Nervous System Overview

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on the nervous system.

Somatic Nervous System (SNS)

The part of the nervous system responsible for conscious perception and voluntary motor responses.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

The part of the nervous system responsible for involuntary control of body functions and maintaining homeostasis.

Dendrites

Processes that receive incoming information from other neurons.

Axon

A single process from the neuronal cell body that conducts impulses toward other cells.

Synapse

Junctions where neurons communicate with other cells.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Comprises the brain and spinal cord, housed within the cranial and vertebral cavities.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, providing communication between the CNS and the rest of the body.

Neurons

Cells capable of communication within the nervous system.

Glial Cells

Supportive cells in the nervous system that provide structures and support to neurons.

Afferent Neurons

Sensory neurons that send information toward the CNS.

Interneurons

Neurons that integrate and process information from sensory neurons.

Efferent Neurons

Motor neurons that communicate with effectors to instigate a response.

Action Potential

A rapid rise and fall in voltage or membrane potential across a cellular membrane.

Resting Membrane Potential

The membrane potential of a neuron at rest, typically around -70 mV.

Graded Potentials

Small, variable changes in membrane potential that can vary in size and can contribute to reaching threshold.

Depolarization

The process by which the interior of the cell becomes less negative, often as sodium ions enter.

Hyperpolarization

The process that increases the negativity of the membrane potential, often due to potassium exiting.

Refractory Period

The period after an action potential during which a neuron is less responsive to stimuli.

Chemical Synapses

Junctions where neurotransmitters are released to transmit signals between neurons.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that relay messages between neurons.

Lipid Bilayer

A double-layered cell membrane structure that separates the inside of the cell from the extracellular environment.

Myelin

An insulating layer that surrounds axons, allowing for faster electrical signal conduction.

Saltatory Conduction

The process of action potential propagation along myelinated axons, where the action potential jumps between nodes of Ranvier.

Synaptic Vesicles

Small membrane-bound sacs that store neurotransmitters and release them during synaptic transmission.

Synaptic Vesicles

Membrane-bound sacs storing neurotransmitters for synaptic transmission.