the nervous / endocrine system

Question 1

what is the nervous system?

Answer 1

consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system

Question 2

what is the central nervous system?

Answer 2

consists of the brain and the spinal cord and is the origin of all complex commands and decisions

Question 3

what is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 3

sends information to the CNS from the outside world and transmits the messages from the CNS to muscles and glands in the body

Question 4

what is the somatic nervous system?

Answer 4

it transmits information from the receptor cells in the sense organs to the CNS. it also receives information from the CNS that directs muscles to act.

Question 5

what is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 5

it transmits information to and from internal bodily organs. it is ‘automatic’ as the system operates involuntarily (it is automatic). it has two main divisions: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

Question 6

what is the brain?

Answer 6

the centre of all conscious awareness

Question 7

what is the spinal cord?

Answer 7

an extension of the brain, it is responsible for reflex actions such as pulling your hand away from something hot. it passes messages to and from the brain and connects the nerves to the PNS.

Question 8

what is the sympathetic division?

Answer 8

it is responsible for turning hormones ‘on’ (activating fight or flight)

Question 9

what is the parasympathetic division?

Answer 9

responsible for turning hormones ‘off’ (rest and recover)

Question 10

what are the main roles of the nervous system?

Answer 10

•to collect, process and respond to information in the environment
•to co-ordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body

Question 11

what is the endocrine system made up of?

Answer 11

glands and hormones

Question 12

what is the endocrine system?

Answer 12

one of the body’s major information systems that instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream. these hormones are carried towards target organs in the body.

Question 13

what is a gland?

Answer 13

an organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones

Question 14

what are hormones?

Answer 14

chemical substances that circulate in the bloodstream and only affect target organs. they are produced in large quantities but disappear quickly. their effects are very powerful.

Question 15

what is a fight or flight response?

Answer 15

the way an animal responds when stressed. the body becomes physiologically aroused in readiness to fight an aggressor or, in some cases, flee

Question 16

what is adrenaline?

Answer 16

a hormone produced by the adrenal glands which is part of the human body’s immediate stress response system. adrenaline has a strong effect on the cells of the cardiovascular system- stimulating the heart rate, contracting blood vessels and dilating air messages.

Question 17

what hormone does the thyroid gland produce?

Answer 17

thyroxine

Question 18

what does thyroxine do?

Answer 18

it increases the heart rate and metabolic rates

Question 19

why is the pituitary gland the ‘master gland’?

Answer 19

because it controls the release of hormones from all the other endocrine glands in the body

Question 20

label where the following glands are:
-hypothalamus
-pituitary
-thyroid
-parathyroid
-adrenals
-pancreas

Question 21

what order of glands does the fight of flight response go in?

Answer 21

hypothalamic -> pituitary-> adrenal

Question 22

what is the stress response?

Answer 22

•stress begins in the hypothalamus, it detects stressors
•this sends a signal to the pituitary gland
•the body switches from the parasympathetic state to the sympathetic state
•this sends a signal down to your kidneys (which filter and put chemicals into the blood), located above the kidneys is the adrenal glands
•the adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol

Question 23

which hormone is for acute stress and which one is for chronic stress?

Answer 23

•adrenaline- acute stress
•cortisol- chronic stress

Question 24

what does adrenaline (the sympathetic state) cause in the body?

Answer 24

•increased heart rate and breathing
•increased sweat to cool the body down
•pupils dilate
•inhibits digestion
•inhibits saliva production
•blood pressure increases

Question 25

what happens after the sympathetic state?

Answer 25

the body returns to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest)

Question 26

what does the parasympathetic state do?

Answer 26

•decreases heart rate and breathing
•stimulates digestion and saliva production

Question 27

what has research shown of the relationship between stress and illness?

Answer 27

there is a positive correlation