Nervous System - Macro Level

Question 1

What is the nervous system?

Answer 1

a highly specialised set of cells in the human body and is our primary internal communication system

Question 2

What are the two functions of the brain?

Answer 2

1. to collect, process and respond to information in the environment
2. to co-ordinate and direct the working of different organs and cells within the body

Question 3

What are the two branches of the nervous system?

Answer 3

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

central nervous system (CNS)

Question 4

What are the two branches of the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Answer 4

somatic nervous system (SNS)

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Question 5

What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?

Answer 5

sympathetic nervous system (speeds up systems)

parasympathetic nervous system (slows systems back down)

Question 6

What is the CNS comprised of?

Answer 6

the brain

the spinal cord

Question 7

What is the spinal cord?

Answer 7

carries messages using neurons to and from the brain ot the PNS. It relays information to and from the brain to the rest of the body, allowing the brain to monitor bodily functions.

Question 8

What is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 8

all nerves in our body outside the brain and spinal cord are known as the PNS.

its main function is to relay nerve impulses from the CNS to the rest of the body so we can react to stimuli

Question 9

What is the somatic nervous system?

Answer 9

• controls external actions of skin and muscles (i.e. picking up a bottle; conscious action)
• transmits information to and from senses and also to and from CNS
• made up of 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves

Question 10

What are the role of the sensory pathway in the somatic nervous system?

Answer 10

transmits and receives information from the senses such as visual information from eyes and auditory from ears to brain

Question 11

What are the role of motor pathway in the somatic nervous system?

Answer 11

innervates and commands skeletal muscles through motor neurons in the spinal cord

Question 12

What is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 12

• carries out internal activities of organs and glands (sympathetic and parasympathetic work antagonistically)
• transmit information to and from internal organs to sustain life processes
• responsible for ‘automatic’ functions that keep the body in stable state (homeostasis)

Question 13

What if the SNS and ANS become out of balance?

Answer 13

usually, both of the branches are in balance, but under certain circumstances (e.g. relaxed or stresses) the balance shifts and one becomes more dominant

Question 14

What are the three differences between the SNS and ANS?

Answer 14

1. the SNS has both sensory and motor neurons where as the ANS uses only motor neurons
2. the ANS controls internal organs/glands of the body, while the SNS controls skeletal muscles and movements
3. the control centre for the SNS is located in the motor and somatosensary cortex; whereas the control centre for the ANS is located in the hypothalamus and pituitary glans