Functions of the Nervous System
This function of the nervous system involves activating muscles and glands to initiate action.
This division of the nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord and serves as the control center.
These star-shaped neuroglia are the most abundant in the CNS and provide structural support for neurons.
What are astrocytes?
The single long extension of a neuron responsible for transmitting nerve impulses away from the cell body.
What is the axon?
This type of neuron has 3+ processes and is the most common type in the CNS.
What is a multipolar neuron?
This part of the nervous system gathers and interprets information about changes inside and outside the body?
What is sensory input?
This division of the nervous system includes nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord?
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
This type of neuroglial cell can transform into a macrophage to remove debris in the CNS.
What are microglial cells?
These branching structures receive incoming signals and direct them toward the neuron's cell body.
What are dendrites?
This type of neuron has 2 processes. It is rare and found in the retina and olfactory mucosa.
What is a bipolar neuron?
The nervous system uses these specific types of signals to rapidly communicate between cells.
What are electrical and chemical signals?
These nerves carry impulses to and from the spinal cord in the PNS.
What are spinal nerves?
These cells line the central cavities of the brain and spinal cord and help circulate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
What are ependymal cells?
The gaps between adjacent Schwann cells along a myelinated axon.
What are myelin sheath gaps (aka nodes of Ranvier)?
This type of neuron has a single T-shaped process.
What is a unipolar neuron?
The nervous system acts as the body's main system for these two types of control.
What are control and communication?
This division of the PNS transmits impulses from the CNS to muscles and glands.
What is the motor (efferent) division?
In the PNS, these cells function similarly to astrocytes by surrounding neuron cell bodies.
What are satellite cells?
This term describes the movement of molecules from the cell body toward the axon terminals.
What is anterograde?
These fibers are covered in a myelin sheath, which increases the speed of nerve impulse transmission.
What are myelinated fibers?
This process in the nervous system allows it to interpret sensory input and decide on the appropriate response.
What is integration?
This division of the PNS is responsible for sending information to the CNS from the body's sensory receptors.
What is the sensory (afferent) division?
These neuroglial cells form the myelin sheath around PNS axons and aid in nerve regeneration. The oligodendrocytes of the PNS.
What are Schwann cells?
These specialized structures at the end of axon terminals release neurotransmitters to communicate with other cells.
What are axon terminals?
This CNS neuroglial cell forms myelin sheaths around multiple axons at once.
What are oligodendrocytes?