nervous system

• what is a neurone?


  A specialised nerve cell.
• what are 3 adaptations of a neurone?


  •long (to carry electrical impulses long distances)

  •many dendrites (to connect many neurones together)

  •myelin sheath (to insulate the axon and speed up the conduction of electrical impulses)
• what is a stimulus?


  a change in the external environmen.
• what are receptors?


  specialised cells that detect a stimulus
• what is a synapse?


  a junction(gap) between 2 neurones
• what is the role of the sensory neurone?


  It carries impulses from the receptor to the CNS.
• what is the central nervous system (CNS) made up of?


  •brain

  •spinal cord
• what is the role of the motor neurone?


  It carries impulses from the CNS to the effector.
• what is an effector?


  A muscle or gland which carries out a response.
• what is the order of the conduction of an electrical impulse?

  stimulus - receptor -sensory neurone - CNS - motor neurone - effector - response
• what is the response?


  The resulting action.
• what do reflex actions not involve?


  the brain.
• where are relay neurones found?


  in the CNS.
• what are reflexes?


  automatic responses.
• what gland is known as ‘the master gland’?

  Pituitary Gland.
• what is the role of the cerebrum in the brain?


  It controls voluntary movement, conscious thought, memory and emotion.
• What is the role of the hypothalamus?


  Controls temperature and water balance within the body.
• What does the pituitary gland produce?


  hormones for bodily functions (eg. LH and FSH)
• what does the medulla control in the brain?


  unconscious activities (eg. heart rate and breathing rate)
• what is the role of the cerebellum in the brain?


  controls balance and co-ordination.