Chapter 10-Vervous System Vocab
Terms
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- acetylcholine
- Neurotransmitter chemical released at the ends of some nerve cells.
- arachnoid membrane
- Middle layer of the three membranes (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord.
- astrocyte
- A type of glial (neuroglial) cell; connective, supporting cell of the nervous system. Astrocytes transport water and salts from capillaries.
- autonomic nervous system
- Nerves that control involuntary body functions of muscles, glands, and internal organs.
- axon
- Microscopic fiber that carries the nervous impulse along a nerve cell.
- blood-brain barrier
- blood vessels (capillaries) that selectively let certain substances enter the brain tissue and keep other substances out.
- brainstem
- Lower portion of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. The pons and medulla oblongata are part of the brainstem
- cauda equina
- Collection of spinal nerves below the end of the spinal cord.
- cell body
- Part of a nerve cell that contains the nucleus.
- central nervous system (CNS)
- brain and spinal cord
- cerebellum
- part of the brain that coordinates muscle movements and maintains balance.
- cerebral cortex
- outer region of the cerebrum; containing sheets of nerve cells; gray matter of the brain.
- cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
- Fluid that circulates throughout the brain and spinal cord.
- cerebrum
- Largest part of the brain; responsible for voluntary muscular activity, vision, speech, taste, hearing, thought, and memory.
- dendrite
- Microscopic branching fiber of a nerve cell that is the first part to receive the nervous stimuli
- dura mater
- Thick, outermost layer of the meninges surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
- ependymal cell
- A cell that lines the fluid-filled sacs of the brain and spinal cord
- ganglion
- a collection of nerve cell bodies in the peripheral nbervous system
- glial cells (neuroglia)
- cells in the nervous system that do not carry impulses but are supportive and connective in function.
- gyrus (plural: gyri)
- sheets of nerve cells that produce elevation in the surface of the cerebral cortex; convolution
- Hypothalamus
- Portion of the brain beneath the thalamus; controls sleep, appetitie, body temperature, and secretions from the pituitary gland
- medulla oblongata
- the part of the brain just above the spinal cord; controls breathing, heartbeat, and the size of blood vessels; nerve fivers cross over here.
- meninges
- three protective layers that surround the brain and spinal cord
- micorglial cell
- one type of glial cell. It is a phagocyte
- motor nerves
- carry messages away from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and organs; efferent (ef=away) nerves
- myelin sheath
- fatty tissue that surrounds, protects, and insulates the axon of a nerve cell. These sheaths are white in color (white matter)
- nerve
- macroscopic structure consisting of axons and dendrites in bundles like strands of rope.
- neuron
- a nerve cell; carries impulses throughout the body. There are about 10 billion neurons
- neurotransmitter
- chemical messenger, released at the end of a nerve cell. It stimulates or inhibits another cell, which can be a nerve cell, muscle cell, or gland cell.
- oligodendroglial cell
- glial cell that forms the myelin sheath covering axons.
- parasympathetic nerves
- involuntary, autonomic nerves that help regulate body functions like heart rate and respiration
- parenchyma
- essential, distinguishing cells of an organ. Neurons are the parenchymal tissur of the brain.
- Pia mater
- thin, delicate inner membrane of the meninges
- plexus (plural: plexuses)
- large, interlacing network of nerves.
- pons
- part of the brain anterior to the cerebellum and between the medulla and the rest of the brain. It is a bridge connecting various parts of the brain
- receptor
- Organ that receives a nervous stimulation and passes it on to nerves within the body. The dkin, ears, eyes, and taste buds are receptors.
- Sensory nerves
- Carry messages to the brain and spinal cord from a receptor; afferent (af=toward) nerves.
- stimulus (plural: stimuli)
- change (light, sound, touch) in the internal or external environment that evokes a response
- stroma
- connective and supporting tissue of an organ. Glial cells are the stromal tissue of the brain
- sulcus (plural: sulci)
- Depression or groove in the surface of the cerebral cortex; fissure.
- sympathetic nerves
- Autonomic nerves that influence body functions involuntarily in times of stress.
- synapse
- the space (juncture) through which a nervous impulse is transmitted fron one neuron to another or from a neuron to another cell, such as a muscle or gland cell
- thalamus
- Main relay center of the brain. It conducts impulses between the spinal cord and the cerebrum; incoming sensory messages are relayed through the thalamus to appropriate centers in the cerebrum.
- ventricle of the brain
- reservoirs (canals) in the interior of the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid.