7.1 Vocabulary - Nervous System

Front 1

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Back 1

The system controlling involuntary actions such as the heartbeat.

Front 2

AXON

Back 2

A nerve fibre that sends nerve impulses away from the cell body.

Front 3

BRAIN STEM

Back 3

Part of the brain where the spinal cord enters the skull; it controls the body's vital functions, such as breathing, blood pressure and heart rate.

Front 4

CELL BODY

Back 4

The part of the neurone that contains the nucleus.

Front 5

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS)

Back 5

The brain and the spinal cord

Front 6

CEREBELLUM

Back 6

Part of the brain that is responsible for coordination and balance.

Front 7

CEREBRUM

Back 7

Part of the brain that controls conscious thoughts, controls the movement of every body part, and receives sensory messages from each body part.

Front 8

DENDRITES

Back 8

Branches from the cell body that receive messages from other neurones.

Front 9

EFFECTORS

Back 9

Muscles or glands that put the messages into effect

Front 10

MEDULLA

Back 10

The lower half of the brain stem.

Front 11

MOTOR NEURONES

Back 11

Nerve cells that carry messages from the CNS to effectors.

Front 12

MYELIN SHEATHS

Back 12

The insulating layer that covers a neurone

Front 13

NERVE IMPULSE

Back 13

The electrical message carried by a nerve cell

Front 14

NEURONE

Back 14

A nerve cell

Front 15

NEUROTRANSMITTER

Back 15

A chemical message carried by a nerve cell

Front 16

OPTIC NERVE

Back 16

The nerve that carries messages to the brain from the retina at the back of the eye

Front 17

PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Back 17

Part of the nervous system that slows the body down and controls it when it is resting

Front 18

PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS)

Back 18

The nerves that carry messages to and from the central nervous system and other parts of the body.

Front 19

RECEPTORS

Back 19

Special cells that detect stimuli

Front 20

REFLEX ACTIONS

Back 20

Quick, automatic actions that protect the body from danger; they are also known as reflexes.

Front 21

REFLEX ARC

Back 21

The nerve pathway operating in reflex action.

Front 22

SENSORY NEURONES

Back 22

Nerve cells that carry messages from cells in the sense organs to the CNS.

Front 23

SOMATIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Back 23

Part of the nervous system that coordinates the movement of the body and receives information from the sensory organs.

Front 24

STIMULUS

Back 24

Any factor that stimulates a receptor and brings about a response.