B3: Organism level systems Flashcards
what does the nervous system do
- it detects and responds to changes in your external environment
what does the central nervous system consists of (CNS)
- brain
- spinal cord
what is a stimulus
- a change in the environment
what do receptors do
- they detect the stimulus
> different receptors detect different stimuli - they change the stimulus into electrical impulses that travel along neurons (nerve cells) to your CNS
what are neurons
- specialised nerve cells which transmit electrical impulses around the nervous system
what are effectors
- muscles or glands
what is a response
- a reaction to the stimulus carried out by effectors
what are reflexes
- involuntary responses that occur without conscious thought
- you don’t have control over these responses
- reflexes are very fast to protect us from harm
what are nerves
- a bundle of neuron cells
name the different types of neurons
- sensory
- relay
- motor
what do sensory neurones do
- they carry electrical impulses from receptor cells to CNS
what do relay neurones do
- they carry electrical impulses within CNS and allow sensory and motor neurones to communicate
what do motor neurones do
- they carry electrical impulses from the CNS to effectors
describe the structure of a sensory neuron
- dendrites so can connect with many other neurones
- electrical impulse carried along dendron to cell body
- from cell body carried along axon to CNS
- axons + dendrons covered with fatty myelin sheath - electrical insulator, speeding up electrical impulse
describe the structure of a relay neuron
- nucleus
- cell body
- dendrites
- axon
- dendron
describe the structure of a motor neuron
- dendrites, cell body, nucleus
- electrical impulse along axon (away from cell body) to effector
what is a synapse
- a gap between 2 neurones
electrical impulses can’t travel through the synapse, what is done instead
- chemicals called neurotransmitters diffuse across the gap
- they then bind with receptor molecules on the next neuron setting off a new electrical impulse
describe the reflex arc with a flow chart
Stimulus > receptor cells > sensory neuron > relay neuron > CNS > relay neuron > motor neuron > effector > response
how can the components of the nervous system produce a coordinated response
- it goes to all parts of the body
- has many links
- has different sensory receptors and is able to coordinate responses
describe the reflex arc (words)
- a change in environment (stimulus) is detected by a receptor
- an electrical impulse is travelled along the sensory neurone to the CNS
- the impulse is carried through the CNS along the relay neuron until it gets to the motor neuron
- the impulse is then passed along the motor neuron until it gets to an effector
- the effector then brings about a response - a reflex (involuntary response)
what is the cornea and its function
- transparent layer on the front of the eye
- protects the eye
- refracts (bends) light entering the eyes
what is the iris and its function
- coloured ring of muscle
- alters pupil size by contracting or relaxing
what is the pupil and its function
- central hole in the iris
- allows different amounts of light into the eye
what is the lens and its function
- transparent flexible biconcave lens
- focuses light rays clearly onto the retina
what is the retina and its function
- layer of light sensitive cells + nerve endings
- light focuses onto the retina forming an image
what is the optic nerve and its function
- nervous tissue
- carries nerve impulses to the brain
what is the ciliary body and its function
- ring of ciliary muscle
- alters the shape of the lens (accomodation)
what are the suspensory ligaments and its functon
- ligament tissue
- connects the ciliary muscle to the lens and helps with accomodation
what are the 2 sets of muscles in the iris
- circular
- radial
what is it called when muscles have opposite effects
- antagonistic
if there is bright light what will happen to the muscles in the iris
- circular muscle contracts
- radial muscle relaxes
- pupil constricts
- lets less light in
if there is dim light what will happen to the muscles in the iris
- circular muscle relaxes
- radial muscle contracts
- pupil dilates
- lets more light in
how are images formed
- light rays from object enters the eye and is refracted by the cornea
- light then passes through pupil and is further refracted by the lens
- this produces a sharp image on the retina
- light receptors in the retina produce a nervous impulse which is carried to the brain and the impulses can be visualised
how do your eyes focus on a nearby object
- ciliary muscle contracts
- suspensory ligament slackens
- lens becomes more convex - fatter
how do your eyes focus on a distant object
- ciliary muscle relaxes
- suspensory ligaments become taut
- lens becomes more concave - thinner
what causes short sightedness
- lens being too strong
- eyeball being too long
what causes long sightedness
- lens being too weak
> ciliary muscles being weak causes lens to be weak as muscle wont contract enough to create a convex lens - eyeball being too short
what happens in short sightedness
- the light rays bend too much
- the light rays meet Infront of the retina so image is blurred
how is short sightedness corrected
- by using glasses or contact lenses with a concave lens
- this bends the light rays outwards before they enter the eye
what happens in long sightedness
- the light rays don’t bend enough
- the light rays meet behind the retina so image is blurred
how is long sightedness corrected
- by wearing glasses or contact lenses with a convex lens
- this bends the light rays inwards before they enter the eye
what is the focal point
- where light rays meet
> usually on the retina
what is colour blindness
- when people have difficulty making out different colours (or can’t see colour at all)
