Chapter 4: Neuromotor basis for motor control

- Concept: the neuromotor system forms the foundation for the control of movement
- Intro:
o The Neuromotor system:
 Components of the CNS and PNS (makes muscles active- spine out to limbs)
involved in the control of coordinated movement
 Focus = CNS structure + function
- The Neuron = NERVE CELL
o Basic component of nervous system
o Range in size from 4 to 100 microns
o Provide the means for recieveing and sending info through the entire nervous
system
o General structure:
 Cell body
 Contains nucleus – Regulates homeostatsis of the neuron
 Dendrites
 Extensions from cell body: range from 1 to 1000’s per neuron
 Relase info from other cells
 Many have none- thousands
 Axon (“nerve fiber”)
 Extension from cell body – one per neuron with brances (known as
collaterals)
 Sends info from neuron
 Ends of these = axon terminals (provide a signal transmission relay
station for neurotransmitters) = chemical signals passed on to other
neurons or to muscles (in movmenet control)
 Covered by myelin – cell mem that speeds up the transmission of
neural signals along the axon
o Passing of neural signals from one neuron to another occurs
at a SYNAPSE—junction between the axon of a neuron and
another neuron
o SAME
 SA = Sensory – AFFARENT
 ME = Motor – EFFERENT