5.1.5 animal responses Flashcards
What is the nervous system?
The nervous system allows us to make sense of our surroundings and respond to them, as well as to co-ordinate and regulate body functions. Information is sent through the nervous system as nerve impulses (electrical signals that pass along nerve cells known as neurones).
What is the central nervous system composed of?
-The brain
-The spinal chord.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
The peripheral nervous system is a network of cells which allows messages to be sent from the environment to the central nervous system and from the central nervous system to the target organs.
What is the autonomic nervous system?
The autonomic nervous system sends information between bodily organs and glands. The effects of the autonomic system are involuntary e.g digestion, blood vessel diameter.
What is the somatic nervous system?
The somatic nervous system sends information from the sensory organs to the central nervous system and from the central nervous system to the muscles. The somatic nervous system controls conscious activities e.g running
Name the response that is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system
The fight or flight response.
Name the response that is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system
Rest and digest.
What can the peripheral nervous system be split into?
The autonomic nervous system
The somatic nervous system.
What are the three type of nerves that make up the somatic nervous system.
-Sensory nerves
-Motor nerves
-Spinal nerves
What are sensory nerves?
Sensory neurones which carry impulses from sensory organs to the CNS.
What is the central nervous system composed of?
The brain
The spinal chord
What is the peripheral nervous system composed of?
The autonomic nervous system
The somatic nervous system
What are the two states that the autonomic nervous system is divided into?
Parasympathetic
Sympathetic
Which gland is known as the ‘master gland’?
The pituitary gland.
Why is the pituitary gland known as the master gland?
It instructs the other glands to release hormones into the blood stream.
The human nervous consists of what two components?
-The central nervous system
-The peripheral nervous system
What is a bundle of neurones called?
A nerve.
What are motor nerves?
Motor neurones which carry impulses from the CNS to muscles and glands.
What are spinal nerves?
Mixed nerves that consist of both sensory and motor neurones.
Outline the divisions of the nervous system, staring with the peripheral nervous system.
Peripheral nervous system splits into autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system.
Autonomic branches into parasympathetic state and sympathetic state.
Somatic consists of 3 types of nerve cells (sensory nerves, motor nerves, spinal nerves).
How many lobes does the cerebrum consist of?
Five
How is the cerebrum divided?
Divided into 2 hemispheres.
How are the two hemispheres that make up the cerebrum joined?
Joined by a band of nerve fibres known as the corpus callosum.
Which side of the body does the left side of the brain control?
The right side.
What is the thin layer of the cerebrum called?
The cerebral cortex or ‘grey matter’.
How is the cerebral cortex adapted for its function?
Highly folded which increases surface area so it can contain a greater number of neurones so that more connections can be made.
What is the layer found underneath the cerebral cortex called?
White matter.
Function of cerebellum.
Controls motor co-ordination e.g balance.
Does the cerebellum function consciously or subconsciously?
Subconsciously.
Where is the medulla oblungata found?
Found at the base of the brain where it joins the spinal cord.
What are the three centres called that are found in the medulla oblungata?
The cardiac centre
The vasomotor centre
The respiratory centre
Function of cardiac centre?
Controls heart rate.
Function of vasomotor centre?
Controls blood pressure by controlling the contraction of smooth muscle in arteriole walls.
Function of respiratory centre?
Controls breathing rate.
Where is the hypothalamus found?
The middle of the lower part of the brain just above the pituitary gland.
Function of hypothalamus.
Monitors the blood as it flowing through it and in response, releases hormones itself or stimulates the pituatary gland to release certain hormones.
Main processes controlled by hypothalamus.
-Regulating body temperature- by monitoring blood temperature.
-Osmoregulation- by monitoring how concentrated the blood is.
-Regulating digestive activity- controls the secretion of enzymes in the gut and peristalsis.
-Controlling endocrine functions- releases chemicals that cause the pituitary gland to release certain hormones to control a variety of hormones e.g sleep, mood etc.
Where is the pituitary gland found?
At the bottom of brain, below the hypothalamus.
Function of hypothalamus.
Produces a range of hormones and some of these directly influence and regulate processes in the body but some stimulate the release of further hormones from specific, remote locations in the body e.g glands.
What are the two sub-sections of the pituitary gland called?
Anterior pituitary
Posterior pituitary
Function of anterior pituitary.
Produces and releases certain hormones.
Function of posterior pituitary.
Stores and releases hormones produced by the hypothalamus.
What is a reflex?
A reflex is where the body responds to a stimulus without making a conscious decision to respond.
Why are nerve impulses transmitted so quickly during reflex actions?
This is because the pathway of communication does not involve conscious parts of the brain.
Nerve impulses don’t have to travel across many synapses so information travels really fast from receptors to effectors.
Uses of reflex actions?
Reflex actions usually have protective purposes or survival value.