Nervous System & Proprioception

Basic functional unit of the nervous system

Neuron.

Three main parts of a neuron

Cell body, dendrites, and axon.

Dendrites

Transmit impulses toward the cell body.

Axon

Transmits impulses away from the cell body.

Three types of neurons

Sensory, motor, and interneurons.

Sensory neurons

Transmit impulses to the spinal cord and brain from the body.

Motor neurons

Transmit impulses away from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.

Interneurons

Connect sensory neurons to motor neurons.

All-or-none principle

Individual muscle fibers in a motor unit either fire maximally or do not fire.

How force can be increased

Recruit more motor units, recruit larger motor units, or increase motor-unit activation frequency.

Proprioceptors

Internal receptors that provide feedback about muscle tension, length, contraction, body/limb position, and joint movement.

Where proprioceptors are located

Skin, joints, muscles, and tendons.

Kinesthesis

Conscious awareness of the body's position and movement in space.