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SLS Bio12 Nervous Sy
SLS Bio12 NervousSystem JW
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acetylcholine (ACh) | A chemical found in vertebrate neurons that carries information across the synaptic cleft, the space between two nerve cells |
| Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) | An enzyme that breaks down unused acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft (the space between neurons), this enzyme is necessary to restore the synaptic cleft so it is ready to transmit the next nerve impulse |
| Action Potential | A short-term change in the electrical potential on the surface of a cell (e.g. a nerve cell or muscle cell) in response to stimulation, and then leads to the transmission of an electrical impulse |
| Adrenal Medulla | The inner, reddish-brown portion of the adrenal glands that synthesizes, stores, and releases epinephrine and norepinephrine |
| Adrenalin "all-or-none" response | This is a hormone secreted by an animal in 'fight or flight circumstances, which basically means when the organism has to exert higher than average thinking and movement in a particular situation, usually in danger |
| Autonomic Nervous System | Neurons that are not under conscious control, comprising two antagonistic components, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems |
| Axomembrane | |
| Axon | A long process of a neuron, that carries efferent (outgoing) action potentials from the cell body towards target cells |
| Axoplasm | The cytoplasm of a neuro |
| Calcium Ion | Ion of calcium; a factor in the clotting of blood |
| Cell Body | Used in reference to neurons, the main part of the cell around the nucleus excluding long processes such as axons and dendrites |
| Central Nervous System | Pertaining to the brain, cranial nerves and spinal cord. It does not include muscles or peripheral nerves |
| Cerebullum | Part of the vertebrate hindbrain, concerned primarily with somatic motor function, the control of muscle tone and the maintenance of balance |
| Cerebrum | The portion of the brain (frontal lobes) where thought and higher function reside |
| Contractile Protein | They include muscle proteins as well as those found in other cells and tissues. In the latter, these proteins participate in localised contractile events in the cytoplasm, in motile activity, and in cell aggregation phenomena. |
| Corpus Callosum | A great commissure (connection) between the two cerebral hemispheres |
| Dendrite | One of the threadlike extensions of the cytoplasm of a neuron |
| Depolarization | The process or act of neutralising polarity, depriving of polarity, or the result of such action; reduction to an unpolarised condition. |
| Effector | A molecule, chemical, or structure that regulates a pathway by increasing or decreasing the pathway's reaction rate |
| Excitatory Neurotransmitter | A synapse in which the nerve impulse in a presynaptic cell tend to increase the probability of the postsynaptic cell to fire an action potential |
| Hypothalamus | A portion of the brain which lies beneath the thalamus and secretes substances which control metabolism by exerting an influence on pituitary gland function |
| Impulse | The movement of action potential along a nerve fiber in response to a stimulus |
| Inhibitory Neurotransmitter | A neurotransmitter that acts to prevent a neuron from firing an action potential |
| Interneuron | Any local circuit neuron of the central nervous system that relays impulses between sensory neuron and motor neuron |
| Medulla Oblongata | The lowest subdivision of the brainstem, immediately adjacent to the spinal cord. Houses important cardiac and respiratory regulatory centres. Lower or hindmost part of the brain; continuous with spinal cord |
| Meninges | The three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord |
| Motor Neuron | Neurons which activate muscle cells. These neurons transmits messages from the brain through the spinal cord. |
| Myelin Sheath | An insulating layer surrounding vertebrate peripheral neurons, that dramatically increases the speed of conduction. It is formed by specialised schwann cells, that can wrap around neurons up to 50 times |
| Myelinated Nerve Fibre | A nerve fiber encased in a sheath of myelin |
| Neuroendocrine Control Centre | Of, relating to, or involving the interaction between the nervous system and the hormones of the endocrine glands |
| Neuron | An excitable cell that has specialized cell parts (such as soma, dendrites and axons), structures (such as synapses), and chemicals (such as neurotransmitters) for conducting nerve impulses |
| Neurotransmitters | Any of a group of substances that are released on excitation from the axon terminal of a presynaptic neuron of the central or peripheral nervous system and travel across the synaptic cleft to either excite or inhibit the target cell |
