Endocrine and Nervous System

Question 1

A neuron is … ?

Answer 1

An individual nerve cell

Question 2

What are the 2 parts the human nervous system is made up of?

Answer 2

CNS - central nervous system
PNS - peripheral nervous system

Question 3

What are the parts of the CNS?

Answer 3

Brain and Spinal Cord

Question 4

What are the parts of the PNS?

Answer 4

All of the neurons and nerve networks throughout the body that lie outside of the CNS

Question 5

What links the Endocrine and Nervous system and what does it do?

Answer 5

Hypothalamus - is responsible for regulating behaviours such as sleep, hunger, thirst, managing sexual behaviour, and emotional and stress responses

Question 6

What are the main glands of the Endocrine system that are NOT found in the brain?

Answer 6

The thyroid, thymus, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries and testes.

Question 7

What are the main glands of the Endocrine system that ARE found in the brain?

Answer 7

Hypothalamus, Pineal gland, Pituitary Gland.

Question 8

What transports hormones around the body?

Answer 8

The bloodstream

Question 9

What is a target cell?

Answer 9

A cell affected by a specific hormone.

Question 10

Define homeostasis

Answer 10

The maintenance of a relatively stable internal body environment, despite changes in the external environment.

Question 11

Name the 3 different types of Neurons

Answer 11

Sensory Neurons, Motor Neurons and Interneurons

Question 12

What is the role of an Interneuron?

Answer 12

Transmit neural information within the spinal cord and brain. Interneurons connect the sensory and motor neurons and can only be found in the CNS.

Question 13

What is the role of a Sensory Neuron?

Answer 13

Transmit neural information from sensory receptor sites in the PNS to the CNS. The sensory information being transmitted could be from any of your five senses.

Question 14

What is the role of a Motor Neuron?

Answer 14

Transmit neural information from the CNS to the PNS. This information is designed to initiate a response in the effector which could be muscles, organs or glands.

Question 15

What are the key structures of a neuron?

Answer 15

The dendrites, cell body, axon, myelin sheath, axon terminal and the synapse.

Question 16

Define Neurotransmitter

Answer 16

The chemical messenger that is released from one neuron and travels across the synapse to bind the next neuron.

Question 17

Define Action potential

Answer 17

Another name for the electrical impulse or neural impulse that moves along a neuron

Question 18

How can neurotransmitters be categorised?

Answer 18

Excitatory or inhibitory

Question 19

True or false? A specific neurotransmitter will bind only to its corresponding receptor, and in this way ensures it only causes the desired response.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

What is a reflex action (also called a spinal reflex)?

Answer 20

A fast, involuntary motor action that protects the body from harm.

Question 21

What is the process of a reflex arc?

Answer 21

Stimulus - Receptor - Integration area - effector - Response

Question 22

What is the difference between conscious and unconscious response to stimuli?

Answer 22

A reflex action is an unconscious process as the brain is not initially involved in activating a response. This is different from a conscious process where the brain is involved in activating a response.

Question 23

Name the parts of the Spinal Cord from top to bottom.

Answer 23

Cervical Spine Vertebrae, Thoracic Spine Vertebrae, Lumbar Spine Vertebrae, Sacrum, Coccyx.

Question 24

What are the 3 different types of Spinal injuries?

Answer 24

Quadriplegia, Paraplegia and Triplegia

Question 25

Define Quadriplegia

Answer 25

Four limbs affected by impaired sensation and movement. If spinal injury is high up the spine, then chest muscles, such as the diaphragm, can also be affected.

Question 26

Define Paraplegia

Answer 26

Two limbs affected (left and right legs) by impaired sensation and movement.

Question 27

Define Triplegia

Answer 27

Rare incomplete spinal cord injury leads to three limbs (one arm, two legs) affected by impaired sensation and movement.

Question 28

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 28

Outer layer of the brain which is divided into two hemispheres (left and right) which each contain four lobes.

Question 29

What connects the left and right hemisphere of the brain?

Answer 29

A thick band of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum.

Question 30

What are the 4 different lobes in both sides of the brain?

Answer 30

The frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe and the temporal lobe.

Question 31

Define Plasticity

Answer 31

Plasticity is the term used to describe the ability of the brain’s neural structure or function to be changed through experience at any time during your life

Question 32

What is the Hippocampus responsible for?

Answer 32

Involved with learning and memory.

Question 33

What is the Cerebellum responsible for?

Answer 33

Controls posture, movement and the sense of balance.

Question 34

What is the Brain Stem responsible for?

Answer 34

Controls simple reflexes such as coughing, breathing and digestion - has 2 main parts, Pons and Medulla.

Question 35

What is the Hypothalymus responsible for?

Answer 35

Controls body temperature, hunger and thirst.

Question 36

What is the Amygdala responsible for?

Answer 36

Plays an important role in emotional behaviour.

Question 37

What are the Pons responsible for?

Answer 37

Regulates sleeping, breathing and some sensations.

Question 38

What is the Medulla responsible for?

Answer 38

Regulates breathing, heart rate, respiration and blood pressure