Central Nervous System Definitions Brain an organ of the central nervous system that integrates and coordinates virtually all functions of the body Nerve a bundle of specialized cells that transmit information Spinal Cord a bundle of nerve fibers contained within the bony spinal column that transmits information between the brain and the rest of the body Central Nervous System CNS the brain and the spinal cord Peripheral Nervous System PNS all the nervous tissue outside the central nervous system The PNS collects sensory information and transmits instructions from the CNS Neurons specialized cells of the nervous system that generate electrical signals in the form of action potentials Sensory Neurons cells that convey information from both inside and outside the body to the CNS Motor Neurons Neurons that control the contraction of skeletal muscles Cell Body the part of a neuron that contains most of the cell s organelles including the nucleus Dendrites branched extensions from the cell body of a neuron which receive incoming information Axon the long extension of a neuron that conducts action potentials away from the cell body toward the axon terminal Axon Terminal the tip of an axon which communicates with the next cell in the pathway Action Potential the electrical signal within neurons caused by ions moving across the cell membrane Myelin a fatty substance that insulates the axons of neurons and facilitates rapid conduction of action potentials Glial Cells supporting cells of the nervous system Cerebellum the part of the brain that processes sensory information and is involved in movement coordination and balance Brain Stem the part of the brain that is closest to the spinal cord and which controls vital functions such as heart rate breathing and blood pressure Cerebrum the region of the brain that controls intelligence learning perception and emotion Cerebral Cortex the outer layer of the cerebrum the cerebral cortex is involved in many advanced brain functions Diencephalon a brain region located between the brain stem and the cerebrum that includes the thalamus and hypothalamus among other structures and regulates homeostatic functions like body temperature hunger thirst and the sex drive Hippocampus the region of the brain involved in learning and memory Amygdala a sub region of the brain that processes emotions especially fear and anxiety and is the seat of emotional memories Dopamine a neurotransmitter that is involved in conveying a sense of pleasure in the brain Synapse the site of communication between a neuron and another cell the synapse includes the axon terminal of the communicating neuron the space between the cells and the site of reception on the receiving cell Neurotransmitter a chemical signaling molecule released by neurons to communicate with neighboring cells Synaptic Cleft the physical space between a neuron and the cell with which it is communicating
View Full Document
Unlocking...