B10 - The Nervous System Flashcards
what is homostasis
It is the regulation of internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for the function
what are receptors
They are cells that detect changes in the external and the internal environment
What are effectors
They are cells that bring about a change
e.g. muscles, glands
What internal conditions are controlled
Blood sugar level
Temperature
What are coordination centres
They are places where information is received and processed from receptors and organises the response
e.g. Brain, Spinal cord, Pancreas
What is a stimuli
It is a change in the environment
What stimuli do eyes detect
Light
What stimuli do Ears detect
Sound and change in position (Help us keep our balance)
What stimuli does Tongue and Nose detect
Chemicals
What stimuli does skin detect
Touch, pressure, pain and temperature changes
What order happens for a reaction
Stimulus > receptor > Coordinator > Effector > Response
What do motor neurons do
They transmit impulses from the CNS to the effector
What is the CNS
Central Nervous System
It is a coordination centre where responses are made
What do sensory neurons do
They transmit impulses from the receptors to the CNS
What are reflexes
They are actions which are automatic and rapid and do not involve the conscious part of the brain
what are synapses
They are gaps between neurons
What happens at synapses
When the impulse arrives at the synapse, chemicals are released that diffuse across the gap and then bind to the receptor sites
What are glands
They are organs which secrete substances such as hormones
what are hormones
They are chemical messages
What does the brain control
It controls complex behaviour
What is the brain made of
It is made of billions of interconnected neurons and has different regions that carry out different functions
What function does the cerebral cortex carry out
It carries out consciousness, intelligence, memory and language
What function does the cerebellum carry out
It carries out coordination of muscular activity
What function does the medulla carry out
It carries out unconscious activities like breathing and heartbeat
