Animal Responses

Question 1

Name the two main divisions of the nervous system.

Answer 1

Central nervous system - consists of the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system - consists of voluntary and autonomic responses. Autonomic responses can be sympathetic or parasympathetic

Question 2

Name the two main divisions of the peripheral nervous system.

Answer 2

Somatic - under conscious control
Autonomic - not under conscious control

Question 3

Describe the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

Answer 3

Sympathetic - often stimulates effectors e.g. in fight or flight response. Neurotransmitter noradrenaline is released. The ganglia (group of nerve or brain cells that are closely related) it affects is near the CNS
Parasympathetic - often inhibits effectors e.g. rest/digest response, Neurotransmitter acetylcholine is released, the ganglia is far from the CNS
Acts antagonistically to regulate response of effectors

Question 4

Describe the gross structure of the human brain.

Answer 4

Cerebrum - controls voluntary actions such as learning, memory etc
Cerebellum - controls unconscious, non voluntary movement functions such as posture balance
Medulla oblongata - used in autonomic control e.g. controls heart rate and breathing rate
Hypothalamus - regulatory centre for temperature and water balance
Pituitary gland - stores and releases hormones that regulate some body functions

Question 5

Describe the function of the cerebellum.

Answer 5

Coordinates movement. It receives information from the organs of balance and relays the information to the areas of the cerebral cortex that are involved in motor control

Question 6

Identify the function of the medulla oblongata.

Answer 6

Contains many important regulatory centres which control reflex activities such as breathing rate and heart rate