U3 KA1 - Divisions Of The Nervous System And Neural Pathways Flashcards
What are the two divisions of the nervous system?
The Central nervous system and the Peripheral nervous system
What is the Central nervous system made up of?
The brain and the spinal cord
What is the peripheral nervous system made up of?
All nerves branching from the central nervous system
What types of pathways do peripheral nerves contain?
Sensory pathways and motor pathways
Describe the motion of nerve impulses in sensory pathways
Nerve impulses are carried from receptors to the central nervous system
Where are receptors located?
Receptors are located in external sense organs (e.g.skin, eye) or internal sense organs such as thermoreceptors.
After receiving an nerve impulse from sensory pathways, the brain…
Interprets the information and acts by sending impulses via motor pathways
Describe the motion of nerve impulses in motor pathways
From the Central nervous system to effectors
Name the two branches of the peripheral nervous system
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
State the role of the somatic nervous system
To control the body’s ( mostly voluntary) skeletal muscle movement and is also responsible for involuntary reflex action
What type of pathways does the somatic nervous system use?
Sensory and motor pathways
State the role of the autonomic nervous system
To regulate the internal environment of the human body (homeostatic control)
involuntary control of organs such as the heart and blood vessels without the persons conscious control.
Define antagonistic
Work opposite to each other (have opposite effects)
Name the two branches of the autonomic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system
State the effect of the parasympathetic nervous system on heart rate
Decreased
State the effect of the parasympathetic nervous system on breathing rate
Decreased
State the effect of the parasympathetic nervous system on the blood flow to muscles
Decreased
State the effect of the parasympathetic nervous system on the blood flow to the digestive system
Increased (increased digestion)
State the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on heart rate
Increased
State the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on breathing rate
Increased
State the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on the blood flow to muscles
Increased
State the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on the blood flow to the digestive system
Decreased (slows digestion)
Name the three types of neural pathways
Converging
Diverging
Reverberating
What is a converging neural pathway?
A neural pathway that involves two or more neurons providing impulses to one receiving neuron
Describe the effect of converging neural pathways on nerve impulses
The intensity of the impulse is increased (increases concentration of excitatory or inhibitory signals)
What is a diverging neural pathway?
A pathway in which a motor neuron sends impulses to multiple neurons
(One neuron has a simultaneous effect in many parts of the body)
What is the purpose of a diverging neural pathway?
to provide fine motor control
What is a reverberating neural pathway?
Pathways were neurons later in the pathway form connections with neurons earlier in the pathway
What is the purpose of reverberating neural pathways?
They allow nerve impulses to be recycled under rhythmically and repeatedly stimulate the circuit (Impulses only stop when they’re no longer needed)
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