2.2 The nervous and the endocrine system

Question 1

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 1

the brain and spinal cord.

Question 2

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 2

The part of the nervous system that links the CNS with the body’s sensory receptors, muscles, and glands.

Question 3

interneurons

Answer 3

Neurons that integrate information within the CNS through their communication with each other and between sensory and motor neurons in the spinal cord.

Question 3

sensory neurons

Answer 3

Neurons in the PNS that carry information to the CNS from sensory receptors, muscles, and glands

Question 4

motor neurons

Answer 4

Neurons in the PNS that carry movement commands from the CNS out to the rest of the body.

Question 5

spinal cord

Answer 5

The conduit between the brain and the PNS for incoming sensory data and outgoing movement commands to the muscles.

Question 6

spinal reflex

Answer 6

A simple automatic action of the spinal cord not requiring involvement of the brain, such as the knee-jerk reflex.

Question 7

somatic (skeletal)
nervous system

Answer 7

The part of the PNS that carries sensory input from receptors to the CNS and relays commands from the CNS to skeletal muscles to control their movement.

Question 8

autonomic nervous system

Answer 8

The part of the PNS that regulates the functioning of our internal environment (glands and organs like the heart, lungs, and stomach).

Question 9

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 9

The part of the autonomic nervous system that is in control when we are highly aroused, as in an emergency, and need to prepare for defensive action.

Question 10

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 10

The part of the autonomic nervous system that returns the body to its normal resting state after having been highly aroused, as in an emergency.

Question 11

endocrine glandular system

Answer 11

The body’s other major communication system. Communication is achieved through hormones that are secreted by the endocrine glands and travel through the bloodstream to their target sites.

Question 12

pituitary gland

Answer 12

the most influential gland in the endocrine glandular system. It releases hormones for human growth and hormones that direct other endocrine glands to release their hormones.

Question 13

emotion

Answer 13

A complex psychological state that involves a state of physiological arousal, an outward behavioral expression of the emotion, and a cognitive appraisal of the situation to determine the specific emotion and its intensity.

Question 14

hormone

Answer 14

A chemical messenger that is produced by an endocrine gland and carried by the bloodstream to target tissues throughout the body.

Question 15

James-Lange theory

Answer 15

A theory of emotion proposing that an emotion is determined from a cognitive appraisal of the physiological arousal and behavioral responses, which occur first.

Question 16

Cannon-Bard theory

Answer 16

A theory of emotion proposing that an emotion is determined from simultaneously occurring physiological arousal, behavioral responses, and cognitive appraisal.

Question 17

Schachter-Singer two-factor theory

Answer 17

A theory of emotion proposing that an emotion is determined by cognitive appraisal of the physiological arousal and the entire environmental situation.