| Node of Ranvier | A constriction in the myelin sheath, occurring at varying intervals along the length of a nerve fiber |
| Norepinephrine | Catecholamine neurohormone, the neurotransmitter of most of the sympathetic nervous system (of so called adrenergic neurons): binds more strongly to _ adrenergic receptors. Stored and released from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla |
| Parasympathetic Divison | A division of the (vertebrate) autonomic nervous system whose physiological effects are mostly in opposition to those of the sympathetic nervous system; e.g. it is involved in the slowing of the heart beat and relaxing the muscles |
| Peripheral Nervous System | One of the two major divisions of the nervous system. Nerves in the PNS connect the central nervous system (cNS) with sensory organs, other organs, muscles, bloodvessels and glands |
| Pituitary Gland | A small endocrine gland secreting hormones that regulate growth and metabolism, and is located at the base of the brain |
| Polarity | The tendency of forming distinctive opposing charges based on the orientation of chemical bonds and spatial structure of the molecule |
| Postsynaptic Membrane | That part of the plasma membrane of a neuron or muscle fibre with which an axon terminal forms a synaptic junction |
| Potassium Gate | Ion channel selective for potassium ions. There are diverse types with different functions, for example: delayed rectifier channels, m channels, A channels, inward rectifier channels, ca dependent K channels |
| Presynaptic Membrane | That part of the plasma membrane of an axon terminal that faces the plasma membrane of the neuron or muscle fibre with which the axon terminal establishes a synaptic junction |
| Receptor | A sensory nerve terminal that responds to stimuli of various kinds |
| Reflex Arc | Thee neural pathway over which impulses travel to produce a reflex action, consisting of at least one afferent (receptor) and one efferent (effector) neuron |
| Refractory Period | The time after a neuron fires or a muscle fiber contracts during which a stimulus will not evoke a response |
| Repolarization | The reestablishment of polarity, especially the return of cell membrane potential to resting potential after depolarization |
| Resting Potential | Resting potentials reflect the action of the sodium pump only indirectly, they are mainly caused by the subsequent diffusion of potassium out of the cell through potassium leak channels |
| Saltatory Transmission | A method of neuronal transmission in vertebrate nerves, where only specialised nodes of Ranvier participate in excitation. This reduces the capacitance of the neuron, allowing much faster transmission |
| Schwann Cell | A glial cell that wraps around the nerve fiber in the peripheral nervous system, and forms the myelin sheaths of peripheral axons |
| Sensory Neuron | A neuron that receives input from sensory cells |
| Sodium Gate | The channel is voltage gated: it opens in response to a small depolarisation of the cell (usually caused by an approaching action potential), by a multistep process |
| Sodium-Potassium Pump | A sodium potassium pump is a mechanism located in the permeable membrane of a cell. It is a mechanism of active transport for molecules through the membrane |
| Somatic Nervous System | The section of the nervous system responsible for sensation and control of the skeletal muscles |
| Sympathetic Division | A division of the (vertebrate) autonomic nervous system that is chiefly involved in producing an immediate and effective response (e.g. fight-or-flight response) during stress or emergency situations |
| Synapse | The junction between neurons such that the nerve impulse is transmitted from a neuron to another neuron or to a muscle cell or gland cel |
| Synaptic Cleft | The minute gap between presynaptic cell and postsynaptic cell in a chemical synapse, across which the neurotransmitters diffuse into |
| Synaptic Ending | A region where nerve impulses are transmitted and received, encompassing the axon terminal of a neuron that releases neurotransmitters in response to an impulse |
| Synaptic Vesicle | Any of the intracellular, membrane-bound compartments with diameter ranging from 20 to 65 nm, with transmitter molecules inside, and occur in (presynaptic) axon terminals of neuron |
| Thalamus | Either of two large, ovoid masses, consisting chiefly of grey substance, situated one on each side of and forming part of the lateral wall of the third ventricle. It is divided into two major parts: dorsal and ventral, each of which contains many nuclei |
| Threshold Value |
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jwaslen
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