Control and Coordination

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on the 'Control and Coordination' lecture notes, covering the nervous system and neuron structure.

Coordination

The working together of different parts of the body in a proper and organised way to produce a suitable response to the environment.

Stimulus

Any change in the environment (internal or external) that produces a response in an organism, such as light, sound, smell, touch, or temperature.

Response

A reaction shown by an organism to changes occurring in its surroundings or inside the body.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Consists of the brain and spinal cord and acts as the control and coordination centre.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Consists of nerves arising from the brain and spinal cord that connect the CNS to different body parts.

Cranial nerves

Nerves that arise from the brain.

Spinal nerves

Nerves that arise from the spinal cord.

Receptors

Specialised cells or sense organs that detect stimuli from the environment and convert them into nerve impulses.

Effectors

Parts of the body, such as muscles and glands, that respond to impulses sent by the nervous system by converting them into actions.

Phonoreceptors

Receptors located in the inner ears that help in hearing and maintaining body balance.

Photoreceptors

Receptors located in the eyes that detect light and enable vision.

Olfactory Receptors

Receptors located in the nose that detect smell.

Thermoreceptors

Receptors located in the skin that detect heat, cold, touch, and pain.

Gustatory Receptors

Receptors located on the tongue that detect taste.

Neuron

The basic, structural and functional unit of the nervous system; specialized cells that transmit information in the form of electrical impulses.

Dendrites

Branched extensions of a neuron that receive signals from other neurons and pass them to the cell body.

Cyton / Cell Body

The main part of the neuron containing the nucleus and cell organelles such as mitochondria and Golgi bodies.

Axon

The longest fibre extending from the cell body of a neuron that carries electrical impulses to the axon terminal.

Myelin sheath

A fatty layer around the axon of some neurons that acts as an insulating layer and speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses.

Nerve Endings

The terminal branches of an axon that connect with muscles, glands, or other neurons.

Synapse

A small gap between two neurons through which nerve signals are transmitted using chemicals called neurotransmitters.

Nerve Impulse

An electrochemical signal generated after stimulation that travels along a neuron to transmit information throughout the nervous system.