Topic 5: Organisation of the nervous system

Question 1

What are the 6 structures within the nervous system?

Answer 1

1. Brain
2. Spinal cord
3. Ganglia
4. Enteric Plexuses
5. Sensory receptors
6. nerves

Question 2

What does the brain contain?

Answer 2

Neurons within the skull

Question 3

Function of spinal cord

Answer 3

connects to brain & enclosed in spinal cavity

Question 4

What are nerves?

Answer 4

bundles of neuronal axons :

Cranial nerves emerge from brain

Spinal nerves emerge from spinal cord

Question 5

What is ganglia?

Answer 5

groups of cell bodies outside brain & spinal cord

Question 6

What are Enteric plexuses?

Answer 6

• networks in digestive tract

Question 7

What are Sensory receptors?

Answer 7

• monitor changes in internal or external environments

Question 8

What are the 3 functions of nerves?

Answer 8

1. Sensory Receptors & afferent (sensory) nerves: Carry information to brain & spinal cord
2. Inter-neurons: Integration - information processing, Carried by short interneurons
3. Motor activity- efferent (motor) nerves, Carry signals from brain and spinal cord to glands and muscles (effectors)

Question 9

What are the 2 components of the nervous system?

Answer 9

Central nervous system: CNS (Brain and spinal cord)

Peripheral nervous system: PNS ( All nervous tissue outwith the CNS)

Question 10

What does the peripheral nervous system divide into?

Answer 10

Somatic nervous system (SNS)

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Enteric nervous system (ENS)

Question 11

Somatic nervous system (SNS)=

Answer 11

sensory neurons in somatic receptors and motor neurons to skeletal muscle.

Question 12

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) =

Answer 12

sensory neurons from autonomic receptors and motor neurons to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle and glands.

Question 13

Enteric Nervous System (ENS) =

Answer 13

sensory and motor neurons of the GI tract