Chapter 2 Flashcards
(64 cards)
Neurons
Basic cell unit of information processing
Glial cells
Provide support, insulation, and protection for neurons
Input zone
Receives info from other cells through dendrites and the cell body (soma)
Integration zone
Where electrical inputs are combined and transformed (axon hillock)
Conduction zone
Single axon conducts output information away from the cell body as an electrical impulse
Output zone
Axon terminals communicate activity to other cells (neurons, muscles, glands)
Myelin
Fatty substance (made by glia) that surround some axons for faster signals
Flow of information
Input Zone –> Integration Zone –> Conduction Zone –> Output Zone
Dendritic spine
Small protrusion from dendrite that receives input from single axon at synapses
Synapse
Electrical communication within a neuron along the axon
Neurotransmitter
Chemical communication between neurons
Neuroplasticity
Alteration in number and configuration of neurons, dendrites,
(Neurons) As you age…
Number of neurons and synapses declines, number and size of dendrites decreases, and neurotransmitter levels are altered
Grey matter
Contains more neuron cell bodies and dendrites
White matter
Consists mostly of axons with white myelin sheaths
Central nervous system
Consists of the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system
All other parts of the nervous system (neurons and nerve processes)
The nervous system is described in terms of both…
Structure and function
Anterior / Rostral
To the front
Posterior / caudal
To the back
Superior
To the top
Dorsal
To the top (in brain)
Inferior
To the bottom
Ventral
To the bottom (in brain)
