Openstax Biology - Chapter 35 - Nervous System

Front 1

acetylcholine

Back 1

neurotransmitter released by neurons in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

Front 2

action potential

Back 2

self-propagating momentary change in the electrical potential of a neuron (or muscle) membrane

Front 3

Alzheimer’s disease

Back 3

neurodegenerative disorder characterized by problems with memory and thinking

Front 4

amygdala

Back 4

structure within the limbic system that processes fear

Front 5

arachnoid mater

Back 5

spiderweb-like middle layer of the meninges that cover the central nervous system

Front 6

astrocyte

Back 6

glial cell in the central nervous system that provide nutrients, extracellular buffering, and structural support for neurons; also makes up the blood-brain barrier

Front 7

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Back 7

neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty maintaining attention and controlling impulses; also known as ADHD

Front 8

autism spectrum disorder

Back 8

neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication abilities; also known as ASD

Front 9

autonomic nervous system

Back 9

part of the peripheral nervous system that controls bodily functions

Front 10

axon

Back 10

tube-like structure that propagates a signal from a neuron’s cell body to axon terminals

Front 11

axon hillock

Back 11

electrically sensitive structure on the cell body of a neuron that integrates signals from multiple neuronal connections

Front 12

axon terminal

Back 12

structure on the end of an axon that can form a synapse with another neuron

Front 13

basal ganglia

Back 13

interconnected collections of cells in the brain that are involved in movement and motivation; also known as basal nuclei

Front 14

brainstem

Back 14

portion of the brain that connects with the spinal cord; controls basic nervous system functions like breathing, heart rate, and swallowing

Front 15

cerebellum

Back 15

brain structure involved in posture, motor coordination, and learning new motor actions

Front 16

cerebral cortex

Back 16

outermost sheet of brain tissue; involved in many higher-order functions

Front 17

cerebrospinal fluid

Back 17

clear liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord and fills the ventricles and central canal; acts as a shock absorber and circulates material throughout the brain and spinal cord; also known as CSF

Front 18

choroid plexus

Back 18

spongy tissue within ventricles that produces cerebrospinal fluid

Front 19

cingulate gyrus

Back 19

helps regulate emotions and pain; thought to directly drive the body’s conscious response to unpleasant experiences

Front 20

corpus callosum

Back 20

thick fiber bundle that connects the cerebral hemispheres

Front 21

cranial nerve

Back 21

sensory and/or motor nerve that emanates from the brain

Front 22

dendrite

Back 22

structure that extends away from the cell body to receive messages from other neurons

Front 23

dura mater

Back 23

tough outermost layer that covers the central nervous system

Front 24

ependymal

Back 24

cell that lines fluid-filled ventricles of the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord; involved in production of cerebrospinal fluid

Front 25

epilepsy

Back 25

neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures

Front 26

excitatory postsynaptic potential

Back 26

depolarization of a postsynaptic membrane caused by neurotransmitter molecules released from a presynaptic cell; also known as EPSP

Front 27

frontal lobe

Back 27

part of the cerebral cortex that contains the motor cortex and areas involved in planning, attention, and language

Front 28

glia

Back 28

cells that provide support functions for neurons; also known as glial cells

Front 29

gyrus

Back 29

ridged protrusion in the cortex

Front 30

hippocampus

Back 30

brain structure in the temporal lobe involved in processing memories

Front 31

hyperpolarization

Back 31

change in the membrane potential to a more negative value

Front 32

hypothalamus

Back 32

brain structure that controls hormone release and body homeostasis

Front 33

inhibitory postsynaptic potential

Back 33

hyperpolarization of a postsynaptic membrane caused by neurotransmitter molecules released from a presynaptic cell; also known as IPSP

Front 34

limbic system

Back 34

connected brain areas that process emotion and motivation

Front 35

long-term depression

Back 35

prolonged decrease in synaptic coupling between a pre- and postsynaptic cell; also known as LTD

