Nervous system Flashcards
(36 cards)
How does your nervous system work?
By sending electrical signals to different parts of your body. That tell you how to act.
Two main parts of the nervous system?
CNS AND PNS
What does the CNS consist of?
The brain and spinal cord.
What does the CNS serve as?
Serving as the control center for
processing information and directing responses.
What does the brain do?
Manages complex functions like thought, memory, emotion, and movement.
What does the spinal cord do?
Acts as a communication highway, relaying signals between the brain and the body.
The PNS connects the ___ to the body.
CNS
Two main parts of PNS?
The somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
What does the somatic system do?
Controls voluntary movements
and sensory information.
Divisions of the autonomic system?
Sympathetic and
parasympathetic systems.
What does the sympathetic system do?
Prepares the body for action
(fight-or-flight).
What does the parasympathetic system do?
Conserves energy and supports “rest and digest” functions.
How do all of these systems help the body?
Ensure the body responds to
internal and external stimuli efficiently.
Functions Of The Nervous System?
Sensory input, integration, motor output and hemostasis.
Where are the neurotransmitters released and how?
Neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic cleft when a nerve impulse reaches a synapse.
What do the neurotransmitters attach to?
Receptors on the neighboring neuron, either stimulating or inhibiting it.
What do the neurotransmitters consist of?
Dopamine, Serotonin, Acetylcholine, GABA.
Dopamine function?
Associated with motivation, reward, and motor
control.
Serotonin function?
Controls hunger, mood, and sleep.
Acetylcholine function
Contributes to memory and muscle contraction.
GABA function?
Aids in controlling muscular tone and anxiety.
How do these parts and processes help the body?
Enable the nervous
system to respond and adapt to the surroundings in an efficient
manner, preserving general homeostasis and enabling
complex activities.
What is the reflex arc?
Pathway that a reflex takes through the nervous system, allowing for rapid,
automatic responses to certain stimuli.