31.

1 The Neuron

Modified True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false. If false, change the identified word or phrase to make the
statement true.

____ 1. Your nervous system receives information that a baseball is being thrown in your direction.
After the information is processed by your brain, your central nervous system directly
stimulates the muscles in your hands to catch the ball. _________________________

____ 2. Spreading out from the cell body of a neuron are short, branched extensions called axons that
gather information. _________________________

____ 3. Myelin sheaths can be damaged by strokes or nutritional deficiencies. If a neuron has a
damaged myelin sheath, impulses move faster through the axon than they would in a healthy
neuron. _________________________

____ 4. When a stimulus is weaker than the threshold of a neuron, it will not produce an impulse.
_________________________

____ 5. A resting potential is produced when the inside of the cell temporarily becomes more positive
than the outside of the cell._________________________
Completion
Complete each statement.

1. The brain and the spinal cord make up the _________________ nervous system.

2. In most animals, axons and dendrites are clustered into bundles of fibers called
____________________.

3. The myelin sheath that surrounds a single long axon leaves many gaps, called
____________________, where the axon membrane is exposed.

4. The difference in electrical charge across the cell membrane of a resting neuron is its resting
____________________.

5. The feeling of anxiety you have before a big science exam is associated with the
____________________.

6. When a person loses consciousness due to a head injury from a car crash, the
____________________ keeps the body functioning by regulating the flow of information
between the brain and the rest of the body.
Short Answer
1. Explain the relationship between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous
system. How do they work together to accomplish a task?