Divisions and Subdivisions of the nervous system

Question 1

what is the function of the nervous system

Answer 1

the nervous system enables the brain and body to exchange neural messages and communicate with one another via neurons

Question 2

what type of messages are neural messages

Answer 2

electro-chemical

Question 3

what are the three types of neurons

Answer 3

motor/efferent neurons, sensory/afferent neurons, interneurons

Question 4

motor/efferent neurons

Answer 4

transmit neural messages about motor movement from the central nervous system to the peripheral nervous system

Question 5

sensory/affarent neurons

Answer 5

transmit neural messages about bodily sensations from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system

Question 6

interneurons

Answer 6

transfer neural messages between sensory neurons and motor neurons. make up the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)

Question 7

what are the divisions of the nervous system

Answer 7

the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

Question 8

what are the subdivisions of the PNS

Answer 8

the somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system

Question 9

what is the somatic nervous system comprised of

Answer 9

sensory/afferent pathways which are composed of sensory neurons and motor/efferent pathways which are composed of motor neurons

Question 10

what are the two types of responses

Answer 10

concious and unconcious

Question 11

concious response

Answer 11

deliberate and voluntary actions that are intentionally initiated by the brain and performed by the body

Question 12

what systems are used in a concious response

Answer 12

the central nervous system and brain and the somatic nervous system are connected

Question 13

unconcious response

Answer 13

automatic and involuntary actions that are performed by the body independently of the brain and without concious awareness in response to sensory stimuli

Question 14

what systems are involved in an unconcious response

Answer 14

physiological responses of the autonomic nervous system and the spinal reflex

Question 15

how are unconcious responses beneficial

Answer 15

adaptive and protective mechanisms that aid in survival

Question 16

what makes up the CNS

Answer 16

the spinal cord and brain (both comprised of interneurons)

Question 17

spinal cord

Answer 17

a cable of nerve tissue that extends from the brain, connecting it to the peripheral nervous system

Question 18

what are the two roles of the spinal cord

Answer 18

acts as an ascending tract and descending tract

Question 19

ascending tracts

Answer 19

transmit sensory messages from the PNS to the brain

Question 20

descending tracts

Answer 20

transmit motor messages from the brain to the PNS

Question 21

role of the brain in the CNS

Answer 21

acts as a control centre. 1.recieves sensory info 2. processes, intergrates and organises it 3. intiates a bodily response to the skeletal muscles to respond to stimuli

Question 22

role of the PNS

Answer 22

transmits neural messages between the CNS and the body

Question 23

what is the PNS comprised of

Answer 23

every neuron (motor and sensory) in the body outside of the CNS (brain and spinal cord)

Question 24

somatic nervous system

Answer 24

a division of the PNS that transmits neural messages related to voluntary motor movement through skeletal muscles in response to sensory stimuli

Question 25

autonomic nervous system

Answer 25

a division of the peripheral nervous system that regulates visceral muscles, organs and glands and transmits neural messages to the central nervous system about their activity

Question 26

what are the seven steps of the somatic nervous system

Answer 26

1. sensory receptors detect stimuli 2. sensory neural message is transmitted via affarent pathways in the somatic nervous sytem 3. and then up ascending tracts of the spinal cord 4. \ brain processes this sensory info, coordinating and initiating a concious motor response 5. motor neural message is transmitted via efferent pathways in the spinal cord down descending tracts 6. and then the somatic nervous system to skeletal muscles 7. skeletal muscles carry out the concious motor response

Question 27

autonomic nervous system

Answer 27

involvrf in unconcious physiological responses and controls viscera; muscles, organs and glands that are predominatley self-regulating and do not require concious control

Question 28

what are visceral muscles, organs and glands

Answer 28

muscles, organs and glands that are not connected to the skeleton and are self regulating

Question 29

what are the branches of the autonomic nervous system

Answer 29

the sympathetic nervous systenm and parasympathetic nervous system

Question 30

what is the sympathetic nervous system

Answer 30

becomes dominant when a person is confronted with a threat or stressor, when dominant physiological responses occur to energise the body (involved in fight/flight)

Question 31

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 31

becomes dominant during rest and physical inactivity, when dominant, physiological responses occur that maintain optimal and balancing functiong/homeostatis

Question 32

what changes depending on parasympathetic/sympathetic is dominant

Answer 32

the unconcious physiological responses of the visceral muscles/organs and glands

Question 33

what are the unconcious physiological responses of the sympathetic nervous system

Answer 33

heart rate increases to increase blood flow and breathing rate increases as lung airways expand (both enable high levels of physical activity). pupils dilate allowing more light to enyter the eyes (improving vision). adrenal glands secrete stress hormones (energises body). sweat glands are activated, increasing perspiration. digestion and salvation is inhibited, as well as bladder relaxes (conserves energy) and body releases more glucose to energise the body

Question 34

what are the unconcious physiological responses of the parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 34

heart beats at a steady and regular rate (that supports optimal and balanced functioning). lung airways constrict, (enabling a steady and regular breathing rate). pupils contrict (allowing for an appropriate amount of light to enter the eyes for adequate vision). adrenal glands do not secret stress hormones, sweat glands are regulated (controlling perspiration). digestion occurs normally, saliva is stimulated. the bladder constricts and urination is controlled. the body releases less glucose (to rest and prevent the depletion of energy stores)

Question 35

spinal reflex

Answer 35

an unconcious response to sensory stimuli that is initiated by interneurons in the spinal cord independently of the brain. the path along which the neural signal is transmitted as part of the spinal reflex is called the reflex arc

Question 36

purpose of the spinal reflex

Answer 36

to protect the body from injury/harm and increase chances of survival, is considered an adaptive response

Question 37

what are the three types of specialised neurons and their purpose in the spinal reflex

Answer 37

sensory/affarent (detects sensations), interneuron/rely neuron (links motor and sensory neurons in spinal cord), motor/efferent (enable response)

Question 38

steps of the spinal reflex

Answer 38

1. a dangerous/harmful sensory stimulus is detected by sensory recpetors, which transmited this message via sensory neurons in the SNS to the spinal cord 2. an interneurons in the spinal cord relays this sensory neural signal from a sensory neuron to a motor neuron as a motor neural signal, initiating an unconcious and automatic motor response 3. the motor message is transmitted via motor neurons in the SNS to skeletal muscles, which carry out the unconcious motor response 4. the sensory message continues to travel up ascending tracts in the spinal cord to the brain. The brain then registers the sensation that triggered the spinal reflex