| Term | Definition |
|---|
| central nervous system | brain and spinal cord |
| Neurons | nerve cells |
| neuroglia | nerve glue |
| dendrites | branch from cell body that conducts impulses towards cell body |
| myelin sheath | covers the axon of some neurons |
| synapse | smalll space between the synaptic end fibers of one neuron and the dendrites of another |
| astrocytes | star shaped cells with numerous radiating fingers surrounding the outside |
| microglia | engulf debris, waste products and pathogens in the nerve tissue |
| afferent nerves | transmit impulses toward the brain and spinal cord |
| efferent nerves | transmit impulses away from the brain and spinal cord |
| vertebrae | protects spinal cord |
| meninges | membranes that protect and surround the cns |
| pia mater | innermost layer of the meninges |
| arachnoid membrane | provides cushioning effect for the central nervous system |
| dura mater | tough, white connective tissue that surrounds and supports the large venous channels carrying blood from the brain toward the heart |
| cerebrum | controls consciousness, memory, sensations, emotions and voluntary movements |
| fissures | deep groves |
| sulci | shallow grooves |
| thalamus | relay station for incoming and outgoing nerve impulses |
| hypothalamus | maintains homeostasis |
| oxytocin | manufactured in hypothalamus to help uterus contract during labor |
| cerebellum | essential in maintaining muscle tone and coordinating normal movement and balance |
| pons | aids in respiration, part of the brain stem |
| medulla oblongata | aids in blood pressure and heart rate regulation, part of the brain stem |
| spinal cord | pathway for impulses traveling to and from the brain |
| somatic nervous system | voluntary and can be consciously controlled |
| ganglia | cell bodies outside the cns that carries impulses to the involuntary muscles and glands |
| sympathetic | body's primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to "flight or fight" |
| parasympathetic | decreased heart rate |
| reflex | simplest form of nervous system |
| neuritis | inflammation of nerve |
| sciatica | characterized by pain radiating down buttocks, behind knee down to foot |
| bell's palsy | temporary or permanent unilateral weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face |
Combine with other sets
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