CCMA Training Notes: Nervous system

What are neurons?

Nerve cells.

What is a nerve made of?

Bundles of neurons connecting the brain and spinal cord with other parts of the body.

What is a tract?

A bundle of nerve fibers within the brain and spinal cord.

What do ascending nerve tracts do?

Carry nerve pulses toward the brain.

What do descending nerve tracts do?

Carry nerve pulses away from the brain.

What is endoneurium?

A protective covering for neurons.

What is perineurium?

Protects bundled neurons together.

What is epineurium?

The outer protective covering of a nerve.

What is a ganglion?

A nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous system.

What is a plexus?

A network of intersecting spinal nerves.

What is innervation?

The supply of nerves to a specific body part.

What are receptors?

Sites in sensory organs that receive external stimulation.

What is a stimulus?

Anything that excites or activates a nerve and causes an electrical impulse.

What is a reflex?

An automatic, involuntary response to a change inside or outside of the body.

What is the cell body of a neuron?

The main part of the neuron containing the nucleus and cell structures.

What are dendrites?

Processes that receive impulses and conduct them toward the cell body.

What is an axon?

Processes that conduct impulses away from the nerve cell.

What is a myelin sheath?

A protective covering found on many axons.

What are nodes of Ranvier?

Periodic breaks in the myelin sheath that allow faster electrical impulse movement.

What is the Central Nervous System (CNS)?

Made up of the brain and spinal cord.

What are meninges?

A system of membranes protecting the brain and spinal cord.

What is the dura mater?

The thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges.

What is the arachnoid membrane?

The middle layer of meninges that resembles a spider web.

What is the pia mater?

The innermost layer of meninges, rich in blood vessels.

What is Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF)?

A clear, colorless fluid that cushions and nourishes the brain and spinal cord.

What does the cerebrum do?

Controls and integrates voluntary motor and sensory functions.

What is the cerebral cortex?

The outer layer of the cerebrum made of gray matter.

What are the lobes of the brain?

Regions of each cerebral hemisphere named for the bones beneath them.

What does the frontal lobe control?

Skilled motor functions, memory, and behavior.

What does the temporal lobe control?

Hearing, smell, and the ability to create and access information.

What is the thalamus?

Relays sensory stimuli to the cerebral cortex.

What is the hypothalamus?

Performs regulatory functions for the body.

What constitutes the brain stem?

The midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata.

What is the spinal cord?

A tube-like structure that contains nerves controlling limbs and lower body.

What does the Peripheral Nervous System consist of?

12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves.

What do sympathetic nerves do?

Prepare the body for emergencies and stress.

What do parasympathetic nerves do?

Return the body to normal after stress.

What is a nerve impulse?

A signal that travels along a neuron from the dendrite to the axon.

What is a synaptic cleft?

The space between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another.

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemical substances that enable communication between neurons.

What is adrenaline?

A neurotransmitter that triggers the fight or flight response.

What is GABA's function?

Calms firing nerves in the CNS and contributes to motor control and vision.

What does dopamine do?

Provides feelings of pleasure and motivation.

What are endorphins?

Chemicals that produce feelings of euphoria and reduce pain.

What is cephalalgia?

The medical term for headache.

What is a migraine?

A severe headache affecting one side of the head, often with nausea and sensitivity to light.

What is meningitis?

Inflammation of the meninges caused by virus or bacteria.

What is dementia?

A progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory and judgment.

What is a concussion?

A head injury from shaking or jarring that results in temporary loss of function.

What is multiple sclerosis?

An autoimmune disorder that demyelinates the nervous system.

What are seizures?

Episodes of abnormal brain activity.

What is epilepsy?

A neurological condition marked by recurrent seizures.

What is a tonic-clonic seizure?

A seizure involving rigid body posture and uncontrollable jerking.

What is an absence seizure?

A brief disturbance in brain function resulting in loss of awareness.

What is Bell's Palsy?

Temporary paralysis of the 7th cranial nerve affecting one side of the face.

What is Guillain-Barre syndrome?

An autoimmune disorder causing progressive muscle weakness.

What is trigeminal neuralgia?

Intense pain due to inflammation of the 5th cranial nerve.

What is a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)?

Medical term for stroke caused by disrupted blood flow to the brain.