The rapid changes in charge across the membrane of a cell.
Action potential
Consisting of the brain and spinal cord, this is what neurons are a part of.
Central Nervous System
Main part of the neuron that contains the nucleus.
neuron cell body
The communication between neurone through diffusion via the synapse.
chemical communication
The neurotransmitter responsible for muscle control.
acetylcholine
When a neuron is ready to send an impulse, it has a resting potential across a membrane and is this.
polarized
We are looking for two answers. The first carries impulses to the CNS, and the second carries response impulses to muscles.
sensory and motor neurons
The part of the nerve cell along which impulses are conducted from the cell body to other cells.
axon
The synapse is the junction between two neurone or a neuron and these.
muscle cells
They carry neurotransmitters through neurons.
vesicles
This creates resting potential by active transport of 3 ions out of the axon and 2 other ions in.
sodium-potassium pump
What sensory and motor neurons are.
peripheral nerves / part of peripheral nervous system
The nerve fibres used to receive and drive electrical messages from other neurons.
dendrites
We are looking for two answers. Cells that release neurotransmitters and cells that receive them.
Pre-synaptic and post-synaptic neurone
The difference in charge between the inside and outside of the cell membrane is called the
Membrane potential
HL Bonus! Necessary step before a second action potential can be sent.
repolarisation
HL Bonus! Process whereby an action potential jumps from one node of Ranvier to the next in a myelinated axon.
saltatory conduction
We are looking for two answers. The cells that wrap around the axon and the gaps between them.
Schwann Cells and Nodes of Ranvier
The gap between two neurons that do not touch, about 20nm wide.
synaptic cleft
Signalling chemicals that activate the pathway which moves vesicles containing neurotransmitter through the cell.
Na2+ ions?
HL Bonus! They increase the permeability of the postsynaptic membrane to positive ions, thereby generating action potential.
excitatory neurotransmitters
At rest, the neurone's membrane has a positive electrical charge on one side and a negative charge on the other side. What side is positive and which one is negative?
Outside positive - inside negative
Region at the end of an axon that has finger-like projections and releases neurotransmitters.
axon terminal
HL Bonus! The result of the movement of chloride ions into the neuron or potassium ions out of the neuron not allowing the action potential to be reached
hyperpolarization
Enzyme found in synaptic clefts of muscles and nerves that breaks down acetylcholine into fragments.
acetylcholinesterase