Nervous and endocrine system

Question 1

What are the divisions of the nervous system?

Answer 1

• Peripheral nervous system -> somatic and autonomic system -> sympathetic and parasympathetic system
• Central nervous system -> brain and spinal cord
• electrical impulses

Question 2

What is the role of the CNS?

Answer 2

Main job is to ensure life is maintained

Question 3

What is the role of the brain?

Answer 3

• Centre of conscious awareness
• Cerebral cortex (outer layer) is highly developed
• Divided into two hemispheres
• Four main areas: cerebrum (largest), cerebellum (motor skills), diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus), brain stem (regulates autonomic functions)

Question 4

What is the role of the spinal cord?

Answer 4

• Reflex actions such as pulling hand away from something hot

Question 5

What is the role of the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 5

• transmits messages via neurons (nerve cells) to and from the CNS
• divided into ANS and SNS

Question 6

What is the role of the somatic nervous system?

Answer 6

• carry’s sensory and motor info to and from spinal cord
• ## controls movement of muscles and receives info from sensory receptors

Question 7

What is the role of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 7

• governs vital functions - breathing, heart rate, digestion, sexual arousal, stress responses
• sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Question 8

What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 8

• prepares body to expand for energy for fight or flight responses
• dilates pupils
• increases heart rate
• slow digestion
• stimulates urination
• dilates bronchi

Question 9

What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 9

• maintain and conserve body energy and functions
• constrict pupils
• decrease heart rate
• stimulate digestion
• increase saliva
• contract bladder

Question 10

What is the role of the endocrine system?

Answer 10

• in charge of slow body processes (cell growth)
• endocrine and nervous work together to help body function
• also ANS works parallel with the endocrine for stressful events
• relies on hormones

Question 11

What is the role of endocrine glands?

Answer 11

• pituitary - controls release of hormones from other endocrine glands
• ovaries - releases female hormones - oestrogen and progesterone
• testes - releases male hormones - testosterone
• adrenal glands - releases adrenalin into the bloodstream which prepares body for fight or flight by constricting blood vessels in stomach which then inhibits digestion and makes you feel sick and increases heart rate