B3.1 The Nervous System - Structure, function & Synapses Flashcards
What is the function of the nervous system?
To detect changes in the environment and respond to these changes to maintain homeostasis.
State the name given to a change in environment
Stimulus
Name the group of cells responsible for detecting a stimulus?
Sensory receptors
Where are receptor cells generally found?
Sense organs
List some common examples of sense organs an their stimulus.
- Eye - Light
- Tongue - Chemical tastes (in food and drink)
- Nose - Chemical smells (in the air)
- Skin - Temperature, pressure and pain
- Ears - Sound
What is the name given to the cells that carry out the response?
Effectors
State the two types of effectors giving an example response for each.
- Muscles - respond by contracting
- Glands - respond by secretions
State the two key components of the nervous system.
- Central nervous system (CNS)
- Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
State the key components of the nervous system.
- Brain
- Spinal cord
- Nerves
Define the central nervous system.
- The CNS is composed of the brain and spinal cord
- The brain is only involved in voluntary actions
- The spinal cord is invovled in both voluntart and involuntary actions
Define the peripheral nervous system.
- The PNS is composed of the nerve cells that carry information to and from the CNS
List the three main types of nerve cell including their pathway.
- Sensory โ The neurones that carry information as electrical impluses from the receptors in the sense organs to the CNS
- Relay โ The neurones that carry electrical impulses from sensory neurones to motor neurones. They are found in the CNS.
- Motor โ The neurones that carry electrical impulses from the CNS to the effectors
What is meant by the direction of impulse?
- The direction in which a signal travels through a nerve
What type of signal is transmited by the nervous system?
Electrical
State the difference between a nerve and a neurone.
- Neurones are specialized cells that conduct electrical impulses through the body.
- A nerve is a bundle of many nerve fibres enclosed within a protective sheath.
- Nerve fibres are the long axons of neurones together with any associated tissues.