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Central Nervous System - the part of the nervous system that integrates theinformation that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies

of bilaterian animalsthat is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially

symmetric animals

Peripheral Nerves - responsible for relaying information from your central nervoussystem (brain and spinal cord) to muscles and other organs. When entrapped by

restrictions, injury, or trauma, patients may experience loss of function, tingling, or pain

in their extremities

Neurons - a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell Resting Potential - The relatively static membrane potential of quiescent cells is called

the resting membrane potential (or resting voltage), as opposed to the specific dynamic

electrochemical phenomena called action potential and graded membrane potential.

Action Potential - occur when the neuron becomes depolarized and sodium rushes intothe axon. Opening one sodium gate causes the gate next to it to open, which causes thenext one to open, and so forth, all the way down the length of the axon

Depolarization - depolarization is a change in a cell's membrane potential, making itmore positive, or less negative. In neurons and some other cells, a large enough

depolarization may result in an action potential

Repolarization - repolarization refers to the change in membrane potential that returnsthe membrane potential to a negative value after the depolarization phase of an action

potential has just previously changed the membrane potential to a positive value

Negative Feedback - The diminution or counteraction of an effect by its own influenceon the process giving rise to it, as when a high level of a particular hormone in the bloodmay inhibit further secretion of that hormone, or where the result of a certain action

may inhibit further performance of that action

Hypothalamus - A region of the forebrain below the thalamus that coordinates both theautonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary, controlling body

temperature, thirst, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and

emotional activity

Glucagon - A hormone formed in the pancreas that promotes the breakdown ofglycogen to glucose in the liver

Insulin - A hormone produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans that regulatesthe amount of glucose in the blood. The lack ofinsulin causes a form of diabetes

Pancreatic Islets - The islets of Langerhans are the regions of the pancreas that containits endocrine (i.e., hormone-producing) cells

Type 1 Diabetes - Diabetes mellitus type 1 (Type 1 diabetes, IDDM, or juvenile diabetes)is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-

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producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased

blood and urine glucose.

Type 2 Diabetes - A condition in which the body does not make sufficient insulin orcannot effectively use insulin, interfering with the metabolism of carbohydrates. May be

managed with diet, exercise, oral medications, or injected insulin preparations.