The Nervous System and Mental Health Flashcards
(260 cards)
cerebr/o, encephal/o; coordinated all body activities by receiving and transmitting messages throughout the body
brain
myel/o; transmits nerve impulses between the brain, arms, legs, and lower part of the body; a long, fragile, tube-like structure that begins at the end of the brainstem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spinal column
spinal cord
neur/i, neur/o; receive and transmit messages to and from all parts of the body
nerves
receive external stimulation and transmit these stimuli to the sensory neurons
sensory organs/receptors
(CNS) brain and spinal cord; function is to receive and process information and to regulate all body activity; protected externally by the bones of the cranium and the vertebrae of the spinal column; within the bony structures, the brain and spinal cord are further protected by the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid
central nervous system
(PNS) includes the 12 pairs of cranial nerves and the 31 pairs of peripheral nerves; function is to transmit nerve signals to and from the central nervous system
peripheral nervous system
one or more bundles of neurons that connect the brain and spinal cord with other parts of the body
nerve
a bundle or group of nerve fibers located within the brain or spinal cord
tract
carry nerve impulses toward the brain
ascending nerve tracts
carry nerve impulses away from the brain
descending nerve tracts
a nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the nervous system
ganglion
the supply of nerves to a specific body part
innervation
a network of intersecting spinal nerves; also describes a network of intersecting blood or lymphatic vessels
plexus
sites in the sensory organs that receive external stimulation; send the stimulus through the sensory neurons to the brain for interpretation
receptors
anything that excites a nerve and causes an impulse
stimulus
an automatic, involuntary response to some change, either inside or outside the body
reflex
the basic cells of the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with each other
neurons
the root-like processes that receive impulses and conduct them to the cell body
dendrites
a process that conducts impulses away from the nerve cell; can be more that 3 feet long; many are protected by a myelin sheath, which is a white fatty tissue covering
axon
branching fibers at the end of the axon that lead to the nerve impulse from the axon to the synapse
terminal end fibers
the space between 2 neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ
synapse
chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse of a neuron to the target receptor
neurotransmitters
released at some synapses in the spinal cord and at neuromuscular junctions; it influences muscle actions
acetylcholine
released within the brain; an excess of dopamine is associated with schizophrenia, mood and thought disorders and in abnormal movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease
dopamine