B9 - Coordination and response Flashcards
Two components of the human nervous system
- central nervous system (CNS)
- peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Central nervous system
The brain and the spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system
All of the nerves in the body
Functions of the nervous system (2)
- Makes sense of our surroundings and reponds to them
- Coordinate and regulate body functions
Nerve impulses
Electrical impulses that pass along nerve cells known as neurons which send information through the nervous system
Nerve
A bundle of neurones
Three types of neurons
- Sensory
- Relay
- Motor
Sensory neurone (definition)
Sensory neurones carry impulses from sense organs to the CNS (brain or spinal cord)
Relay neurones (definition)
Relay neurones are found inside the CNS and connect sensory and motor neurones
Motor neurons (definition)
Motor neurones carry impulses from the CNS to effectors (muscles or glands)
Describe and explain the structure of a neuron
- Neurones have a long fibre called an axon
- less time is wasted transferring the impulse from one cell to another
- Axon is insulated by a fatty sheath called a myelin sheath with small uninsulated sections along it called nodes (of ranvier)
- the electrical impulse does not travel down the whole axon but jumps from node to node
- The area over the axon covered by the myelin sheath are schwann cells
- Cell body contains many extensions called dendrites
- means they can connect to many other neurones and recieve impulses from them, forming a network for easy communication
Describe the different structures of three types of neurones
- Sensory neurones are long and have a cell body branching off the middle of the axon
- Relay neurones are short and have a small cell body at one end with many dendrites branching off it
- Motor neurones are long and have a large cell body at one end with long dendrites branching off it
Voluntary response
One where you make a conscious decision to carry out a particular action therefore it starts with your brain
* e.g. pick up a cup of coffee
* usually take longer to enact
Involuntary response (reflex)
One that does not involve the brain as the coordinator of the reaction and you are not aware you have completed it until after you have carried it out
* basic instincts for survival, are quicker than any other type of nervous response
* help minimise damage to the body
The reflex pathway (6)
- The stimulus is detected by a pain/pressure/touch receptor in the skin
- Sensory neurone sends electrical impulses to the spinal cord (the coordinator)
- Electrical impulse is passed on to relay neurone in the spinal cord
* Relay neurone connects to motor neurone and passes the impulse on
* Motor neurone carries impulse to a muscle in the leg (the effector)
* The muscle will contract and pull the foot up and away from the sharp object (the response)
Synapses (function and definition)
Where two neurons meet or join, they do so at a junction called a synapse
* improtant in the nervous system being a connected network of neurones
* can transmit nerve impulses and direct them along the appropriate route
Receptors
A group of specialised cells that detect a change in the environment and stimulate electrical impluses in response
Sense organs (definition and 5 examples)
Contain groups of receptors that respond to specific stimuli
* skin
* tongue
* nose
* ear
* eye
Skin (sense and sensitivity
Touch and temperature
* sensitive to pressure, heat and cold (temperature) and pain
Tongue (sense and sensitivity)
Taste
* sensitive to chemicals in food and drink
Nose (sense and sensitivity)
Smell
* sensitive to chemicals in the air
Ear (sense and sensitivity)
Hearing and balance
* sensitive to sound and movement
Eye (sense and sensitivity)
Sight
* sensitive to light
Eye (definiton)
The eye is a sense organ containing receptor cells that are sensitive to light (rod cells) and colour (cone cells)
Cornea
Transparent lens that refracts light as it enters the eye
Iris
Controls how much light enters the pupil
Lens
Transparent disc that can change shape to focus light onto retina
Retina
Contains light receptor cells - rods (detect light intensity) and cones (detect colour)
Optic nerve
Sensory neurone that carries impulses between the eye and the brain
Pupil
Hole that allow light to enter eye
Blind spot
At the point where the optic nerve joins the retina, there are no light-sensitive rod and cone cells on that part of the retina
* will not result in an image being detected
* brain fills in from surrounding light so we don’t see a black hole
Pupil reflex
This is a reflex action carried out to protect the retina from damage in bright light and protect us from not seeing objects in dim light
Antagonistic muscle action in the pupil reflex
The muscles that work antagonistically are the radial muscles and the circular muscles of the eye
* when one set contracts, the other relaxes
How does the eye respond to dim light? (5 steps)
- Photoreceptors detect change in environment (dark)
- Radial muscles contract
- Circular muscles relax
- Pupil dilates (diameter widens) to allow more light to enter the eye and improve vision
- More light enters the eye
How does the eye respond to bright light? (5 steps)
- Photoreceptors detect change in environment (bright)
- Radial muscles relax
- Circular muscles contract
- Pupil constricts (diameter narrows) to protect retina from damage
- Less light enters the eye
Radial muscles
Outer muscles of the retina which point inward towards the pupil
Circular muscles
Inner muscles of the retina which surround the pupil and are circular shaped
Responses to dark light (radial and circular muscles, pupil size and amount of light)
- Radial muscles: contract
- Circular muscles: relax
- Pupil size: wide
- Light amount: more