Fundamentals of the Nervous System and Nervous Tissue

0.0(0)
studied byStudied by 0 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Get a hint
Hint

Synapse

Get a hint
Hint

Junctions that mediate information transfer from one neuron to another neuron, or from one neuron to an effector cell.

Get a hint
Hint

Presynaptic Neuron

Get a hint
Hint

Neuron conducting impulses toward the synapse; it sends information.

Card Sorting

1/44

Anonymous user
Anonymous user
flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

Flashcards about the nervous system and nervous tissue.

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

45 Terms

1
New cards

Synapse

Junctions that mediate information transfer from one neuron to another neuron, or from one neuron to an effector cell.

2
New cards

Presynaptic Neuron

Neuron conducting impulses toward the synapse; it sends information.

3
New cards

Postsynaptic Neuron

Neuron transmitting electrical signal away from the synapse; it receives information. In the PNS, this may be a neuron, muscle cell, or gland cell.

4
New cards

Axodendritic Synapse

Synapse between the axon terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of another.

5
New cards

Axosomatic Synapse

Synapse between the axon terminals of one neuron and the soma (cell body) of another.

6
New cards

Axoaxonal Synapse

Synapse from axon to axon

7
New cards

Dendrodendritic Synapse

Synapse from dendrite to dendrite

8
New cards

Somatodendritic Synapse

Synapse from soma to dendrite

9
New cards

Chemical Synapse

Specialized for the release and reception of chemical neurotransmitters.

10
New cards

Electrical Synapse

Neurons are electrically coupled; joined by gap junctions that connect the cytoplasm of adjacent neurons. Communication is very rapid and may be unidirectional or bidirectional.

11
New cards

Synaptic Cleft

Fluid-filled space separating the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons.

12
New cards

Neurotransmitter

Chemical released at the synapse to transmit signals from one neuron to another.

13
New cards

Synaptic Vesicles

Small membrane-bound sacs in the axon terminal that contain neurotransmitters.

14
New cards

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels

Channels that open when the action potential arrives at the axon terminal, allowing calcium ions to enter the axon terminal.

15
New cards

Synaptic Delay

Time needed for neurotransmitter to be released, diffuse across synapse, and bind to receptors. This is the rate-limiting step of neural transmission.

16
New cards

Gap Junctions

Connections that join neurons in electrical synapses.

17
New cards

Postsynaptic Potential

Graded potentials caused by neurotransmitter receptors that vary in strength.

18
New cards

EPSP

Excitatory postsynaptic potential; a local net graded potential depolarization.

19
New cards

IPSP

Inhibitory postsynaptic potential; binding to receptor opens chemically gated channels that allow entrance/exit of ions that cause hyperpolarization.

20
New cards

Temporal Summation

One or more presynaptic neurons transmit impulses in rapid-fire order.

21
New cards

Spatial Summation

Postsynaptic neuron is stimulated by a large number of terminals simultaneously

22
New cards

Synaptic Potentiation

Repeated use of synapse increases ability of presynaptic cell to excite postsynaptic neuron.

23
New cards

Presynaptic Inhibition

Release of excitatory neurotransmitter by one neuron is inhibited by another neuron via an axoaxonal synapse.

24
New cards

Acetylcholine (ACh)

First identified and best understood neurotransmitter; released at neuromuscular junctions, and used by many ANS and CNS neurons.

25
New cards

Biogenic Amines

Neurotransmitters including catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine) and indolamines (serotonin, histamine).

26
New cards

Amino Acids (as neurotransmitters)

Glutamate, aspartate, glycine, GABA.

27
New cards

Peptides (Neuropeptides)

Strings of amino acids with diverse functions, e.g., Substance P, endorphins, gut-brain peptides.

28
New cards

Purines (as neurotransmitters)

Monomers of nucleic acids, e.g., ATP and adenosine.

29
New cards

Gasotransmitters

Gases such as nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that act as neurotransmitters.

30
New cards

Endocannabinoids

Lipid-soluble neurotransmitters that act at the same receptors as THC.

31
New cards

Neuromodulator

Chemical messenger released by neuron that does not directly cause EPSPs or IPSPs but instead affects the strength of synaptic transmission

32
New cards

Channel-Linked Receptors

Ligand-gated ion channels; action is immediate and brief.

33
New cards

G Protein-Linked Receptors

Responses are indirect, complex, slow, and often prolonged; involves transmembrane protein complexes and cause widespread metabolic changes.

34
New cards

Neuronal Pool

Functional groups of neurons that integrate incoming information from receptors or other neuronal pools and forward processed information to other destinations.

35
New cards

Discharge Zone

Neurons closer to incoming fiber are more likely to generate impulse.

36
New cards

Facilitated Zone

Neurons on periphery of pool are farther away from incoming fiber; usually not excited to threshold unless stimulated by another source.

37
New cards

Serial Processing

Input travels along one pathway to a specific destination; best example is a spinal reflex.

38
New cards

Reflex Arc

The pathway over which reflexes occur, including receptor, sensory neuron, CNS integration center, motor neuron, and effector.

39
New cards

Parallel Processing

Input travels along several pathways; different parts of circuitry deal simultaneously with the information.

40
New cards

Diverging Circuit

One input, many outputs; an amplifying circuit.

41
New cards

Converging Circuit

Many inputs, one output; a concentrating circuit.

42
New cards

Reverberating Circuit

Signal travels through a chain of neurons, each feeding back to previous neurons; an oscillating circuit.

43
New cards

Parallel After-Discharge Circuit

Signal travels along several pathways to a common output; bursts of impulses after stimulation has ended.

44
New cards

Growth Cone

Prickly structure at tip of axon that allows it to interact with its environment.

45
New cards

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death.