Nervous System
The primary cell that builds all the structures of the nervous system
Neuron
Name all structures of the entire nervous sytem
Brain, Spinal cord, and Nerves
what is the central nervous system made of?
brain and spinal cord
What does the Somatic divison of the nervous system conrol?
Voluntary movement of the body
what is the peripheral system made of?
nerves that branch off from the spinal cord.
what does PNS stand for?
peripheral nervous system
what does CNS stand for?
Central Nervous System
The division of your peripheral nervous system that is made up of the nerves that control involuntary body responses and functions.
Autonomic nervous sysytem
Name the tiiiiiiny empty space between dendrites of one neuron and axon terminals of the connecting neuron
Synapse
Name the nerve that enables bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain
Vagus nerve
Two subdivisions of the Autonomic Nervous System--and the function of each
Sympathetic "Fight of Flight" Parasympathetic Division- "rest and digest"
Name FOUR Functional parts of a neuron
1- cell body (soma) 2- dendrites 3- axon 4- myelin sheaths 5- axon terminals 6- nodes of ranvier
What structure functions like a highway and transmits nerve impulses from the body to the brain and from the brain to the body?
The spinal cord
What does a dendrite do?
Receives neurotransmitters from another neuron's axon terminal
There are approximately how many neurons in the human brain?
86 billion
The central nervous system is made of these organs
brain and spinal cord
What does an axon terminal hold inside small vessicles?
neurotransmitters & neuromodulators
Nany two neurotransmitters
GABA, glutamate
What purpose is the purpose of the Myelin Sheath on an axon?
to speed up nerve impulses
Neurons taking information back to your body are called what?
motor neurons/Efferent neurons
An action potential travels along this structure until it reaches the axon terminal
the Axon
Explain what happens to an action potential when it reaches the axon terminal
Explain the difference between neuromodulators and neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are fast acting and act on 1 or 2 post synaptic neurons, neuromodulators are relatively slower acting and act on broader regions of brain tissue.
Name 1 excitatory neurotransmitter and 1 excitatory neuromodulator
neurotransmitter - Glutamate
neuromodulator - dopamine
Explain a Reflex Arc
sensory impulse in to spinal cord
In response, an efferent signal is sent via a motor nerve to move the body to keep it safe.
This process bypasses the brain first...
Sends the signal to the brain after sending the motor signal to move