Chapter 2B

Question 1

conscious responses

Answer 1

Deliberate, intentional, voluntary behaviours.

The central nervous system, the brain specifically, initiates the behaviours and the somatic nervous is responsible for performing the actions.

Question 2

steps in conscious responses

Answer 2

1. the sensory stimulus comes into contact with sensory receptors, which are nerve endings that detect internal sensations in the body and external sensations from the environment
2. the sensory neural message is transmitted via afferent pathways in the somatic nervous system and then the spinal cord to the brain
3. the brain processes this sensory information, coordinating and initiating a conscious motor response
4. this motor neural message is transmitted via efferent pathways in the spinal cord, and then the somatic nervous system to skeletal muscles
5. the skeletal muscles carry out the conscious motor response to the sensory stimulus

Question 3

unconscious responses

Answer 3

Unconscious responses are automatic reactions controlled by the nervous system without conscious thought. Examples include reflex actions, such as pulling your hand away from a hot surface, and autonomic functions like heartbeat and digestion.

Question 4

fight-flight-freeze response

Answer 4

• When we are confronted by danger, our sympathetic NS activates to help us survive.
• it is our body’s acute stress response
• This happens without conscious awareness.

Question 5

The spinal reflex

Answer 5

This is an automatic unconscious response to danger. It is controlled by the somatic NS but does not involve the brain in initiating actions. The brain receives the message also but the motor response has already been initiated via interneurons in the spinal cord.

Question 6

steps in spinal reflex

Answer 6

• sensory receptors detect the harmful stimulus
• sensory neurons relay this message along afferent pathways to the spinal cord
• interneurons in the spinal cord receive this message and relay the message to motor neurons
• motor neurons carry information via efferent pathways to muscles, to initiate a withdrawal effect
• at the same time sensory neurons continue to carry this information to the brain
• the brain receives this messages and interprets it as pain