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
