The role of the central nervous system

Question 1

The central nervous system

Answer 1

1. the brain and spinal cord, which relays messages from the brain to the rest of the body to instruct it what to do
2. The Central nervous system (CNS) is made up of the brain and the spinal cord.
3. The CNS helps the brain and body to communicate with one another by passing messages backwards and forwards between them.
4. The sensory nerves in the body send messages to the brain via the spinal cord
5. The brain processes the information and then sends messages to the body down the spinal cord to make the body do something
6. The spinal cord can activate the PNS which makes the body do the actions the brain is telling it to do
7. Although it sounds like a long process of passing messages, the information cab be passed around in the nervous system in a fraction of a second

Question 2

PNS

Answer 2

1. Peripheral nervous system
2. the system of nerves that connect the central nervous system (mainly the spinal cord) to the skin, muscles and organs in the body

Question 3

Neurotransmimtters

Answer 3

chemicals found within the nervous system that pass messages from one neuron to another across a synapse

Question 4

neuron

Answer 4

a nerve cell that transmits information

Question 5

The function of neurotransmitters

Answer 5

1. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are released from neurons (or nerve cells) to help them to pass messages from one cell to another
2. There are different types of neurotransmitters that all have different jobs inside the nervous system
3. Neurotransmitters are released when a nerve impulse reaches the end of a nerve fibre
4. The neurotransmitter is then picked up by another neuron to receive the message and possible continue the nerve impulse

Question 6

Types of neurotransmitters

Answer 6

1. Dopamine
2. Serotonin
3. GABA

Question 7

Dopamine

Answer 7

1. Type of neurotransmitter
2. Plays a role in attention and learning as well as released as a reward in the brain
3. Not enough dopamine can make it difficult to concentrate on tasks

Question 8

Serotonin

Answer 8

1. Type of neurotransmitter
2. Plays a role in mood
3. Too little serotonin can make people feel depressed

Question 9

GABA

Answer 9

1. Type of neurotransmitter
2. Gamma-aminobutyric acid
3. Plays a role in calming us down
4. When we feel stressed, we produce GABA to relax us

Question 10

Synaptic functionin

Answer 10

1. Messages are passed throughout the nervous system from one neuron to the next by a process called synaptic transmission
2. Synapses are tiny gaps between neurons that allow chemical messages to pass between them
3. An electrical impulse is triggered inside the cell body of a neuron; the neuron then passes a small impulse along the axon towards the end of the nerve fibre
4. At the end of the nerve fibre is a structure called the terminal button, which is filled with tiny sacs called vesicles containing neurotransmitters
5. When the nerve impulse reaches the terminal button, the vesicles release the neurotransmitter molecules into the synapse
6. These molecules are then grabbed by the receptors on the next neuron to pass the message impulse on

Question 11

Synaptic transmission

Answer 11

the process by which neurotransmitters are released by a neuron, move across the synaptic gap, and are then taken up by another neuron

Question 12

Synapse

Answer 12

a gap between two neurons that allows messages in the form of neurotransmitters to pass from one cell to another

Question 13

Axon

Answer 13

the long structure that connects the cell body of a neuron to the terminal button at the end of the cell

Question 14

Terminal button

Answer 14

the end of a neruon

Question 15

vexicles

Answer 15

small sacs containing neurotransmitter molecules

Question 16

Receptors

Answer 16

special sites on neurons that are designed to absorb neurotransmitter molecules