Nervous System and Homeostasis

Flashcards reviewing the structure, functions, and key components of the nervous system in relation to homeostasis.

Nervous System

A highly organized network of billions of neurons including the brain, nerves, spinal cord, and ganglia.

Glia

Non-neural cells in the nervous system that provide support and maintain homeostasis; sometimes referred to as "glue".

Fight or Flight Response

The body's automatic reaction to perceived danger, causing it to pull resources from certain areas of the body; elicits the same response regardless of the threat.

Nerves

A bundle containing hundreds of thousands of axons plus associated connective tissues and blood vessels.

Spinal Cord

A giant tube of nerves protected by the spine, connecting the body to the brain, facilitating messages, and motor responses.

Sensory Function

The nervous system's ability to detect internal or external changes such as temperature, pain, smells, and digestion issues.

Integrative Function

The thinking and decision-making part of the nervous system that processes sensory information; allows us to decide if a smell is good or bad.

Motor Function

The nervous system's response to a stimulus, such as salivation or stomach gurgling in response to the smell of cookies.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The limbs and everything outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Sensory Neurons

Nerve cells that sense what's going on and send that message back to your CNS, your central nervous system.

Motor Neurons

The sensory nervous system sending a message back out to your muscles or your glands or whatever's gonna respond to it.

Somatic Nervous System

Voluntary movements of the body.

Autonomic Nervous System

Involuntary movements; out of your control.

Brain

Central part of the nervous system responsible for thought processes; processes information and sends out a message of what to do.

Spinal Cord

Central part of the nervous system responsible for reflexes; more reflective.

Neurons

Nerve cells that send messages all over your body, allow you to do everything, okay, from breathing, talking, eating, digesting, walking, thinking

Cell Body

Contains a nucleus surrounded by a cytoplasm and has the typical organelles that you would see in a regular cell

Dendrites

extensions that come off from the cell body that send and receive information. They're usually going to be going towards another set of dendrites where it's gonna receive information.

Axon

extensions that come off from the cell body with myelin schsath; the place where the impulse is going to go down

Synapse

the site of communication between two neurons. So between a neuron and an effector cell, there's a little bit of a space there

Glial cells

Also known as neuroglia; They're a type of cell that is found within the nervous system, but they themselves don't conduct nerve impulses.

Astrocytes

Star shaped glial cells that regulate the chemical environment around neurons; help with that blood brain barrier

Oligodendrocytes

Glial cells found in the CNS; produce myelin sheath

Microglia

Immune cells of the CNS that engulf pathogens, cellular debris, damaged neurons.

Schwann cells

Equivalent to the oligodendrocytes in the PNS, but in this case, they're gonna produce the myelin sheath around, a different type of cell.

Myelin Sheath

A multilayered lipid and protein covering that covers the axon in most mammalian neurons; produced by Schwann cells and electrically insulates

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps in the myelin sheath of the axon

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

The progressive destruction of the myelin sheath.

Sensory Nerves

Carry signals to the brain, k, to help you with your five, six, senses.

Motor Nerves

Help you move, function, all of those things. Okay. So sensory sending to the brain, brain's gonna make a decision, sending back to the motor nerves.

Tetanus

A toxin produced by bacteria; carried through the axons in the CNS and can cause a prolonged, k, and and very painful, muscle spasm.