B3: Organism level systems Flashcards
(203 cards)
what does the nervous system do
- it detects and responds to changes in your external environment
what does the central nervous system consists of (CNS)
- brain
- spinal cord
what is a stimulus
- a change in the environment
what do receptors do
- they detect the stimulus
> different receptors detect different stimuli - they change the stimulus into electrical impulses that travel along neurons (nerve cells) to your CNS
what are neurons
- specialised nerve cells which transmit electrical impulses around the nervous system
what are effectors
- muscles or glands
what is a response
- a reaction to the stimulus carried out by effectors
what are reflexes
- involuntary responses that occur without conscious thought
- you don’t have control over these responses
- reflexes are very fast to protect us from harm
what are nerves
- a bundle of neuron cells
name the different types of neurons
- sensory
- relay
- motor
what do sensory neurones do
- they carry electrical impulses from receptor cells to CNS
what do relay neurones do
- they carry electrical impulses within CNS and allow sensory and motor neurones to communicate
what do motor neurones do
- they carry electrical impulses from the CNS to effectors
describe the structure of a sensory neuron
- dendrites so can connect with many other neurones
- electrical impulse carried along dendron to cell body
- from cell body carried along axon to CNS
- axons + dendrons covered with fatty myelin sheath - electrical insulator, speeding up electrical impulse
describe the structure of a relay neuron
- nucleus
- cell body
- dendrites
- axon
- dendron
describe the structure of a motor neuron
- dendrites, cell body, nucleus
- electrical impulse along axon (away from cell body) to effector
what is a synapse
- a gap between 2 neurones
electrical impulses can’t travel through the synapse, what is done instead
- chemicals called neurotransmitters diffuse across the gap
- they then bind with receptor molecules on the next neuron setting off a new electrical impulse
describe the reflex arc with a flow chart
Stimulus > receptor cells > sensory neuron > relay neuron > CNS > relay neuron > motor neuron > effector > response
how can the components of the nervous system produce a coordinated response
- it goes to all parts of the body
- has many links
- has different sensory receptors and is able to coordinate responses
describe the reflex arc (words)
- a change in environment (stimulus) is detected by a receptor
- an electrical impulse is travelled along the sensory neurone to the CNS
- the impulse is carried through the CNS along the relay neuron until it gets to the motor neuron
- the impulse is then passed along the motor neuron until it gets to an effector
- the effector then brings about a response - a reflex (involuntary response)
what is the cornea and its function
- transparent layer on the front of the eye
- protects the eye
- refracts (bends) light entering the eyes
what is the iris and its function
- coloured ring of muscle
- alters pupil size by contracting or relaxing
what is the pupil and its function
- central hole in the iris
- allows different amounts of light into the eye