Nervous System Key Terms

central nervous system: part of the nervous system made up of the brain and spinal cord.

• What is the central nervous system?

• What is the peripheral nervous system?

• What is the autonomic nervous system?

• What is the somatic nervous system?

What is the peripheral nervous system?

• The peripheral nervous system is part of the nervous system made up of nerves outside the CNS.

• The peripheral nervous system is the brain and spinal cord.

• The peripheral nervous system is responsible for processing sensory information.

• The peripheral nervous system is a network of blood vessels.

What is the sensory (afferent) division of the PNS?

• division of the PNS composed of nerves that carry information TO the CNS.

• division of the CNS composed of nerves that carry information TO the PNS.

• division of the PNS composed of nerves that carry information FROM the CNS.

• division of the CNS composed of nerves that carry information FROM the PNS.

motor (efferent) division: division of the PNS composed of nerves that carry information FROM the CNS.

• What is the motor (efferent) division of the PNS?

• What is the sensory (afferent) division of the PNS?

• What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

• What is the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?

somatic division: part of the motor division responsible for conscious or voluntary control of skeletal muscles and reflexes.

• What is the somatic division?

• What is the autonomic division?

• What is the sensory division?

• What is the central nervous system?

autonomic division: part of the motor division responsible for automatic or involuntary responses.

• What is the autonomic division?

• What is the somatic division?

• What is the sensory division?

• What is the central division?

neuroglia: cells of the nervous system that insulate, support, and protect delicate neurons.

• What are neuroglia?

• Cells that transmit nerve impulses

• Cells that form the blood-brain barrier

• Cells that produce cerebrospinal fluid

What are neurons?

• Nerve cells

• Blood cells

• Muscle cells

• Bone cells

dendrites: fibers that receive and convey messages to the cell body of a neuron.

• What are dendrites?

• What are axons?

• What are synapses?

• What are neurotransmitters?

What is the cell body of a neuron?

• The cell body is the metabolic center of a neuron and contains the nucleus.

• The cell body is the part of the neuron that receives signals from other neurons.

• The cell body is responsible for transmitting electrical impulses to other neurons.

• The cell body is the protective outer layer of the neuron.