what are the 2 types of photoreceptor cells in the retina and their functions
- rods : respond to different light intensities
- cones : respond to different colours
> diff cone cells respond to red, blue and green light
what is the most common form of colour blindness
- red - green
- when people can’t distinguish between red + green light
> genetically inherited condition usually affecting males
what is the brain made of
- billions of neurones (approx. 86 billion)
how is the delicate nervous tissue in your brain protected
- your skull
- protective membranes
what is the function of the brain
- to control and coordinate everything you do using all the information collected by receptor cells and your hormonal system
what are the main areas of the brain
- cerebrum
- cerebellum
- medulla
- hypothalamus
- pituitary gland
what is the function of the cerebrum
- controls complex behaviours
> eg. learning, memory, personality, behaviour and conscious thought
what is the function of the cerebellum
- controls posture, balance and involuntary movements
what is the function of the medulla
- controls automatic processes such as heart rate and breathing rate
what is the function of the hypothalamus
- regulates body temperature and water balance (homeostasis)
what is the function of the pituitary gland
- stores and releases important hormones which regulate many body functions
in the past how have scientists worked out the function of different regions of the brain
- using brain damaged patients
- by looking at the site of damage and its effects they began to map out brain functions
- they also placed electrodes on animal and human brains
> the electrical impulses given out, resulted in movements which were recorded and linked back to certain areas of the brain
what do modern day scientists use to work out brain functions
- imaging techniques such as:
> CT (computed tomography)
> MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - these scans produce real time images throughout the brain
describe CT scans and how they help investigate brain function
- computed tomography uses X-rays to produce 3D images to identify brain abnormalities
- cannot be used regularly as x-ray radiation increases risk of cancer
describe MRI scans and how they help investigate brain function
- magnetic resonance imaging scans use powerful magnets to identify brain abnormalities
- scientists can identify areas of the brain which are active during specific activities
Explain some of the difficulties when investigating brain function
- patients must give consent for medical info to be shared - may be unethical to study severely brain damaged person as they might not be able to give informed consent
- many case studies need to be analysed to draw reliable conclusions
- several areas of the brain may be involved in a specific function
- many believe animal testing is unethical
what are the 2 nervous systems in mammals
- CNS - brain + spinal cord[
- Peripheral nervous systems (PNS) - consists of neurones which connect CNS to rest of body
what is nervous system damage
- damage to any part of the CNS or PNS
what are the different causes of nervous system damage
- injury
- disease
- genetic conditions
- ingesting a toxic susbtance
PNS consists of motor and sensory neurones, what can damage to these neurones lead to
- inability/reduced ability to detect pain
- numbness
- loss of coordination
what can damage to CNS lead to
more severe:
- loss of control of body systems
- partial or complete paralysis
- memory loss
- processing difficulties
how can PNS be treated
- PNS neurones have some ability to repair themselves
- damaged neurones often regenerate from cell body end of neurone forming new axons
- slow process but symptoms fade overtime
- severe cases can be treated by nervous tissue skin grafts
why is it difficult to treat damage and disease in the nervous system
- brain and spinal cord are very difficult to access
- tissues in CNS can’t regenerate
- drugs can’t penetrate the blood-brain barrier
what are hormones
- hormones are chemical messengers made in endocrine glands and secreted into the bloodstream
what do hormones do
- they cause a response in specific cells that are found in target organs
- they regulate the functions of many cells and organs
what are endocrine glands
- glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream
what are target cells
- target cells are cells with the specific receptor for a hormone which produces an effect when the hormone binds to the receptor
what is the endocrine system
- its the name given to all the endocrine glands and the hormones that they produce
what does the endocrine system do
- the endocrine system controls and coordinates body processes with the nervous system
describe the similarities between the endocrine and nervous system
- both send messages around the body to provide information about any changes to your internal and external environment
- also send info as to how body should responds
what is the messaging system in endocrine vs nervous system
- endocrine = hormones
- nervous = nerves
what is the speed of communication in endocrine vs nervous system
- nerves = very fast
- hormones = slower
how is the information carried in endocrine vs nervous system
- endocrine = travelled by chemical message through plasma
- nervous = travelled by electrical impulse along a neurone
what is the duration of respond in endocrine vs nervous system
- endocrine = long lasting
- nervous = short term
what are the target areas in endocrine vs nervous system
- endocrine = larger targeting area
- nervous = smaller targeting area
what are the main endocrine glands and what do they produce
- pituitary gland - LH, FSH, ADH, growth hormone
- thyroid gland - thyroxine
- adrenal gland - adrenaline
- pancreas - insulin + glucagon
- ovaries - oestrogen & progesterone
- testes - testosterone