Science: Stimulus and Response

Question 1

What are some ways that animals’ sensory structure work to receive stimulus?

Answer 1

Eyes: see
Nose: smell
Ears: hear
Mouth/tongue*: taste
Skin: feel

• Some animals’ tongues can also smell

Question 2

How does stimulus and response help animals survive?

Answer 2

If the animal senses danger (for example, a predator), it can respond by fighting back or running away

Sensory structures also help animals find food

Question 3

What can cause a species to be extinct?

Answer 3

If it doesn’t adapt to changes in its environment and survive, its species might become extinct

Question 4

What are some examples of humans adapting to survive extreme weather?

Answer 4

We make shelter, clothing and heating to survive cold weather

We invented cooling devices such as air conditioning and fans to survive hot weather

Question 5

Describe touching a hot candle in terms of 1) stimulus, 2) sensory structure, 3) brain, 4) responding structure and 5) response.

Answer 5

Stimulus: hot candle

Sensory structure: touching the hot handle

The brand receives the information from the nervous system, through nerves in the skin

Responding structure: the brain reacts by telling the muscular system to move the skeletal system, to move the hand away from the heat source

Response: pull hand away