Basic Anatomy
This part of the peripheral nervous system connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.
somatic nervous system?
This condition involves the inflammation of a peripheral nerve and can be caused by infection or injury.
neuritis?
This is the term for the electrical signal that travels along a nerve.
action potential?
This part of the brain, responsible for higher cognitive functions like reasoning and decision-making, is found in the frontal lobe.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
This sulcus separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe and is often linked with the motor cortex.
What is the central sulcus?
This nerve is the largest in the human body and controls muscles of the thigh and lower leg.
sciatic nerve?
A condition where the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to numbness and tingling in the hand.
carpal tunnel syndrome?
These are the chemical messengers released by nerve endings to transmit signals across synapses.
neurotransmitters?
The outer layer of the cerebral cortex, composed of gray matter, is involved in processes such as sensory perception and voluntary movement.
What is the cerebral cortex?
This part of the cerebral cortex is involved in processing auditory information and is located in the temporal lobe.
What is the auditory cortex?
These cells surround and support nerve fibers, providing insulation.
Schwann cells?
This autoimmune disorder causes progressive muscle weakness due to the loss of communication between nerves and muscles.
myasthenia gravis?
This is the insulating layer that surrounds the axons of some neurons, increasing the speed of electrical transmission.
myelin?
This region of the cerebral cortex is primarily involved in processing visual information and is located in the occipital lobe.
What is the visual cortex?
Known as the "seat of emotions," this area of the cerebral cortex is responsible for emotional processing and memory formation.
What is the limbic system?
This is the nerve responsible for controlling most of the muscles involved in eye movement.
trigeminal nerve?
This disorder results in the loss of sensation and motor control, often following a viral infection, particularly in young children.
Guillain-Barré syndrome?
This type of nerve fiber transmits sensory information such as pain, temperature, and touch to the central nervous system.
afferent fibers?
The somatosensory cortex, located in this lobe, processes sensory information from the body, such as touch and temperature.
What is the parietal lobe?
This type of neuron carries sensory information from sensory receptors to the central nervous system.
What is a sensory (afferent) neuron?
This is the nerve responsible for controlling most of the muscles involved in eye movement.
What is the oculomotor nerve?
A condition where a nerve is pinched, often in the spine, causing pain that radiates along the path of the nerve.
herniated disc or sciatica?
These nerve fibers are responsible for transmitting signals from the central nervous system to muscles, allowing movement.
efferent fibers?
The motor cortex, located in the frontal lobe, is responsible for this function.
What is controlling voluntary muscle movements?
This structure is the first relay station in the brain for sensory information coming from the body, except for olfactory signals.
What is the thalamus?