Anatomy Chapter 7 Vocabulary

Front 1

afferent neurons

Back 1

nerve cells that carry impulses toward the central nervous system

Front 2

autonomic nervous system

Back 2

the division of the nervous system that functions involuntarily; innervates cardiac muscle, smooth msucle, and glands.

Front 3

axon

Back 3

neuron process that carries impulses away from the nerve cell body; efferent processes; the conduction portion of a nerve cell

Front 4

brain stem

Back 4

the portion of the brain containing the medulla, pons, and midbrain

Front 5

central nervous system

Back 5

the brain and the spinal cord

Front 6

cerebellum

Back 6

part of the hindbrain; involved in producing smoothly coordinated skeletal muscle activity

Front 7

cerebral hemispheres

Back 7

the most superior part of the brain, overshadows other three parts of the brain

Front 8

cerebrospinal fluid

Back 8

the fluid produced in the cerebral ventricles and surrounds the central nervous system

Front 9

dendrites

Back 9

the branching extensions of neurons that carry electrical signals to the cell body; the receptive portion of a nerve cell

Front 10

depolarization

Back 10

the loss of a state of polarity; the loss of a negative charge inside the plasma membrane

Front 11

efferent neurons

Back 11

neurons that conduct impulses away from the central nervous system

Front 12

ganglion

Back 12

a group of nerve cell bodies located in the peripheral nervous system

Front 13

gray matter

Back 13

the gray area of the CNS; contains unmyelinated nerve fibers and nerve cell bodies

Front 14

interneurons

Back 14

AKA: association neurons; completes the pathway between afferent and efferent neurons

Front 15

meninges

Back 15

the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord

Front 16

myelin

Back 16

a white, fatty lipid substance

Front 17

nerve

Back 17

bundle of neuron processes (axons) outside the CNS

Front 18

neuroglia

Back 18

the nonneuronal tissue of the CNS that performs supportive and other funcitons; also called glia

Front 19

neurons

Back 19

cells of the nervous system specialized to transmit messages throughout the body

Front 20

nodes of Ranvier

Back 20

the regular indentations or gaps between the myelin sheath

Front 21

peripheral nervous system

Back 21

a system of nerves that connects the outlying parts of the body with the central nervous system

Front 22

plexus

Back 22

a network of inerlacing nerves, blood vessels, or lymphatics

Front 23

polarization

Back 23

the action in which a neuron or muscle cell becomes unstimulated; the inside of the cell is relatively negative in comparison to the outside. THE RETURN TO THE RESTING STATE

Front 24

receptor

Back 24

1) a peripheral nerve ending specialized for response to particular types of stimuli; 2) molecule that binds specifically with other molecules, e.g., hormones and neurotransmitters

Front 25

reflex

Back 25

automatic reaction to a stimulus

Front 26

repolarization

Back 26

the outflow of positive ions from the cell, restoring the electrical conditions at the membrane to the polarized, or resting, state. (RETURNING TO THE RESTING STATE TO FIRE A NEW PIECE OF INFORMATION)

Front 27

somatic nervous system

Back 27

a division of the nervous system; also called the voluntary nervous system.

Front 28

synapse

Back 28

the region of communication between neurons

Front 29

tracts

Back 29

collections of nerve fibers in the CNS having the same origin, termination, and function.

Front 30

white matter

Back 30

white substance of the central nervous system; the myelinated nerve fibers