14 Coordination and Response: 14.1 Nervous Control in Humans

14 Coordination and
response
14.1 Nervous control in humans
Describe a nerve impulse as an electrical signal that passes along nerve cells called
neurones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZH3qyDyUFk
Definition: A nerve impulse is an electrical signal that passes along nerve cells called
neurones
Describe the human nervous system in terms of: – the central nervous system consisting of
brain and spinal cord – the peripheral nervous system – coordination and regulation of
body functions
•The human nervous system consists of the:

• central nervous system (CNS) – the brain and the spinal cord
• peripheral nervous system (PNS) – all of the nerves in the
body
•Nervous system helps to coordinate and regulate body functions
•Information is sent through the nervous system as nerve impulses –
electrical signals that pass along nerve cells known as neurones
•A bundle of neurones is known as a nerve
Question: The nervous system coordinates the responses of animals to changes in their environment.
Fig. shows the arrangement of the nervous system in a mammal.
Complete Fig. By writing the names of the missing parts of the mammalian nervous system in the boxes.
Once again:
(voluntary action) involves (brain in) decision making /conscious ;
(voluntary action) is slower ;
(voluntary action) is not reflex (automatic) ;
(voluntary action) can be learned ;
(voluntary action) can give different responses to same stimulus ;
Distinguish between voluntary and involuntary actions
State two ways in which a voluntary action differs from an involuntary action
slower/takes more time ;
needs thought / uses the brain/ conscious control ;
Learnt/ not inherited/ needs training
not automatic ;
response is not always the same to the stimulus ;
Identify motor (effector), relay (connector) and sensory neurones from diagrams
•There are three main types of neurone: sensory, relay and motor

•Sensory neurones carry impulses from sense organs to the CNS (brain or spinal cord)
•Relay neurones are found inside the CNS and connect sensory and motor neurones
•Motor neurones carry impulses from the CNS to effectors (muscles or glands)
QUESTION: Most neurones are longer than other types of animal cell. Suggest why most neurones are very long
ANSWER: (transmit impulses) from one (distant) part of the body to another;
so (impulse) is fast
Some neurones connect to effector organs. (i) State the name of the type of neurone that connects to an effector organ.
(ii) State one example of an effector organ
(i) motor (neurones) ; (ii) muscle ; gland

•Neurones have a long fibre (axon)
•This means that less time is wasted transferring the impulse from one cell to another
•The axon is insulated by a fatty sheath with small uninsulated sections along it (called
nodes)
•This means that the electrical impulse does not travel down the whole axon, but jumps
from one node to the next
•Their cell body contains many extensions called dendrites
•This means they can connect to many other neurones and receive impulses from them,
forming a network for easy communication
Name sense organs and the stimulus which each detects.
1. eye, light ;
2. ear, sound / noise ;
3. ear, gravity / acceleration / movement ;
4. tongue, taste / chemicals / flavours in food ;
5. nose, smell / chemicals in the air / odours ;
6. skin, touch / pressure ;
7. skin, temperature ;
8. skin, pain ;
Describe a simple reflex arc in terms of receptor, sensory neurone, relay
neurone, motor neurones and effector
Describe a simple reflex arc in terms of receptor, sensory neurone, relay neurone, motor neurones and effector
Fig. 1.1 shows the reflex arc for the knee jerk reflex
A spinal cord / grey matter ;

B motor neurone / axon / efferent
fibre ;
C sensory cell / receptor / muscle
spindle ;
D quadriceps / muscle / effector ;
Explain what would happen to the reflex shown in Fig. 1.1 if the
nerve was cut across at X-Y
sensory neurone still carries an impulse/can still feel the sharp
blow ; no impulses in (motor) neurone / after the cut ; to,
muscle / effector ; no, response / contraction
SOLVE Q3 0610/33/M/J/14
Explain what is meant by the term involuntary action.
response or reaction to stimulus ;
occurs without having to, think / use the brain / make decision
The arm shown in Fig. moves in response to the detection of

