Nervous System
What is the function of the cerebellum?
coordinates muscle movements, balance, posture, and muscle tone.
Myelin Shealth
protects the axons and speeds up the impulse as it travels.
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system? What do they contain?
Central nervous system: brain and spinal cord. Peripheral nervous system: consists of nerves that reach all parts of the body, has division called the autonomic nervous system.
How is the brain stem separated and what is the function of each part?
Mid brain: conducts impulses
What is the automatic nervous system?
Part of the division of the peripheral nervous system. Controls involuntary or automatic activities of the vital organs.
How is the diencephalon separated? What are the functions of each part?
Thalamus: directs sensory impulses to the cerebrum. Hypothalamus: controls the automatic nervous system, body temperature, appetite, water balance, sleep, blood vessel dialation and constrictions, an emotions.
How is the cerebrum separated? What is its function?
The cerebrum is separated into 4 lobes; frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital. Concerned with reasoning, the senses, speech, and voluntary body movements.
What is a neuron? What is its job?
a nerve cell. Its job is to transmit a message from one cell to the next.
Neurotransmitters
a special chemical that helps impulses "jump" the synapse to pass a message form cell to cell.
What are associative neurons?
carry messages from afferent neurons to efferent neurons.
What are afferent neurons?
carry messages from all body parts to the brain and spinal cord.
What are efferent neurons?
carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.
Axon
conduct impulses away from the cell. A cell only has one axon.
Dendrite
conduct impulses toward the cell. A cell may have several dendrites.
What is the main function of the nervous system?
the communication system of the body. Coordinates all of the body's activities.
Synapse
the space between a dendrite and an axon.