The nervous system

Question 1

What’s included in the PNS (peripheral nervous system)?

Answer 1

The somatic NS- transmits information to and from senses and to and from the CNS.
The autonomic NS- transmits information to and from the internal organs to sustain life processes.

Question 2

What is the autonomic NS split in to?

Answer 2

Sympathetic NS- generally increases bodily activities.

Parasympathetic NS- generally maintains or decreases bodily activities.

Question 3

What’s the function of the sensory neuron?

Answer 3

They tell the rest of the brain about the external and internal environment by processing information taken from one of the five senses.

Question 4

What is the function of the relay neuron?

Answer 4

They carry messages from one part of the CNS to another. They connect motor and sensory neurons.

Question 5

What is the function or the motor neuron

Answer 5

They carry signals from the CNS which helps both organs, including glands and muscle function.

Question 6

What is included in the CNS (centeral nervous system)?

Answer 6

The spinal cord- receives and transmits information to and from the Brian.
The brain- maintains life, involved in higher functions and psychological processes

Question 7

What is synaptic transmission?

Answer 7

The process of transmitting messages from neuron to neuron?

Question 8

Explain the process of synaptic transmission

Answer 8

1. The electrical nerve impulse travels down a neuron and prompts the release of neurotransmitters at the pre-synaptic terminal. 2. They’re released in go the synaptic fluid in the synapse. 3. The next neuron must then quickly take up the neurotransmitters and convert them to an electrical impulse to travel down the neuron.

Question 9

Define an Axon

Answer 9

A long thread like part of a nerve cell that sends electrical signals from the cell body to other nerve cells.

Question 10

Define a Dendrite

Answer 10

A short branched extension of a nerve cell, along which impulses received from other cells at synapses are transmitted to the cell body.

Question 11

Define a Neurotransmitter

Answer 11

A chemical messenger in nerve cells that diffuses across synapses

Question 12

Receptors

Answer 12

Areas on the pre-synaptic membrane that neurotransmitters connect to

Question 13

Name a inhibitory neurotransmitter and what it does

Answer 13

Serotonin- it reduces the electrical activity of the next neuron. adequate amounts are necessary to keep a stable mood.

Question 14

Name an exciting neurotransmitter and what it does

Answer 14

Noradrenaline- it increases electrical activity in the next neuron.

Question 15

What components do motor neurons have

Answer 15

Dendrite, cell body, axon, myelin sheath, node of ranvier.

Question 16

What components do sensory neurons have?

Answer 16

Receptor cell, axon, myelin sheath, cell body (in the middle).

Question 17

What components do relay neurons have?

Answer 17

Dendrite, cell body, axon

Question 18

Main functions of the CNS

Answer 18

• to control behaviour

- the regulation of the body’s physical processes.

Question 19

Functions of the spinal chord?

Answer 19

• relay information from the brain to the rest of the body

- contains circuits of nerves that enables it to perform simple reflexes without the involvement of the brain.

Question 20

What is the brain divided in to?

Answer 20

The hindbrain- involved in basic functions such as balance
The midbrain- connects the forebrain to the spinal chord
The forebrain- involved in higher thinking and conscious thoughts. The hypothalamus is found there and controls the autonomic nervous system.

Question 21

What does the semantic nervous system do?

Answer 21

Deals with voluntary control of our muscles, when we chose to start or stop moving.

Question 22

What does the autonomic nervous system do?

Answer 22

It is concerned with invoulentary movement of non skeletal muscles e.g. Heart, lungs, blood vessels etc.

Question 23

What does the sympathetic branch do?

Answer 23

Increases:
Breathing
Heart rate
Amount of adrenaline produced

Question 24

What does the parasympathetic branch do?

Answer 24

Decrease: 
Breathing
Heart rate
Amount of adrenaline produced 
Amount of energy used

Question 25

What research is there in to the nervous system?

Answer 25

Yamamoto and kitazawa- examined why we can’t perceive when we are touched in the same place at the same time. One always feels like it’s after another.

It’s because of the inability of the nervous system to transmit that information accurately as the distance from the brain for the neurons receiving the message is different.