Electrical Conduction Processes and Interactions

Brain

organ made of soft nervous tissue and located in skull, considered bodys command center since it controls all bodily functions

Cardioversion

procedure which uses electricity to restore a normal heart rhythm

Defibrillation

process in which an electrical impulse is sent to heart to attempt to restart when it has stopped (no pulse is present)

Action Potential

process which moves an electrical impulse through a nerve cell

Homeostasis

relatively stable conditions a body must maintain for survival

Bionics

replacement of damaged body parts with artificial body parts, prosthetic limbs

Synapse

space between nerve cells

Organelle

structure within cells which serves a specialized function, for example a nucleus

Peripheral Nervous System

subdivision of nervous system made up of nerves radiating from the spinal cord to all body parts

Central Nervous System

subdivision of the nervous system made up of brain and spinal cord

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)

technique used for pain relief which works by sending low electrical impulses through skin to a pressure point

Electrical Stimulation

technique which sends electrical impulses into muscles to promote healing and pain relief

Neuron

nerve cell consisting of cell body and axon, transmits messages in form of electrical impulses

Electrode

object placed on skin which conducts electrical impulses either to or from body

Neuromuscular Junction

location in body where nerves and muscles meet

Axon

long extension from the cell body of a neuron, carries impulses away from the cell

Cell Body

main part of a nerve cell, contains organelles to maintain homeostasis inside each cell

Nervous System

body system responsible for sensing the environment and sending messages back and forth between body parts and the brain

Nerve

bundle of fibers which carries messages throughout body to and from brain

Spinal Cord

cylindrical bundle of nerve fibers enclosed by spine, connects the brain to nearly all other parts of body

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

diagnostic tool used to detect electrical activity (brain waves) in brain

ECG/EKG (Electrocardiogram)

diagnostic tool used to detect electrical activity in heart

Cell Membrane

flexible outer barrier which surrounds a cell

Electrotherapy

use of electricity in medicine to heal and repair body, primarily used in physical therapy