neurotransmitter released into the synaptic cleft when a neuron stimulates a muscle fiber.
What is acetylcholine (ACh)?
This division gathers information and sends instructions between the CNS and the body.
What is the peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?
The biosynthetic and receptive region of the neuron that contains the nucleus.
What is the cell body (soma)?
The membrane that surrounds the entire muscle fiber.
What is the epimysium?
The first phase of a muscle twitch where the neuron stimulates the muscle fiber.
What is the latent period?
The type of ion channel ACh binds to on the muscle membrane.
What are lignad-gated ion channels?
This type of nerve cell carries the signal and is the primary nervous system communicator.
What is a neuron?
The region that propagates the signal to the next cell.
What is the axon?
The membrane that surrounds a fascicl
What is the perimysium?
The phase of a twitch where tension increases through the cross-bridge cycle.
What is the period of contraction?
The ion that enters the muscle fiber causing depolarization.
What is Na+ (sodium)?
These cells provide nutrients and structure and are often called “nerve glue.”
What are neuroglia (glial cells)?
The secretory region that contains vesicles waiting for a signal to pass on.
What are axon terminals?
The connective tissue found between individual muscle fibers.
What is the endomysium?
The phase of a twitch where tension decreases and returns to normal.
What is the period of relaxation?
The structures the action potential travels down after moving along the sarcolemma.
What are T-tubules?
The functional connection between a neuron and another cell.
What is a synapse?
The region where the action potential begins once enough signal reaches threshold.
What is the axon hillock?
The plasma membrane of a muscle fiber that conducts an electrochemical gradient
What is the sarcolemma?
The events that occur before the muscle actually shortens.
What is the latent period?
The structures that release Ca²⁺ into the sarcoplasm to begin contraction.
What are the terminal cisterns of the sarcoplasmic reticulum?