The nervous and endocrine systems Flashcards
What is the nervous system?
The nervous system is a specialised network of nerve cells which collects, processes and responds to environmental information. The nervous system is dividied into the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
What is the central nervous system?
The central nervous system is a network of nerve cells which is composed of the brain and the spinal chord. The brain is the centre of all conscious awareness and the spinal chord relays information from the brain to the peripheral nervous system.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
The peripheral nervous system is a network of cells which allows messages to be sent from the environment to the central nervous system and from the central nervous system to the target organs. The peripheral nervous system is split into the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system.
What is the autonomic nervous system?
The autonomic nervous system sends information between bodily organs and glands. The effects of the autonomic system are involuntarily and divided into two sub-systems: the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system.
What is the somatic nervous system?
The somatic nervous system sends information from the sensory organs to the central nervous system and from the central nervous system to the muscles. The effects of the somatic nervous system are mostly voluntary and the somatic nervous system includes two types of nerve cells: motor output and sensory input.
Name three things that happen to the body when in the parasympathetic state.
Decreased heart rate, decreased breathing rate, rectum relaxes, stimulates digestion.
Name three things that happen to the body in the sympathetic state
Increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, digestion inhibited, contracts rectum.
Explain the function of the endocrine system?
The endocrine system works alongside the nervous system and is a network of glands that secretes chemical messages called hormones. Hormones are transported in the blood and carried to the cells of target organs which have specific receptors. Hormones cause bodily functions and psychological processes.
Name four glands, the hormones that they produce and the purpose of the hormomes.
Insulin (pancreas)
manages blood sugar levels.
Testosterone(testes)
deepens voice, facial hair growth, muscle strength.
Oestrogen(ovaries)
breast development, regulates menstruation.
Thyroxine (thyroid)
regulates metabolism.
Outline the fight of flight response.
The fight or flight response involves both the nervous system and the endocrine system. It is a psychological response to a percieved stressor and due to this stressor, the hypothalamus activates the pituatary gland (the master gland). The pituatary gland instructs the adrenal medulla to release the hormone adrenaline into the bloodstream. This adrenaline activates the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system (psychologically aroused). Once the threat has passed,the body returns to the parasympathetic state` (normal resting state) returns to the body.
Is the endocrine or the nervous system slower?
The endocrine system.
Does both the endocrine and nervous system use chemical and/or electrical messages?
The Nervous system and The endocrine system use chemical messaging.
The Nervous system produces electrical messages as well however The endocrine system only uses chemical messaging.
What is the central nervous system composed of?
The brain
The spinal chord
What is the peripheral nervous system composed of?
The autonomic nervous system
The somatic nervous system
What are the two states that the autonomic nervous system is divided into?
Parasympathetic
Sympathetic
