Nervous System

Question 1

acetylcholine

Answer 1

neurotransmitter
one of the functions: released by motor neurons to activate muscles

Question 2

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 2

brain and spinal cord

Question 3

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 3

everything else that’s not brain or spinal cord; cranial/spinal nerves, plexuses, peripheral nerves

Question 4

cranial nerve

Answer 4

from brain to head/neck

Question 5

vagus nerve

Answer 5

10th cranial nerve; goes from brain to neck, chest, and abdomen

Question 6

plexus (nerves)

Answer 6

large network of nerves in PNS, ie cervical, brachial, lumbosacral

Question 7

sensory (afferent) nerves

Answer 7

carry messages to the brain

Question 8

motor (efferent) nerves

Answer 8

carry messages from the brain

Question 9

autonomic nervous system

Answer 9

part of PNS, involuntary stuff

Question 10

sympathetic/parasympathetic

Answer 10

part of autonomic nervous system
sympathetic activate in stress/crisis; parasympathetic balances that and relaxes stuff

Question 11

dendrite

Answer 11

branching fibers of neuron that receive impulses

Question 12

axon

Answer 12

long thing that carries impulse away from cell body

Question 13

myelin sheath

Answer 13

insulates axons; neurons appear white
white matter = myelin, grey matter = no myelin

Question 14

terminal end fiber

Answer 14

end of axon

Question 15

synapse

Answer 15

space where impulse jumps from neuron to neuron via a release of neurotransmitter

Question 16

vesicle (neurons)

Answer 16

tiny sacs at terminal end containing neurotransmitters

Question 17

ganglion

Answer 17

group of neuron cell bodies/neuron clusters; mainly in PNS

Question 18

glial (neuroglial) cells

Answer 18

stromal tissue of nervous system
parenchyma is essential functions & stroma is support/structure
glial cells guard what goes into nerves from blood, making up the BBB (blood-brain barrier)

Question 19

cerebrum

Answer 19

largest thinking part of brain; lots of lobes

Question 20

cerebral cortex

Answer 20

outer nerve sheet covering the brain

Question 21

gyri and sulci

Answer 21

gyri are folds, sulci are grooves

Question 22

ventricles of brain

Answer 22

spaces/canals in cerebrum where CSF is
CSF cushions, protects from shock

Question 23

thalamus

Answer 23

triage center; decides what’s important; awareness/consciousness

Question 24

hypothalamus

Answer 24

controls temperature, sleep, emotions like fear, pleasure, lust, and integrates sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous systems

Question 25

cerebellum

Answer 25

voluntary movement, balance, posture

Question 26

midbrain

Answer 26

uppermost brainstem; connects cerebrum w/ lower structures and eyes/ears

Question 27

pons

Answer 27

“bridge”; connects cerebrum/cerebellum with rest of brain

Question 28

medulla oblongata

Answer 28

connects spine to brain; left and right nerves cross here (right arm, left brain); also regulates respiratory, cardiac, vasosomatic stuff

Question 29

cauda equina

Answer 29

“horse tail”; fan of nerve fibers below end of spine

Question 30

meninges

Answer 30

3 connective tissue membranes surrounding brain and spinal cord

Question 31

dura mater

Answer 31

outermost meninges; thick, tough, channels/sinuses containing blood

Question 32

arachnoid membrane

Answer 32

middle meninges; loosely attached to other two with web-like fibers has CSF in the spaces

Question 33

pia mater

Answer 33

innermost meninges; delicate connective tissue w/ lots of blood vessels