Nervous system

• What two organ systems help large multicellular organisms like humans communicate and coordinate their behavior?

  Nervous and endocrine systems
• What are the three main things to know about the nervous system?

  Structure of a nerve cell, structure of the whole nervous system, and how a reflex arc works
• What is the connection between two nerve cells called?

  Synapse
• What is the main function of a neuron?

  To carry electrical impulses from one point to another
• How do nerve cells communicate with each other?

  Through the release of chemicals that diffuse across the synapse and trigger an electrical impulse in the next nerve cell
• What is the central nervous system composed of?

  Brain and spinal cord
• What is the function of the central nervous system?

  To take in sensory information, decide what to do with it, and send out orders to the rest of the body
• What type of neurons carry information from receptors to the central nervous system?

  Sensory neurons
• What is the function of motor neurons?

  To carry impulses from the central nervous system to effectors such as muscles or glands
• What is a reflex arc?

  A nerve pathway that underlies unconscious reflexes
• What is the benefit of having reflexes?

  They are rapid and automatic, allowing us to respond quickly to stimuli and avoid getting hurt
• What is the pathway of a reflex arc?

  1. Stimuli detected by receptor cells
  2. Sensory neuron carries impulse to the spinal cord
  3. Impulse transferred to a relay neuron
  4. Relay neuron passes impulse to a motor neuron
  5. Motor neuron carries impulse to an effector such as a muscle or gland
• What are effectors?

  Muscles or glands that respond to impulses from the nervous system
• What is the difference between sensory and motor neurons?

  Sensory neurons carry information from receptors to the central nervous system, while motor neurons carry impulses from the central nervous system to effectors
• What is the role of the spinal cord in the reflex arc?

  To transfer the impulse from the sensory neuron to the relay neuron