biology - nervous system

• What is another name for a nerve cell?

  Neuron
• What is the primary function of neurons?

  To carry electrical impulses from one point to another
• How are neurons adapted to their function?

  They are long, thin, and have many branch connections
• What is a synapse?

  A connection between two nerve cells
• What is the role of sensory neurons in the nervous system?

  To carry information from receptors to the central nervous system
• What does the central nervous system consist of?

  The brain and spinal cord
• What are effectors generally in the nervous system?

  Muscles or glands
• How does the nervous system respond to changes in the environment?

  • Detects changes through sensory neurons
  • Processes information in the central nervous system
  • Sends impulses to effectors via motor neurons
• What is a reflex arc?

  A nerve pathway that underlies unconscious reflexes
• What is an example of a reflex action?

  Moving your hand away from a hot pan
• What is the benefit of reflexes?

  They are rapid and automatic responses
• What happens to the impulse in the spinal cord during a reflex action?

  It is transferred to a relay neuron
• What is the final step in a reflex arc?

  The motor neuron sends an impulse to an effector
• What occurs at the synapses between neurons?

  The electrical signal is converted to a chemical signal
• What are the steps involved in a reflex arc?

  1. Stimulus detected by receptor cells
  2. Sensory neuron carries impulse to spinal cord
  3. Relay neuron transfers impulse within spinal cord
  4. Motor neuron sends impulse to effector
  5. Effector (muscle or gland) responds
• nerves are bundles of neurones that carry messages from one part of the body to another
• the spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of the body
• what is the order of the nervous system?

  stimulus-receptor-sensory neurone-relay neurone-motor neurone-effector-response
• define stimulus

  a change in an environment
• what is role of receptor

  groups of specialised cells that detect stimuli- receives signals and inititiates a response
• what is the role of a relay neurone?

  allow sensory and motor neurones to communicate
• where is relay neurones found?

  brain and spinal cord-cns
• what is role of motor neurone?

  allows us to move,speak,swallow and breath by sending commands from brain to the muscles that carry out these functions
• what is role of effector

  produces specific response to a detected stimulus
• 6 types of receptors

  light (eye) sound (ear) chemoreceptors (mouth/nose) temp (skin)pain(skin) pressure(skin)