Unit A - Nervous & Endocrine System Flashcards
Which gland in the endocrine system is a neuroendocrine gland?
Posterior pituitary gland
What are the two peripheral nervous system parts?
Somatic and autonomic
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system are part of which system?
Autonomic (peripheral) nervous system
What is sensory adaptation?
The ability of the brain to filter out redundant, insignificant or repetitive information.
What are the four types of sensory receptors?
Photoreceptors, chemoreceptors, mechanoreceptors and thermoreceptors.
Define homeostasis.
The tendency of the body to maintain a relatively constant environment; critical for survival.
What part of the brain receives impulses from chemoreceptors in the tastebuds?
The parietal lobe.
What part of the brain receives impulses from chemoreceptors in the olfactory cells?
The temporal lobe.
What structure receives info from olfactory sensory receptors and transmits it to the brain?
Olfactory bulb
What is the sensory pathway for the nose/smell?
Sensory receptors > sensory neurons > olfactory bulb > temporal lobe (cerebrum)
What type of sensory receptors relay tactile acuity?
Mechanoreceptors
What is tactile acuity?
The minimum separation needed for the brain to perceive more than one point separately.
What type of sensory receptors are present in the retina?
Photoreceptors
What are the two types of photoreceptors in the retina?
Rods and cones.
List three differences between the two photoreceptors in the eye?
Cones exist primarily in the fovea centralis, rods are in the peripheral only.
Cones need adequate light to function and perceive colour by detecting different light wavelengths. Rods function in low light and do not register colour, only contrast/shape.
Cones have dedicated receptors. Multiple rods are connected to a single receptor.
Name the two humours of the eye and their functions.
Aqueous humour: maintains shape of cornea and provides oxygen to surrounding cells.
Vitreous humour: maintains shape of eyeball.
What causes the condition glaucoma?
Fluid in the aqueous chamber doesn’t drain properly, it builds up and causes tunnel vision as cells in the peripheral (retina) deteriorate.
What are the two structures of the external eye layer?
Sclera and cornea.
What are the four intermediate structures of the eye?
Choroid, iris, pupil and ciliary muscles.
What is the function of the cornea?
Bends light rays into the eye.
What is the function of the choroid?
Absorbs scattered light rays, and contains blood vessels to nourish cells.
What structure of the eye regulates the amount of light that enters it?
Iris.
What is the function of the pupil?
Opening for light to enter the eye.
What controls the shape of the lens?
Ciliary muscles.