3.4 Putting It All Together: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System

Question 1

nerves

Answer 1

bundles of interconnected neurons that fire in synchrony to carry messages

Question 2

central nervous system (CNS)

Answer 2

made up of the brain and spinal cord, is the major controller of the body’s functions, charged with interpreting sensory information and responding to it with its own directives

Question 3

sensory (or afferent)

Answer 3

neuron carries information from the sensory receptors

Question 4

motor (or efferent)

Answer 4

neuron transmits information to the muscles and glands

Question 5

interneuron

Answer 5

it is located primarily within the CNS and is responsible for communicating among the neurons

Question 6

spinal cord

Answer 6

the long, thin, tubular bundle of nerves and supporting cells that extends down from the brain

Question 7

reflex

Answer 7

an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus

Question 8

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Answer 8

links the CNS to the body’s sense receptors, muscles, and glands

Question 9

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 9

the division of the PNS that governs the internal activities of the human body, including heart rate, breathing, digestion, salivation, perspiration, urination, and sexual arousal

Question 10

somatic nervous system (SNS)

Answer 10

the division of the PNS that controls the external aspects of the body

Question 11

sympathetic division of the ANS

Answer 11

involved in preparing the body for behavior, particularly in response to stress, by activating the organs and the glands in the endocrine system

Question 12

parasympathetic division of the ANS

Answer 12

tends to calm the body by slowing the heart and breathing and by allowing the body to recover from the activities that the sympathetic system causes

Question 13

homeostasis

Answer 13

the natural balance in the body’s systems

Question 14

gland

Answer 14

in the endocrine system, is made up of groups of cells that function to secrete hormones

Question 15

hormone

Answer 15

a chemical that moves throughout the body to help regulate emotions and behaviors

Question 16

pituitary gland

Answer 16

a small pea-sized gland located near the center of the brain, is responsible for controlling the body’s growth

Question 17

pancreas

Answer 17

secretes hormones designed to keep the body supplied with fuel to produce and maintain stores of energy

Question 18

pineal gland,

Answer 18

located in the middle of the brain, which secretes melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the wake-sleep cycle

Question 19

thyroid and parathyroid glands

Answer 19

responsible for determining how quickly the body uses energy and hormones, and controlling the amount of calcium in the blood and bones

Question 20

adrenal glands

Answer 20

produce hormones that regulate salt and water balance in the body, and they are involved in metabolism, the immune system, and sexual development and function

Question 21

epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline)

Answer 21

stimulate the sympathetic division of the ANS, causing increased heart and lung activity, dilation of the pupils, and increases in blood sugar, which give the body a surge of energy to respond to a threat

Question 22

testosterone

Answer 22

• the male sex hormone
• regulates body changes associated with sexual development, including enlargement of the penis, deepening of the voice, growth of facial and pubic hair, and the increase in muscle growth and strength

Question 23

ovaries

Answer 23

• the female sex glands, are located in the pelvis

- produce eggs and secrete the female hormones estrogen and progesterone

Question 24

estrogen

Answer 24

• involved in the development of female sexual features, including breast growth, the accumulation of body fat around the hips and thighs, and the growth spurt that occurs during puberty

Question 25

progesterone

Answer 25

• both estrogen and progesterone are also involved in pregnancy and the regulation of the menstrual cycle