Front 36

long-term potentiation

Back 36

prolonged increase in synaptic coupling between a pre-and postsynaptic cell; also known as LTP

Front 37

major depression

Back 37

mental illness characterized by prolonged periods of sadness

Front 38

membrane potential

Back 38

difference in electrical potential between the inside and outside of a cell

Front 39

meninge

Back 39

membrane that covers and protects the central nervous system

Front 40

microglia

Back 40

glia that scavenge and degrade dead cells and protect the brain from invading microorganisms

Front 41

myelin

Back 41

fatty substance produced by glia that insulates axons

Front 42

neurodegenerative disorder

Back 42

nervous system disorder characterized by the progressive loss of neurological functioning, usually caused by neuron death

Front 43

neuron

Back 43

specialized cell that can receive and transmit electrical and chemical signals

Front 44

nodes of Ranvier

Back 44

gaps in the myelin sheath where the signal is recharged

Front 45

norepinephrine

Back 45

neurotransmitter and hormone released by activation of the sympathetic nervous system

Front 46

occipital lobe

Back 46

part of the cerebral cortex that contains visual cortex and processes visual stimuli

Front 47

oligodendrocyte

Back 47

glial cell that myelinates central nervous system neuron axons

Front 48

parasympathetic nervous system

Back 48

division of autonomic nervous system that regulates visceral functions during rest and digestion

Front 49

parietal lobe

Back 49

part of the cerebral cortex involved in processing touch and the sense of the body in space

Front 50

Parkinson’s disease

Back 50

neurodegenerative disorder that affects the control of movement

Front 51

proprioception

Back 51

sense about how parts of the body are oriented in space

Front 52

radial glia

Back 52

glia that serve as scaffolds for developing neurons as they migrate to their final destinations

Front 53

refractory period

Back 53

period after an action potential when it is more difficult or impossible for an action potential to be fired; caused by inactivation of sodium channels and activation of additional potassium channels of the membrane

Front 54

saltatory conduction

Back 54

“jumping” of an action potential along an axon from one node of Ranvier to the next

Front 55

satellite glia

Back 55

glial cell that provides nutrients and structural support for neurons in the peripheral nervous system

Front 56

schizophrenia

Back 56

mental disorder characterized by the inability to accurately perceive reality; patients often have difficulty thinking clearly and can suffer from delusions

Front 57

Schwann cell

Back 57

glial cell that creates myelin sheath around a peripheral nervous system neuron axon

Front 58

sensory-somatic nervous system

Back 58

system of sensory and motor nerves

Front 59

somatosensation

Back 59

sense of touch

Front 60

spinal cord

Back 60

thick fiber bundle that connects the brain with peripheral nerves; transmits sensory and motor information; contains neurons that control motor reflexes

Front 61

spinal nerve

Back 61

nerve projecting between skin or muscle and spinal cord

Front 62

sulcus

Back 62

indent or “valley” in the cortex

Front 63

summation

Back 63

process of multiple presynaptic inputs creating EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential

Front 64

sympathetic nervous system

Back 64

division of autonomic nervous system activated during stressful “fight or flight” situations

Front 65

synapse

Back 65

junction between two neurons where neuronal signals are communicated

Front 66

synaptic cleft

Back 66

space between the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes

Front 67

synaptic vesicle

Back 67

spherical structure that contains a neurotransmitter

Front 68

temporal lobe

Back 68

part of the cerebral cortex that processes auditory input; parts of the temporal lobe are involved in speech, memory, and emotion processing

Front 69

thalamus

Back 69

brain area that relays sensory information to the cortex

Front 70

threshold of excitation

Back 70

level of depolarization needed for an action potential to fire

Front 71

ventricle

Back 71

cavity within brain that contains cerebrospinal fluid

Front 72

pia mater

Back 72

thin membrane layer directly covering the brain and spinal cord

Front 73

depolarization

Back 73

change in the membrane potential to a less negative value