Physio Lab: Human Nervous System I

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts related to the physiology of the human nervous system as presented in the lecture.

Neuron

A nerve cell that transmits information through electrical and chemical signals.

Synapse

The region where an axon terminal communicates with its postsynaptic target cell.

Dendrites

Extensions of the neuron that receive input signals.

Axon

The long, thin part of a neuron that transmits signals away from the cell body.

Myelin sheath

A fatty layer that insulates axons and increases the speed of signal transmission.

Synaptic plasticity

The ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, in response to increases or decreases in their activity.

Graded potential

A change in membrane potential that varies in size, depending on the strength of the stimulus.

Action potential

A rapid and substantial depolarization of the membrane that propagates down the axon.

Threshold

The minimum stimulus required to initiate an action potential.

Refractory period

The time following an action potential during which a neuron is less likely to fire another action potential.

Hodgkin-Huxley model

A mathematical model that describes how action potentials in neurons are initiated and propagated.

Neurotransmitter

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

Excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)

A postsynaptic potential that makes the neuron more likely to fire an action potential.

Inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)

A postsynaptic potential that makes the neuron less likely to fire an action potential.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

A long-lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons that results from stimulating them simultaneously.

Long-term depression (LTD)

A long-lasting decrease in synaptic strength that occurs when the stimulation of neurons is low.

Calcium ions (Ca2+)

Ions that play a crucial role in neurotransmitter release and various cellular signaling pathways.

Glial cells

Support cells in the nervous system that provide various functions such as nutrition, protection, and maintenance of homeostasis.