semester 2 exam

• Central Nervous System


  The body's primary information processing center
• Peripheral nervous system


  All the nervous tissue outside the CNS
• Nerve


  Bundle of neuron fibers surrounded by connective tissue
• Stimulus


  Information about an environmental change
• Sensory neurons


  Neurons that carry information about stimuli to the CNS
• Sensory receptors


  Highly specialized cells that receive stimuli
• Interneurons


  Neurons located entirely within the CNS
• Motor Neurons


  Neurons that carry signals like muscles contracting and hormones being secreted away from the CNS
• Reflex


  A rapid, automatic response
• Dendrite


  Receive signals and carry them toward the neuron's cell body
• Axon


  Carries electrical impulses away from the cell body and toward other cells
• Myelin Sheath


  Insulated material that surrounds the axons
• Nodes


  Uninsulated part of the axon fiber. Part where the signal can jump between
• Depolarization


  Voltage change across a membrane
• Threshold


  Certain level the membrane must be depolarized to
• Action potential


  Strong depolarization which is the start of the nerve signal
• Synapse


  The junction between knobs on the neuron and another cell
• Synaptic cleft


  Tiny space between which the nerve signal must be transmitted
• Neurotransmitters


  Small, nitrogen-containing organic compounds
• Somatic Nervous System


  Part of the peripheral nervous system associated with skeletal muscle voluntary control of body movements
• Autonomic Nervous System


  The part of the nervous system responsible for control of the bodily functions not consciously directed, such as breathing, the heartbeat, and digestive processes
• Sympathetic Division


  Nervous system, along with the entire and parasympathetic systems. Its general action is to mobilize the body's nervous system fight-or-flight response
• Parasympathetic division


  Calms the body and returns it to a regular maintenance function
• Meninges


  Connective tissue that cushions the brain and spinal cord
• Cerebrospinal fluid


  Bathes the brain and spinal cord and acts as a shock absorber. Also allows for the exchange of nutrients
• Cerebrum


  Largest and most complex part of the brain
• Corpus Callosum


  Connects the hemispheres of the brain and supports communication
• Cerebral cortex


  The outer region of the cerebrum
• Cerebellum


  The coordination center for body movements
• Brainstem


  Lower section of the brain that includes the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the midbrain
• Thalamus


  Located in the middle of the brain, sorts information going to and coming from the cerebral cortex
• Hypothalamus


  Helps to regulate body temperature, blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and emotions
• Pathogen


  Disease causing organism
• Infectious diseases


  Diseases caused by pathogens
• Nonspecific defenses


  Barriers which do not distinguish one invader from another
• Inflammatory response


  A nonspecific defense characterized by redness, heat, swelling, and pain
• Histamines


  Cause nearby blood vessels to dilate (Expand)
• Interferon


  Protein produced by cells in response to becoming infected by a virus
• Immunity


  Your body is resistant to the pathogen that causes a specific disease
• Antigen


  Large molecule, usually a protein, that provokes an immune response