Nervous system

CNS

Central Nervous System, consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

PNS

Peripheral Nervous System, which includes all nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.

Neuron

A cell that transmits messages and is the functional cell of the nervous system.

Glial Cells

Cells that provide framework and support for neurons.

Axon

The extension of a neuron that carries an electrical signal away from the cell body.

Dendrite

Branchlike processes of a neuron that receive incoming signals from other cells.

Soma

The cell body of a neuron, containing the nucleus and organelles.

Gray Matter

Regions of the nervous system with a high concentration of cell bodies and dendrites.

White Matter

Regions of the nervous system comprised mainly of axons.

Sensory Information

Information received from the environment, processed for response.

Somatic Nervous System

Part of the PNS responsible for conscious perception and voluntary actions.

Autonomic Nervous System

Part of the PNS responsible for involuntary control of body functions.

Enteric Nervous System

Controls smooth muscle and glandular tissue in the digestive system.

Thermoreceptors

Sensory receptors responsible for sensing temperature.

Photoreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect light for vision.

Gustatory Receptors

Receptors that sense chemicals dissolved in saliva (taste).

Olfactory Receptors

Receptors that sense chemicals in the air (smell).

Mechanoreceptors

Sensory receptors that detect movement related to touch, hearing, and balance.

Nociceptors

Receptors that sense pain.

Resting Potential

The electrical potential of a neuron at rest, typically -70 millivolts.

Depolarization

Change in membrane potential due to sodium influx, making the inside of the cell more positive.

Repolarization

Return of the membrane potential to its resting state due to potassium efflux.

Frontal Lobe

Brain lobe responsible for reasoning, planning, and movement.

Parietal Lobe

Brain lobe responsible for processing sensory information.

Temporal Lobe

Brain lobe involved in processing auditory information and memory.

Occipital Lobe

Brain lobe responsible for visual processing.

Cerebellum

Brain region that coordinates motor control and sensory feedback.

Cerebrum

Region of the brain responsible for higher functions like memory, emotion, and consciousness.

Corpus Callosum

Large white matter structure connecting the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Hippocampus

Gray matter involved in long-term memory formation, located in the temporal lobe.

Hypothalamus

Region that coordinates autonomic and endocrine functions for homeostasis.

Olfactory Nerve

First cranial nerve responsible for the sense of smell.

Optic Nerve

Second cranial nerve responsible for visual sensation.

Action Potential

An electrical impulse that travels down the axon when triggered by depolarization.

Myelin

A fatty insulating layer that speeds up signal transmission along axons.

Neurotransmitter

Chemicals that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.

Neural Network

A circuit of interconnected neurons that process specific types of information.

Neural Plasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.

Alzheimer's Disease

A condition caused by the degeneration of neurons in memory-related brain regions.