Anatomy Chapter 7 Vocabulary
Terms
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- afferent neurons
- nerve cells that carry impulses toward the central nervous system
- autonomic nervous system
- the division of the nervous system that functions involuntarily; innervates cardiac muscle, smooth msucle, and glands.
- axon
- neuron process that carries impulses away from the nerve cell body; efferent processes; the conduction portion of a nerve cell
- brain stem
- the portion of the brain containing the medulla, pons, and midbrain
- central nervous system
- the brain and the spinal cord
- cerebellum
- part of the hindbrain; involved in producing smoothly coordinated skeletal muscle activity
- cerebral hemispheres
- the most superior part of the brain, overshadows other three parts of the brain
- cerebrospinal fluid
- the fluid produced in the cerebral ventricles and surrounds the central nervous system
- dendrites
- the branching extensions of neurons that carry electrical signals to the cell body; the receptive portion of a nerve cell
- depolarization
- the loss of a state of polarity; the loss of a negative charge inside the plasma membrane
- efferent neurons
- neurons that conduct impulses away from the central nervous system
- ganglion
- a group of nerve cell bodies located in the peripheral nervous system
- gray matter
- the gray area of the CNS; contains unmyelinated nerve fibers and nerve cell bodies
- interneurons
- AKA: association neurons; completes the pathway between afferent and efferent neurons
- meninges
- the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord
- myelin
- a white, fatty lipid substance
- nerve
- bundle of neuron processes (axons) outside the CNS
- neuroglia
- the nonneuronal tissue of the CNS that performs supportive and other funcitons; also called glia
- neurons
- cells of the nervous system specialized to transmit messages throughout the body
- nodes of Ranvier
- the regular indentations or gaps between the myelin sheath
- peripheral nervous system
- a system of nerves that connects the outlying parts of the body with the central nervous system
- plexus
- a network of inerlacing nerves, blood vessels, or lymphatics
- polarization
- the action in which a neuron or muscle cell becomes unstimulated; the inside of the cell is relatively negative in comparison to the outside. THE RETURN TO THE RESTING STATE
- receptor
- 1) a peripheral nerve ending specialized for response to particular types of stimuli; 2) molecule that binds specifically with other molecules, e.g., hormones and neurotransmitters
- reflex
- automatic reaction to a stimulus
- repolarization
- the outflow of positive ions from the cell, restoring the electrical conditions at the membrane to the polarized, or resting, state. (RETURNING TO THE RESTING STATE TO FIRE A NEW PIECE OF INFORMATION)
- somatic nervous system
- a division of the nervous system; also called the voluntary nervous system.
- synapse
- the region of communication between neurons
- tracts
- collections of nerve fibers in the CNS having the same origin, termination, and function.
- white matter
- white substance of the central nervous system; the myelinated nerve fibers