Divisions Of The Nervous System And Neural Pathways

Question 1

What makes up the central nervous system?

Answer 1

The spinal cord and the brain

Question 2

What makes up the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 2

The somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system

Question 3

What does the somatic nervous system contain?

Answer 3

Sensory and motor neurons

Question 4

What do sensory neurons do?

Answer 4

Sensory neurons take impulses from sense organs to the central nervous system

Question 5

What do motor neurons do?

Answer 5

Motor neurons take impulses from the CNS to muscles and glands

Question 6

What is the autonomic nervous system made up of?

Answer 6

The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems which work antagonistically

Question 7

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

Answer 7

Nerve impulses in the sympathetic system speed up heart rate and breathing rate while slowing down peristalsis and production of intestinal secretions ( digestive enzymes ) through the release of noradrenaline

Question 8

What does the parasympathetic system do?

Answer 8

The parasympathetic system releases nerve impulses which trigger the release of acetylcholine which speeds up peristalsis and the release of intestinal secretions while slowing down heart rate

Question 9

What is a converging neural pathway?

Answer 9

A converging neural pathway is one in which impulses from several neurons travel to one neuron. This increases sensitivity to excitatory or inhibitory signals.

Question 10

What is a diverging neural pathway?

Answer 10

A diverging neural pathway is one in which impulses from one neuron travel to several neurons which affects more than one destination at the same time

Question 11

What is a reverberating neural pathway?

Answer 11

In a reverberating neural pathway, neurons later in the pathway link with the earlier neurons. This sends an impulse back through the pathway which allows for repeated stimulation of the pathway. Eg breathing