Brain and Nervous System

Front

Part of the nervous system that extends out from the spinal cord to the rest of the body

Back

peripheral nervous system

Front

Nerve cells that run through our entire body that send and receive messages with each other; look like trees

Back

neurons

Front

The part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and passes it along through the cell body

Back

dendrite

Front

The part of a neuron that transmits messages away from cell body; covered by myelin sheath

Back

axon

Front

The part of a neuron that covers the axon; helps speed up the transmission of message; white fatty substance that also insulates the axon

Back

myelin sheath

Front

Part of a neuron gaps in the myelin sheath that don't cover the axon.

Back

nodes of Ranvier

Front

Small fibers branching out at the end of a neuron that send messages out to other neurons

Back

axon terminal

Front

The area between the axon terminals where messages are sent and dendrites that receive the message

Back

synapse

Front

Chemical messengers that carry impulses across the synaptic gaps between neurons

Back

neurotransmitters

Front

Wrinkled outer layer of the brain – like bark on a tree; has ridges and valleys

Back

cerebral cortex