Human A&P Exam 3

What are the three functions of the nervous system?

Sensory, integrative, and motor.

What makes up the CNS?

The brain and spinal cord.

What does the PNS do?

Connects the CNS to the rest of the body.

What do sensory neurons do?

Carry impulses toward the CNS.

What do motor neurons do?

Carry impulses away from the CNS.

What are neuroglia?

Cells that support and protect neurons

What do astrocytes do?

Support neurons and help form the blood-brain barrier.

What do oligodendrocytes produce?

Myelin in the CNS.

What do Schwann cells produce?

Myelin in the PNS.

What do microglia do?

Remove germs and damaged cell material.

What do ependymal cells help produce?

Cerebrospinal fluid.

What is neuron excitability?

The ability to respond to stimuli.

What do dendrites do?

Receive signals.

What do axons do?

Carry impulses away from the cell body.

What is the function of myelin?

Insulates axons and speeds up impulses.

What are Nodes of Ranvier?

Gaps in the myelin sheath.

What is a synapse?

A connection between a neuron and another cell.

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemical messengers that transmit signals.

What does acetylcholine do?

Helps transmit signals, including those that stimulate muscle contraction.

What does GABA do?

Reduces neuronal activity.

What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?

A disease that damages myelin in the CNS.

What are interneurons?

Neurons that connect other neurons in the CNS.

What is the main function of the spinal cord?

Carries impulses and controls reflexes.

What protects the spinal cord?

The vertebral column and spinal meninges.

What are the three spinal meninges?

Dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.

What is the cervical enlargement?

The spinal cord region serving nerves to the arms.

What is the lumbar enlargement?

The spinal cord region serving nerves to the legs.

What is the conus medullaris?

The tapered end of the spinal cord.

What is the filum terminale?

A connective tissue extension that anchors the spinal cord.

What is the cauda equina?

A collection of nerves extending below the spinal cord.

What shape is spinal cord gray matter?

Butterfly-shaped.

What does the central canal contain?

Cerebrospinal fluid

What is the function of spinal cord white matter?

Carries impulses through nerve tracts.

What do ascending tracts carry?

Sensory information toward the brain.

What do descending tracts carry?

Signals from the brain toward the body.

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

31 pairs.

What do anterior spinal roots contain?

Motor neurons.

What do posterior spinal roots contain?

Sensory neurons.

What is a reflex?

A rapid, automatic response to a stimulus.

What are the five parts of a reflex arc?

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

What is the main function of the brain?

Controls body activities, processes information, and stores memories.

What are the three cranial meninges?

Dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater.

What does cerebrospinal fluid do?

Cushions and protects the brain and spinal cord.

Where is cerebrospinal fluid produced?

By the choroid plexuses in the brain's ventricles.

What is hydrocephalus?

An abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.

What does the blood-brain barrier do?

Helps control which substances enter brain tissue.

What are the four principal parts of the brain?

Brain stem, cerebellum, diencephalon, and cerebrum.

What does the medulla oblongata regulate?

Heartbeat, breathing, and blood pressure.

What does the pons help regulate?

Breathing and communication between brain regions.

What do the superior colliculi control?

Visual reflexes and eye movements.

What do the inferior colliculi control?

Auditory reflexes.

What does the reticular formation regulate?

Alertness, consciousness, and sleep.

What does the cerebellum control?

Balance, posture, and coordination.

What does the thalamus do?

Relays sensory information to the cerebrum.

What does the hypothalamus regulate?

Homeostasis, hunger, thirst, temperature, and endocrine activity.

What does the pineal gland secrete?

Melatonin.

What is the largest part of the brain?

The cerebrum.

What is the cerebral cortex made of?

Gray matter.

What connects the two cerebral hemispheres?

The corpus callosum.

What does the frontal lobe control?

Thinking, voluntary movement, and speech production.

What is the occipital lobe responsible for?

Vision.

What do the temporal lobes help control?

Hearing, memory, and emotions.

How many pairs of cranial nerves are there?

12 pairs.

What does the olfactory nerve detect?

Smell.

What does the optic nerve detect?

Vision.

What does the trigeminal nerve control?

Facial sensation and chewing.

What does the vestibulocochlear nerve control?

Hearing and equilibrium.

What does the vagus nerve affect?

Internal organs, including the heart and lungs.

What is procedural memory?

Memory for motor skills.

What is declarative memory?

Memory for facts and events.

What does the autonomic nervous system regulate?

Smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and certain glands.

Is the ANS voluntary or involuntary?

Involuntary.

What are the two ANS divisions?

Sympathetic and parasympathetic.

What is dual innervation?

An organ receives signals from both ANS divisions.

What does the sympathetic division do?

Prepares the body for emergencies (fight or flight).

What does the parasympathetic division do?

Conserves energy and supports rest and digestion.

What does SLUD stand for?

Salivation, lacrimation, urination, and defecation.

How many neurons are in an autonomic motor pathway?

Two: preganglionic and postganglionic.

What are two major ANS neurotransmitters?

Acetylcholine and norepinephrine.

What happens to the pupils during sympathetic activity?

They dilate.

What happens to the pupils during parasympathetic activity?

They constrict.

What happens to breathing during sympathetic activity?

The airways widen and breathing increases.

What happens to digestion during parasympathetic activity?

Digestive activity increases.

What is Raynaud disease?

A condition causing coldness, numbness, and discoloration in fingers and toes.

What is Horner syndrome?

A condition that can cause a drooping eyelid and reduced facial sweating.

What does the endocrine system produce?

Hormones.

What is the main function of hormones?

Regulate body processes such as growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

How do endocrine glands release hormones?

Directly into the bloodstream.

How does the endocrine system differ from the nervous system?

Endocrine responses are generally slower and longer-lasting.

What is the pituitary gland often called?

The master gland.

What regulates the pituitary gland?

The hypothalamus.

What does growth hormone do?

Promotes growth of bones and other tissues.

What does TSH stimulate?

The thyroid gland.

What does ACTH stimulate?

Hormone secretion from the adrenal cortex.

What does prolactin do?

Stimulates milk production.

What does ADH do?

Helps the kidneys conserve water and reduce urine output.

What does thyroid hormone regulate?

Metabolism and heat production.

What does parathyroid hormone (PTH) do?

increases calcium levels in the blood.

What do insulin and glucagon do?

Insulin lowers blood glucose; glucagon raises blood glucose.

What do epinephrine and norepinephrine do?

Help produce fight-or-flight responses.