Chapter 2

Question 1

3 main functions of the human nervous system

Answer 1

receive information
process information
and coordinate a response to information.

Question 2

Central nervous system

Answer 2

Brain- responsible for everything we think, feel and do
spinal cord- The long, thin bundle of nerve tissue that extends from the base of the brain to the lower back; links the brain and the parts of the body below the neck.

Question 3

Peripheral nervous system

Answer 3

• carries information to the CNS from the body’s muscles, organs and glands and from the sensory organs.
• carries information from the CNS to the body’s muscles, organs and glands.

Question 4

automatic nervous system

Answer 4

A self-regulating sub-division of the peripheral nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body’s internal organs and glands, providing feedback to the brain about their activities.

Question 5

somatic nervous system

Answer 5

A sub-division of the peripheral nervous system that carries sensory information to the central nervous system and motor information from the central nervous system.

Question 6

afferent / efferent

Answer 6

sensory information - afferent
motor information - efferent

Question 7

sympathetic NS

Answer 7

system that arouses the body for vigorous activity or to deal with a stressful or threatening situation.

Question 8

parasympathetic NS

Answer 8

system that helps to maintain the internal body environment in a steady, balanced state of normal functioning; calms or restores the body to its normal state of functioning after an extreme emotion subsides or a threat has passed.

Question 9

conscious response

Answer 9

A reaction to a sensory stimulus that involves awareness; compared with unconscious response.
The response is usually a voluntary, intentional reaction

Question 10

unconscious response

Answer 10

A reaction to a sensory stimulus that does not involve awareness; compared with conscious response.
Usually to aid our survival. The response is involuntary, unintentional, automatic

Question 11

spinal reflex/ reflex arc

Answer 11

An unconscious, involuntary and automatically occurring response to certain stimuli.
The immediate response at the spinal cord enables a faster reaction time, a fraction of a second before the sensory information reaches the brain.

Question 12

two major functions of the spinal cord

Answer 12

• receive sensory information from the body and send these messages to the brain for processing.
• receive motor information from the brain and send it to relevant parts of the body to control muscles, glands and internal organs so that appropriate actions can be taken.

Question 13

neuron

Answer 13

A neuron is an individual nerve cell that is specialised to receive, process and/or transmit information.

Question 14

role of neutron

Answer 14

They are the building blocks of the brain and nervous system.
They carry information (‘neural messages’) in the form of an action potential (or neural impulse) to the appropriate part of the nervous system to interpret the message and enable a response.

Question 15

Dendrites

Answer 15

An extension of a neuron that detects and receives information from other neurons.

Question 16

Axon

Answer 16

A single, tubelike, extension that carries neural information away from the neuron.
• Transmits neural info to other neurons ( or cells, muscles or glands)

Question 17

myelin

Answer 17

a white, fatty substance (made up of certain types of glial cells) that surrounds and insulates the axon.
myelin sheath allows for the rapid movement of the message along the axon without being interrupted or distorted.

Question 18

axon terminals

Answer 18

The end part of an axon collateral where terminal buttons that store and secrete
neurotransmitter are located.
- axon terminals allow the neural message to be sent to many other neurons simultaneously

Question 19

Draw and label neuron

Answer 19

do. it

Question 20

synaptic gap

Answer 20

The tiny space between the axon terminal of a presynaptic neuron and the dendrite of a postsynaptic neuron.

Question 21

Synapse

Answer 21

The site of communication between adjacent neurons

Question 22

neurotransmitter

Answer 22

A chemical substance produced by a neuron that carries a message to other neurons or cells in muscles, organs or other tissue

Question 23

Glutamate(Glu)

Answer 23

The primary“excitatory”neurotransmitter
- plays crucial roles in learning and memory formation.
• glutamate enhances information transmission by making post synaptic neurons more likely to fire.

Question 24

Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)

Answer 24

is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS.
• It works throughout the brain to make postsynaptic (‘receiving’) neurons less likely to fire (i.e. it ‘inhibits’ firing).
keeps glutamate under control
- promote calmness and decrease aggression

Question 25

lock and key process

Answer 25

Describes chemical neurotransmission as involving neurotransmitter with a distinctive shape that precisely matches the shape of the receptor site on the postsynaptic neuron where it will bind or attach to its receptors.

Question 26

Parkinsons Disease

Answer 26

A CNS neurodegenerative disorder characterised by both motor and non-motor symptoms

Question 27

Dopamine

Answer 27

A neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a role in coordinating movement
a reduced level in the substantia nigra contributes to Parkinson’s disease motor symptoms

Question 28

located in the midbrain, has a role in the control of voluntary muscle movements so they can be executed in a smooth and coordinated manner.

Answer 28

substantia nigra

Question 29

symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Answer 29

• problems with cognitive function
• tremors
• slowness of voluntary movement
  -mental health problems