Download Axia College Material Appendix B Structures of the Nervous System

Axia College Material
Appendix B
Structures of the Nervous System
This activity will increase your understanding of the different structures of the nervous system and
brain. During the Web activity, you will view a variety of structures of the brain and nervous
system and label each with the appropriate term. You will use this document to write a description
for the terms you used in the activity.
As you conduct the Structures of the Nervous System activity, follow along with this Word
document and fill in the descriptions of those terms you used to label the structures. All of the
terms in the activity are listed here, but you only need to provide descriptions for those you used.
Term
Central nervous
system
Cell body
Peripheral nervous
system
Description
CNS is a part of the nervous system of all vertebrates. It
is located in the spine and skull.
This is the center of metabolic activity within each
neuron. The cell body is also called the soma.
This is the part of the vertebrate nervous system which
is located outside the CNS (i.e. outside the spine and
skull).
PSY 240
Dendrites
Dendrites receive information from other neurons
through their short processes.
Somatic nervous
system
Axon
The axon is the nerve fiber long process structure that
carries information from the cell body.
Buttons
The buttons are located at the ends of axon branches.
The buttons release chemicals into the nerve synapse.
Autonomic nervous
system
Synapses
This is the space between two neurons. Chemicals are
transmitted across the synaptic gap.
Dura mater meninx
A protective membrane. It is the outermost layer of the
brain and one of three such protective membranes.
The part of the midbrain that is made up of the tectum
and the tegmentum.
Mesencephalon
Arachnoid meninx
The middle one of the protective membranes of the
brain. It lies just above the subarachnoid space.
Cerebrospinal fluid
This fluid serves as a protective cushion and support for
the CNS.
Diencephalon
Located in the forebrain. It is made up of the thalamus
and hypothalamus.
Pia mater meninx
The innermost of the three protective membranes of the
brain. It lies between the subarachnoid space and the
brain’s cortex.
Cerebral ventricles
Telencephalon
Located in the forebrain. It is the largest single part of
the brain. It controls most of our complex functions,
including sensory information processing and cognitive
processes, as well as involuntary movement.
Metencephalon
Located in the hindbrain. It is made up of a number of
tracts and is responsible in part for reticular formation.
Brain stem
Basal ganglia
Myelencephalon
The other part of the hindbrain. It is made up of large
tracks that serve to carry signals between the brain and
the body.
PSY 240