CNS

Question 1

What is the nervous system?

Answer 1

Receives, transmits and responds to info from external environment to internal environment through nerve cells (specialised cells that carry messages around body)

Question 2

What is the CNS?

Answer 2

The brain and spinal cord - body’s control system

Spinal cord connects brain to every area of body through nerve cells

Question 3

What is the spinal cord?

Answer 3

Bundle of nerve fibres and tissue that connects nearly all parts of body to brain - protected to vertebrae

Question 4

What is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 4

Any other nerves outside CNS
Relay info from brain + spinal cord to rest of body
Includes autonomic, sensory and motor nerves

Question 5

What is the autonomic system?

Answer 5

Involuntary - don’t consciously control e.g. heart rate + gut movement

Question 6

What are the sensory neurones?

Answer 6

Relate to sensation or physical senses - anything stimulating senses will be relayed to brain via sensory neurones

Question 7

What are the motor neurones?

Answer 7

Relate to motion or physical activity

Transmit info from muscles to brain

Question 8

What is the somatic nervous system?

Answer 8

Made up of sensory and motor neurones

Sensory and motor pathways have to work together, voluntary or involuntary

Question 9

What is the role of the meninges?

Answer 9

Three layers of membrane surrounding brain + spinal cord - barrier from rest of body and infection

Question 10

What is the role of the cerebral cortex?

Answer 10

Responsible for thinking, processing sensory info from body - 4 lobes have own functions

Question 11

What is the role of the corpus callosum?

Answer 11

Bridge of nerve tissue that connects halves of brain and enables communication between hemispheres

Question 12

What is the role of the hypothalamus?

Answer 12

Responsible for maintenance of temperature and appetite + thirst

Question 13

What is the role of the medulla oblongata?

Answer 13

Automatically regulates life sustaining functions e.g. breathing and heart rate

Question 14

What is the role of the cerebellum?

Answer 14

Coordinates and regulates muscle activity + controls muscles to maintain balance

Question 15

What is the role of the fronal lobe?

Answer 15

Carries out higher level mental processes e.g. thinking and decision making

Question 16

What is the role of the temporal lobe?

Answer 16

Responsible for processing auditory info - comprehend and understand language

Question 17

What is the role of the parietal lobe?

Answer 17

Process info from taste, temperature and touch

Question 18

What is the role of the occipital lobe?

Answer 18

Processes visual info

Question 19

Where is the cerebellum found?

Answer 19

Back and bottom of brain

Question 20

Where us occipital lobe found?

Answer 20

Back of brain above cerebellum

Question 21

Where is temporal lobe found?

Answer 21

Bottom of brain in middle

Question 22

Where is parietal lobe found?

Answer 22

Top of brain towards back

Question 23

Where is medulla oblongata found?

Answer 23

Along brain-stem

Question 24

What is the function of the dendrites?

Answer 24

Short branched structures that receives electrical impulses from other neurons and carry them towards cell body

Question 25

What is the function of the cell body in neurons?

Answer 25

Where nucleus is found -controls neuron activity

Question 26

What is the function of the axon?

Answer 26

Long thread like part of nerve cell - impulses conducted away from cell body to other cells

Question 27

What is the function of the nodes of ranvier?

Answer 27

Action potential will start to lose charge as it travels down the axon - gaps allow positively charged ions to flood into axon and boost charge of action potential

Question 28

What is the function of the myelin sheath?

Answer 28

Produced by schwann cells Fatty white substance surrounding axon Protective insulating layer to prevent impulses leaking Enables impulses to transmit quickly along axon

Question 29

What is the function of the axon terminal?

Answer 29

End branches of axon - pass messages to next neuron by triggering impulse of neurones dendrites to release neurotransmitters that pass messages between neurons

Question 30

What is action potential?

Answer 30

The electrical signal being sent through the neuron

Question 31

What happens to cerebellum when you drink alcohol?

Answer 31

Cerebellum controls balance and fine motor action - message sent from motor cortex to cerebellum and back again before sent to muscle fibres - alcohol disturbs signals - loss of coordination

Question 32

What is the function of a synapse?

Answer 32

To transfer electric activity from one cell to another

Question 33

What 3 elements does synapse consist of?

Answer 33

The pre-synaptic membrane, post-synaptic membrane and synaptic cleft (gap in middle)

Question 34

What is the function of the synaptic cleft?

Answer 34

Gap between pre-synaptic membrane and post-synaptic membrane

Question 35

What is the function of the mitochondria in synapse?

Answer 35

Provide energy to cell - ATP -> ADP = energy

Question 36

What is the function of the neurotransmitters?

Answer 36

Chemical messengers released at axon terminal - send electrical signals between neurons

Question 37

What is the function of the receptors in synapse?

Answer 37

Binding site of neurotransmitters Embedded in membrane of post-synaptic membrane Bind with neurotransmitters to trigger electrical impulse and carry it along neuron

Question 38

What is the function of the enzymes in synapse?

Answer 38

Stop transmission between neurons - break down neurotransmitters in synaptic cleft to be reabsorbed into post-synaptic neuron and used again