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Nervous/Endocrine 1
All the vocabulary for Level 1 of the Nervous system & Endocrine system menu.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| nervous system | "all the nerves of the body, plus your brain and spinal cord - sends FAST messages like electricity through wires" |
| neuron | "a nerve cell, found throughout the body. they consist of 3 parts (axon, dendrite, cell body)" |
| nerve | a bundle of one or more neurons that carry messages throughout the body |
| stimulus | any internal or external change that causes a response by your body |
| response | a reaction (by your body) to a stimulus (change in environment) |
| homeostasis | "the regulation of steady, life-maintaining conditions (another word for regulation)" |
| regulation | the way your body controls its internal environment (another word for homeostasis) |
| impulse | an electrical message that travels along a nerve |
| receptor | "a body part that receives a stimulus (eye, skin, eardrum, etc.) - they contain a LOT of nerves close to the surface of your body!" |
| spinal cord | "an extension of the brain stem made up of a bundle of nerves that runs down the back. where reflexes are controlled." |
| brain | a part of the nervous system which coordinates all of your body's activities |
| hormone | chemical messengers used by the endocrine system to speed up and slow down body processes |
| endocrine system | a system of glands to produce hormones to regulate the body's activities - sends messages SLOWLY through the bloodstream |
| glands | "organs that are part of the endocrine system - which make and secrete (give off) hormones" |
| circulatory system | "System made up of the heart, blood vessels & blood. It carries hormones to their target tissues (also carries many other chemicals & special cells)" |
| muscles | Tissues that move your body by pulling on your bones. They receive messages from the brain that tell them to move! |