Nervous communication

Question 1

What are receptors and what do they do?

Answer 1

Detect stimulus
Can be cells or proteins on cell surface membranes
Loads of different types that detect different stimuli

Question 2

What are effectors and what do they do?

Answer 2

Cells that bring about a response to a stimulus to produce an effect
Include muscle cells and cells found in glands

Question 3

How do effectors and recepetors link?

Answer 3

Receptors communicate with effectors via the nervous or hormonal systems

Question 4

What is the nervous system made up of?

Answer 4

A complex network of cells called neurones

Question 5

Name the 3 neurons that make up the nervous system

Answer 5

Sensory
Motor
Relay

Question 6

What do sensory neurones do?

Answer 6

Transmit electrical impulses from receptors to CNS

Question 7

What do motor neurones do?

Answer 7

Transmit electrical impulses from CNS to effectors

Question 8

What do relay neurones do?

Answer 8

Transmit electrical impulses between sensory or motor neurones

Question 9

Explain the process of the nervous system

Answer 9

1. A stimulus is detected by receptor cells and an electrical impulse is sent along a sensory neurone
2. When an electrical impulse reaches the end of the neurone, neurotransmitters take the information across to the next neurone which then sends an electrical impulse
3. The CNS (coordinator) processes the info and sends impulses along motor neurones to an effector

Stimulus - receptor - CNS - effectors - response

Question 10

Name the 2 nervous systems

Answer 10

Central nervous system (CNS)
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Question 11

What is the central nervous system?

Answer 11

Made up of the brain and spinal cord

Question 12

What is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 12

Made up of neurones that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

Question 13

Name and describe the 2 systems of the peripheral nervous system

Answer 13

Somatic nervous system: controls conscious activities
Autonomic nervous system: controls unconscious activities

Question 14

What two effects can the autonomic nervous system have on the body?

Answer 14

Sympathetic nervous system: gets the body ready for action
Parasympathetic nervous system: calms the body down

Question 15

What are reflexes?

Answer 15

A reflex is where the body responds to a stimulus without making a conscious decision to respond.

Question 16

What do simple reflexes do?

Answer 16

Help organisms to protect the body as they are rapid.
(Information travels really fast from receptors to effectors)

Question 17

What is a reflex arc?

Answer 17

The pathway of neurones to effectors in a reflex

Question 18

What happens if there is a relay neurone involved in a simple reflex arc?

Answer 18

The reflex can be overridden

Question 19

What are the 3 features of nervous communication?

Answer 19

Localised
Short lived
Rapid

Question 20

What does it mean for the nervous system to be localised?

Answer 20

When an electrical impulse reaches the end of a neurone, neurotransmitters are secreted directly onto target cells

Question 21

What does it mean for the nervous system to be short lived?

Answer 21

Neurotransmitters are quickly removed once they’ve done their job

Question 22

What does it mean for the nervous system to be rapid?

Answer 22

Electrical impulses are really fast and allows animals to react quickly to stimuli