Animal Physiology - Nervous System Overview

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on the key concepts of animal physiology, particularly focusing on the nervous system.

Nervous System

The system in animals that controls feelings, perceptions, movements, and regulates internal body functions.

Neuron

Nerve cell that transfers information within the body, consisting of dendrites, an axon, and a cell body.

Synapse

A junction between cells that controls communication, either electrical or chemical.

Resting Potential

The membrane potential of a neuron not sending signals, maintained by ion pumps and channels.

Action Potential

A rapid rise and fall in voltage across a neuron's membrane as it transmits signals.

Myelin Sheath

An insulating layer around axons that increases the speed of action potential propagation.

Saltatory Conduction

The process by which action potentials jump between nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The part of the nervous system that connects the CNS to the rest of the body, including sensory and motor neurons.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The part of the nervous system composed of the brain and spinal cord.

Cephalization

The clustering of sensory organs at the front end of the body, typically in bilaterally symmetrical animals.

Autonomic Nervous System

The part of the PNS that regulates involuntary control over internal body functions.

Hippocampus

A brain structure involved in learning and the formation of long-term memory.

Limbic System

A ring of structures around the brainstem that generates and experiences emotions.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.

Refractory Period

A period following an action potential during which a neuron cannot fire again.

Ganglia

Clusters of neurons that can process information, often found in simpler nervous systems.