control and communication Flashcards
what does the human nervous system consist of
the brain
the spinal cord
the nerves
what makes up the central nervous system (CNS)
the brain
the spinal cord
how is the CNS connected to all parts of the body
by the nerves
what are the 3 parts of the brain
the cerebellum
the cerebrum
the medula
what is the function of the cerebellum
controls balance
muscular co-ordination
what is the function of the cerebrum
responsible for mental processes
what is the function of the medulla
controls the rate of breathing
heart beat/ rate
what are the nerve cells made up of
neurons
what are the three types of neurons
sensory
inter
motor
what is the function of a sensory neuron
passes information to the CNS from the bodys receptors
what is the function of an inter neuron
operate within the CNS processing information from the senses that require a response
what is the function of an motor neuron
enable a response to occur at an effector (muscle or gland)
what is a synapse
a tiny space that occurs between the axon ending of one neuron and the sensory fiber of the next
what is a reflex
it is a rapid and automatic reaction that occurs to protect the body from harm
what is the reflex arc
stimuli-> receptor-> sensor neuron-> CNS-> motor neuron-> effector muscles-> responses
what does an endocrine gland do
releases hormones into the bloodstream
what is a hormone
chemical messenger that travels into the bloodstream to their target tissue
what is a target tissue
a cell with complementary receptor proteins for specific hormones
why would blood glucose levels become high
if sugary foods have been eaten
how does the pancreas respond to the blood glucose levels rising
it responds by producing the hormone insulin
what does the insulin do
converts the excess glucose into glycogen
where can glycogen be stored
in the liver
what happens when the glycogen is removed from the blood
the blood sugar levels return to normal
when would blood glucose levels drop
after physical activity or a period of no eating
what organ detects a change when blood glucose levels drop
the pancreas
