Unit 6 Anatomy Vocab

Afferent Nerves

sensory transmitters that send impulses from receptors in the skin, muscles, and joints to the central nervous system

Autonomic Nervous System

branch of the nervous system that controls involuntary body functions

Central Nervous System (CNS)

the brain and spinal cord

Efferent Nerves

motor transmitters that carry impulses from the central nervous system out to the muscles and glands

Interneurons

neurons that form bridges to transmit nerve impulses between afferent and efferent neurons

Myelin Sheath

the fatty acids of insulation surrounding axon fibers

Neurotransmitters

chemicals that act as messengers between an axon of one neuron and a dendrite on another, or between an axon and a muscle fiber

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

all parts of the nervous system external to the brain and spinal cord

Somatic Nervous System

branch of the nervous system that stimulates the skeletal muscle

Synapse

the intersection between a neuron and another neuron, a muscle, a gland, or a sensory receptor

Action Potential

the electric charge produced in a nerve or muscle fiber by stimulation: nerve impulse caused by wave of depolarization along the length of a neuron

Autonomic Reflexes

involuntary stimuli transmitted to cardiac and smooth muscle

Reflexes

simple, rapid, involuntary, programmed responses to stimuli

Sodium-potassium Pump

a pumping mechanism powered by ATP molecules that actively transports potassium and sodium ions into and out of the cell, respectively against their gradients in order to accomplish repolarization of the cell

Somatic Reflexes

involuntary stimuli transmitted to skeletal muscles from neural arcs in the spinal cord

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)

fluid in the subarachnoid space that cushions the brain and spinal cord

Corpus Callosum

a large, myelinated tract connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain; contains more than 200 million axons

Meninges

three protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord

Ganglion

a mass of nervous tissue composed mostly of nerve cell bodies

Plexuses

complex interconnections of nerves

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

condition of dementia involving a progressive loss of brain function with major consequences for memory, thinking, and behavior

Cerebral Palsy (CP)

a group of nervous system disorders resulting from brain damage before or during birth, or in early infancy

Epilepsy

a group of brain disorders characterized by repeated seizures over time

Meningitis

an infection-induced inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord

Multiple Sclerosis

a chronic, slowly progressive disease of the central nervous system that destroys the myelin sheath of nerve cell axons

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

mild or severe trauma that can result from a violent impact to the head