Nervous System Flashcards
What does the nervous system do
Enables humans to react to their surroundings and to coordinate their behaviour
How is information passed along neurones
By an electrical impulse
What is the central nervous system
The brain and the spinal cord
how does a reflex work
- They are rapid and automatic
- they don’t use the brain and the impulse travels in the spinal cord
What is a synapse
Gap between two neurones
How do chemicals travel across synapses
Chemicals diffuse to start a new electrical impulse in the next neurone
What is the endocrine system
Set of glands which secrete hormones into the blood stream
What are hormones
Chemical messengers that produce an effect
What is the pituitary gland
A ‘Master Gland’ which secretes several hormones into the blood
How is blood glucose monitored and controlled
Controlled by the pancreas,
if the bg level gets too high the pancreas produces insulin
If bg level is too low the pancreas produces glucagon
What is type 1 diabetes
Where the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin
What is type 2 diabetes
Body cells no longer respond to insulin
