the nervous system - the basics

Question 1

what is the central nervous system?

Answer 1

CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord

Question 2

what is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 2

PNS consists of all the other nerves which run outside of the spinal cord

Question 3

what is efferent?

Answer 3

peripheral nerves carrying information away from the CNS to bodily tissues

Question 4

what is afferent?

Answer 4

peripheral nerves carrying information from bodily tissues to the CNS

Question 5

describe a nerve fibre

Answer 5

a single cell conducting electrical information from one part of the cell to another

rapid transfer of messages from one part of the body to another

Question 6

what are sensory nerves?

Answer 6

detect information about the environment in which they are situated - pain, pressure, position, smell, taste, light.

Question 7

what are motor nerves?

Answer 7

efferent nerves enable something to happen - muscle contraction, release of hormones
firing of motor nerves supply the belly of skeletal muscle which cause muscles to contract