key terms

Question 1

nervous system

Answer 1

• consists of CNS & PNS
• communicates via electric signals

Question 2

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 2

• consists of brain & spinal cord
• origin of complex commands/decisions

Question 3

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 3

• sends info to CNS from outside
• transmits messages from CNS to muscles/glands

Question 4

somatic nervous system

Answer 4

• transmits info from receptor cells in sense organs to CNS
• receives info from CNS directing muscles to act

Question 5

autonomic nervous system

Answer 5

• transmits info to/from internal organs
• involuntary
• 2 main divisions (parasympathetic & sympathetic)

Question 6

endocrine system

Answer 6

• instructs glands to release hormones into bloodstream
• hormones carried to target hormones
• communicates via chemicals

Question 7

gland

Answer 7

organ in body that synthesises substances eg. hormones

Question 8

hormone

Answer 8

• biochemical substance that circulates in blood & affects target organs
• produced in large quantities but disappear quickly
• effects are powerful

Question 9

fight or flight response

Answer 9

• way an animal responds when stressed
• body becomes physiologically aroused in readiness to fight aggressor or flee

Question 10

adrenaline

Answer 10

• hormone produced by adrenal glands (part of body’s immediate stress response system)
• strong effect on cells of cardiovascular system eg. stimulates heart rate, contracts blood vessels

Question 11

neurons

Answer 11

• basic building blocks of nervous system
• nerve cells which process/transmit messages through electrical & chemical signals

Question 12

sensory neurons

Answer 12

• carry messages from PNS to CNS
• long dendrites
• short axons

Question 13

relay neurons

Answer 13

• connect sensory & motor neurons/other relay neurons
• short dendrites
• short axons

Question 14

motor neurons

Answer 14

• connect CNS to effectors eg. muscles/glands
• short dendrites
• long axons

Question 15

synaptic transmission

Answer 15

process by which neighbouring neurons communicate with each other by sending chemical signals across gap (synapse)

Question 16

neurotransmitter

Answer 16

• brain chemicals released from synaptic vesicles that relay signals across synapse from 1 neuron to another
• broadly divided into those that perform excitatory function & those that perform an inhibitory function

Question 17

excitation

Answer 17

• when a neurotransmitter (eg. adrenaline) increases positive charge of postsynaptic neuron
• increases likelihood that postsynaptic neuron will pass on electrical impulse

Question 18

inhibition

Answer 18

• when a neurotransmitter (eg. serotonin) increases negative charge of postsynaptic neuron
• decreases likelihood the postsynaptic neuron will pass on the electrical impulse

Question 19

localisation of function

Answer 19

theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours, processes or activities

Question 20

motor area

Answer 20

region of frontal lobe involved in regulating movement

Question 21

somatosensory area

Answer 21

area of parietal lobe which processes sensory info eg. touch

Question 22

visual area

Answer 22

part of occipital lobe which receives/processes visual information

Question 23

auditory area

Answer 23

located in temporal lobe & concerned with analysis of speech-based information

Question 24

broca’s area

Answer 24

area of frontal lobe in left hemisphere (for most) responsible for speech production

Question 25

wernicke’s area

Answer 25

area of temporal lobe (encircling auditory complex) in left hemisphere (most) responsible for language comprehension