5.5.8 Mammalian Nervous System

Question 1

What are the 2 systems in the human nervous system? What do they consist of?

Answer 1

• Peripheral (all the nerves in the body
• Central (brain and spinal cord)

Question 2

How is information passed on through the nervous system?

Answer 2

Electrical signals called impulses are passed along neurones

Question 3

What is a nerve

Answer 3

Bundle of neurones

Question 4

What do neurones do?

Answer 4

Coordinate the activities of :
- sensory receptors
- decision making centres in CNS (brain and spinal cord)
- Effectors like muscles and glands

Question 5

What essentially are the ‘2 parts’ of the nervous system?

Answer 5

• Somatic Nervous System
• Autonomic Nervous System

Question 6

What does the somatic nervous system control? What does this system contain?

Answer 6

• Voluntary movements
• Sensory nerves
• Motor Nerves
• Spinal Nerves

Question 7

What do sensory neurones do?

Answer 7

Carry impulses from sensory receptors in organs to CNS

Question 8

What do motor neurones do?

Answer 8

Carry impulses from CNS to muscles and glands to initiate a response

Question 9

What are spinal nerves?

Answer 9

• In spinal cord
• Mixed nerves containing both sensory and motor neurones

Question 10

What does the autonomic nervous system control? What can it be essentially broken down into?

Answer 10

• Self controlling
• Involuntary actions and functions
• Eg. Heart rate, regulation of blood vessel diameter, peristalsis in gut

Can itself be divided into 2 parts
- Sympathetic nervous system (fight of flight)
- Parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest)

Question 11

What does the sympathetic nervous system control?

Answer 11

• Fight or flight responses
• Releases adrenaline
• Heart rate increases
• Blood flow to respiring muscles increases
• So more oxygen and glucose for respiration
• And high intensity activities like running from predators can be an immediate response