Unit 3

Question 1

Name the two divisions of the nervous system.

Answer 1

Central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

Question 2

What two components make up the central nervous system?

Answer 2

Brain and spinal cord.

Question 3

Name the nerves that carry nerve impulses from the receptors in the body towards the CNS.

Answer 3

Sensory neurons.

Question 4

Name the set of nerves that carry nerve impulses away from the CNS towards the effectors (e.g. muscles and glands).

Answer 4

Motor neurons.

Question 5

Name the two branches of the peripheral nervous system.

Answer 5

Somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

Question 6

Out of the somatic and autonomic nervous system which one controls voluntary movements?

Answer 6

Somatic nervous system.

Question 7

Out of the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system which one controls involuntary movements?

Answer 7

Autonomic nervous system.

Question 8

What are the names of the two sets of nerves that make up the autonomic nervous system that prepare the body for action and returns it to normal after the action is over?

Answer 8

Sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves.

Question 9

What word is used to describe the fact that the sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves exert opposite effects?

Answer 9

Antagonistic.

Question 10

Describe what the sympathetic nerves do to the heart rate, breathing rate, rate of digestion and secretion of adrenaline to prepare the body for action.

Answer 10

The increase apart from the rate of digestion which decreases under sympathetic nerves action.

Question 11

Describe what the parasympathetic nerves do to the heart rate, rate of breathing and rate of digestion.

Answer 11

They decrease apart from the rate of digestion which increases under the action of the parasympathetic nerves.

Question 12

Which organ does not have a parasympathetic nerve going to it, despite it having a sympathetic nerve going to it?

Answer 12

Adrenal glands.

Question 13

How does the secretion of adrenaline get stopped?

Answer 13

The sympathetic nerve stops stimulating the adrenal glands and levels of adrenaline gradually decrease.

Question 14

What term is used to describe the action that the body performs after stimulation by the sympathetic nerves?

Answer 14

Fight or flight response.

Question 15

What term is used to describe the action that the body performs after stimulation by the parasympathetic nerves?

Answer 15

Rest and digest response.

Question 16

The cerebrum is split in two halves called cerebral hemispheres. What joins the two hemispheres?

Answer 16

Corpus callosum.

Question 17

Describe the corpus callosum.

Answer 17

A bundle of nerve fibres that allows communication to flow between the two hemispheres.

Question 18

Name the three types of functional areas in the brain.

Answer 18

Sensory, association and motor area.

Question 19

Where do the sensory areas of the brain receive information from?

Answer 19

From sensory nerves coming from the body’s receptors.

Question 20

What is the purpose of the association areas?

Answer 20

They analyse and interpret the impulses received in the sensory areas.

Question 21

What is the purpose of the motor areas?

Answer 21

They receive information from the association areas and send impulses along motor nerves to the appropriate effectors.

Question 22

What jobs does the cerebral cortex carry?

Answer 22

Conscious thought, controls personality, intelligence and imagination.

Question 23

If a person has their corpus callosum cut, how is this person described?

Answer 23

A split brain patient.