Chapter 7: The Nervous System

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and definitions from Chapter 7: The Nervous System, assisting students in understanding important concepts and terminology related to the nervous system.

Nervous System

The primary control system of the body responsible for higher mental functions, emotional expression, homeostasis, and muscle and gland activity.

Homeostasis

The state of steady internal conditions maintained by living organisms, influenced by the nervous system.

Sensory Input

The process by which stimuli are detected and information is carried to the central nervous system.

Integration

The process of interpreting sensory inputs and deciding on a response.

Motor Output

The response to stimuli that involves muscles or glands.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Comprises the brain and spinal cord; serves as the command center for processing and interpreting sensory information.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Consists of nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord, serving as communication lines to and from the central nervous system.

Afferent Division

The part of the nervous system that carries sensory information to the CNS.

Efferent Division

The part of the nervous system that carries impulses away from the CNS to effector organs.

Somatic Nervous System

A subdivision of the motor division that controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System

A subdivision of the motor division that controls involuntary activities, such as heart rate and digestion.

Neuroglia

Support cells in the central nervous system that assist, support, and protect neurons.

Neuron

The fundamental unit of the nervous system, specialized for transmitting nerve impulses.

Dendrites

Processes that conduct impulses toward the cell body of a neuron.

Axon

A process that conducts impulses away from the cell body of a neuron.

Myelin

A fatty substance that surrounds and insulates axons, increasing the speed of impulse transmission.

Reflex Arc

A neural pathway that controls a reflex action, consisting of a sensory receptor, sensory neuron, integration center, motor neuron, and effector.

Somatic Reflexes

Reflexes that control skeletal muscle movements.

Autonomic Reflexes

Reflexes that regulate the activity of smooth muscles, the heart, and glands.