Nervous system work sheet

University of Phoenix 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
Description
Central nervous system
System of nerves that includes the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord
Cell body
Part of a neuron that contains a nucleus but does not incorporate the axon and dendrites
Peripheral nervous system
All nerves that are not part of the CNS
Dendrites
Short branched extension of a nerve cell that receives signals from other nerves cells.
Somatic nervous system
Nervous system associated with voluntary body movements, such as moving and arm or leg.
Axon
Long threat like nerve cell that sends impulses to other cells in the body
Buttons
The end of a neuron which sends and receives signals to other neurons
Autonomic nervous system
Part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary actions such as breathing or keeping your heart beating.
Synapses
Junction between two nerve cells
Dura mater meninx
Tough fibrous membrane that covers the spinal cord and brain.
Mesencephalon
Another term for midbrain
Arachnoid meninx
A tough spider like membrane that is one of three layers that protect the brain and spinal cord
Cerebrospinal fluid
Clear fluid that surrounds the spinal cord
Diencephalon
Posterior part of the forebrain that contains the epithalamiums, thalamus and hypothalamus.
Pia mater meninx
Inner most membrane that protects the brain and spinal