Neuro Lecture Review

Flashcards for reviewing vocabulary from the neuro lecture.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The PNS is outside the brain and spinal cord, providing links to and from the external environment.

Sensory (afferent) division

Transmits impulses from sensory receptors to the CNS

Motor (efferent) division

Transmits impulses from the CNS to effector organs (muscles and glands)

Somatic nervous system

Controls voluntary movements via skeletal muscles

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Regulates involuntary functions (e.g., heart rate, digestion) via smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and glands; divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions

Sympathetic division

Prepares the body for "fight or flight" responses

Parasympathetic division

Promotes "rest and digest" functions

Exteroceptors

Sensory receptors near or at the body surface; respond to stimuli from the external environment (e.g., touch, pain, temperature)

Interoceptors

Visceral receptors that monitor chemical, tissue, and temperature stimuli from the internal environment

Proprioceptors

Sensory receptors that constantly advise the brain and cerebellum of movements and body position

Thermoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to temperature changes

Chemoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to chemical stimuli (e.g., pH)

Mechanoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to mechanical forces (e.g., pressure, touch, stretch)

Nociceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to painful stimuli

Photoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to light

Sensation

Awareness of changes in the internal and external environment (occurs in the Thalamus)

Perception

Conscious interpretation and understanding of stimuli (occurs in the Cortex)

Receptor Level

The first level of neural integration in the somatosensory system, involving sensory receptors

Circuit Level

The second level of neural integration in the somatosensory system, involving ascending pathways

Perceptual Level

The third level of neural integration in the somatosensory system, involving neuronal circuits in the cerebral cortex

Receptive Field

Area that must be stimulated for a receptor to be activated; smaller fields allow for more accurate localization

Transduction

Conversion of stimulus energy into a graded potential

Tonic Receptors

Sensory receptors that are always on and exhibit alterations in frequency; adapt slowly or not at all

Phasic Receptors

Sensory receptors that are normally off and report a change; adapt quickly

Adaptation

Occurs when sensory receptors are subjected to an unchanging stimulus, leading to decreased responsiveness

Perceptual Detection

Detecting that a stimulus has occurred

Magnitude Estimation

How intense a stimulus is (frequency of APs)

Spatial Discrimination

Identifying the site or pattern of the stimulus

Feature Abstraction

Used to identify a substance that has a specific texture or shape

Quality Discrimination

The ability to identify submodalities of a sensation (e.g., sweet or sour tastes)

Pattern Recognition

Ability to recognize patterns in stimuli (e.g., melody, familiar face)

Endoneurium

Connective tissue that surrounds each axon

Perineurium

Connective tissue that groups axons into fascicles

Epineurium

Connective tissue that surrounds the entire nerve

Anosmia

Partial or total loss of smell, often due to fracture of the ethmoid bone or lesions of olfactory fibers.

Anopsias

Visual defects resulting from damage to the visual pathway beyond the optic chiasma.

External Strabismus

eye rotates laterally, due to paralysis of oculomotor nerve

Ptosis

upper eyelid droops due to paralysis of oculomotor nerve

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, producing excruciating pain.

Internatal Strabismus

eye cannot be moved laterally, at rest, affected eyeball rotates medially, due to paralysis of abducens nerve

Bell's Palsy

Paralysis of facial muscles on the affected side, often caused by the herpes simplex 1 viral infection.

Components of a Reflex Arc

Receptor, sensory neuron, integration center, motor neuron, and effector organs

Central Pattern Generators (CPGs)

Circuits that control locomotion and specific, oft-repeated motor activity.