AP PSYCH U1 Nervous System

central nervous system

the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord

somatic nervous system

nerves that control voluntary movement and transmit sensory inputs to the brain

autonomic nervous system

nerves that control involuntary movement of glands, organs, and involuntary muscles

parasympathetic nervous system

the calming system that engages after stress

sympathetic nervous system

coordinates arousal and stress

glial cells

manage waste removal, structure, insulation, and communication.

multiple sclerosis

occurs when the myelin sheath degenerates and leads to a loss of muscle control or paralysis

myasthenia gravis

autoimune disorder that disrupts nerve impulse transmissions

neuron

a cell that transmits information and is the building block of behavior and mental proceeses.

sensory neuron

a neuron that transfers senses of the environment into the central nervous system

motor neuron

a neuron that transfers information from the central nervous system into the muscles, organs, and glans to generate movement.

interneuron

a connecting neuron that links the motor and sensory neurons.

reflex arc

the process in which a pain sense travels through the sensory, inter, and motor neurons and spinal cord but does not reach the brain before a motor action has occured

threshold

the amount of stimulation required to trigger a neutral impulse

depolarization

charge rises after a neuron fires

repolarization

when charge drops after a neural impulse has peaked.

hyperpolirization

when a charge drops below the resting state