heat. Explain how the parts of the reflex arc shown in Fig.
bring about this response
1. receptor(s) / sensory cells / nerve ending , detects heat /
stimulus ;
2. (nervous / electrical) impulses ;
3. generated by (skin) receptor ;
4. travels to spinal cord along sensory neurone(s) ;
5. within spinal nerve ; synapse ;
6. relay / connector / inter–, neurone ;
7. motor neurone to effector / biceps / muscle ;
8. biceps contracts
SOLVE Q5 0610/31/O/N/13
Fig. 2.2 is a flow chart that shows how an involuntary action is controlled
i)State the structure found at X
ii)State the type of involuntary action shown by the flow chart

i) sensory neurone ;
ii) reflex
Describe a reflex action as a means of automatically and rapidly integrating and coordinating stimuli with the
responses of effectors (muscles and glands)
ii) Name the two types of tissue in the body that can act as effectors.
iii) Describe the characteristics of a reflex action resulting from the activity of structures A, B, C
and D.
iv) State examples of a reflex action
i) A – sensory neurone; B – motor neurone; C – synapse; D –
relay neurone;
(ii) muscles; glands
(iii) response (to a stimulus) that is automatic / involuntary / and rapid; [2]
(iv) withdrawal reflex / knee jerk reflex / iris reflex;

Describe a reflex action as a means of automatically and rapidly integrating and
coordinating stimuli with the responses of effectors (muscles and glands)
The Reflex Arc

•An involuntary (or reflex) response does not involve the
brain as the coordinator of the reaction and you are not aware
you have completed it until after you have carried it out
•This is an automatic and rapid response to a stimulus such as
touching something sharp or hot
•As it does not involve the brain, a reflex response
is quicker than any other type of nervous response
•This helps to minimise the damage to the body
•Reflex actions are:
1. Automatic
2. Fast
3. Protective
Reflexes are simple responses that protect the body. The pathway that nerve impulses
travel along during a reflex is called a reflex arc.
(a) Letters A to G show the components of a reflex arc.
A stimulus B motor neurone C sensory neurone D receptor cell E response F relay
neurone G effector
Put the components into the correct sequence. Two have been done for you.
ADCFBGE
Define a synapse as a junction between two neurones
The Synapse: Definition

•The junction between two neurones is known as a synapse
Describe the structure of a synapse, including the presence of neurotransmitter containing vesicles, the synaptic cleft
and neurotransmitter receptor molecules
Describe the structure of a synapse, including the presence of neurotransmitter containing vesicles, the
synaptic cleft and neurotransmitter receptor molecules
Fig. 4.1 shows parts of two neurones. The area in the dashed circle has been magnified.
(ii) State where in the body the neurones in Fig. would be found. Q4 0610/41/O/N/17
(d) Describe how neurotransmitters move across the gap between two neurones.
(e) Nerves and hormones coordinate the functions of the body. Suggest why blinking of the eyes is coordinated by nerves
and not hormones.
ANSWER
(ii) brain / spinal cord / central nervous system / CNS ;
(d) diffusion ; from high concentration to low concentration / down a concentration
gradient ; direction described ;
(e) nerves faster / hormones slower ; nerve impulses are a short lived response
Describe how an impulse triggers the release of a neurotransmitter from vesicles into the synaptic gap and how the
neurotransmitter diffuses across to bind with receptor molecules, in the membrane of the neurone after the
synaptic gap, causing the impulse to continue
Impulses travel between neurones across a synapse.

Describe how impulses travel across the synapse from one neurone to another
1 ref to chemical neurotransmitter ;

2 from / in, vesicles / sacs ;
3 neurotransmitter diffuses ;
4 across synaptic cleft / gap ;
5 neurotransmitter binds with receptors ;
SOLVE Q3 0610/41/M/J/17
Describe how impulses are transmitted across the synapse.
1 vesicles (containing neurotransmitter) move to the cell membrane ;

2 vesicles fuse with cell membrane ;
3 release of neurotransmitter ;
4 (neurotransmitters/chemicals) diffuse across, synapse / synaptic cleft or gap ;
5 neurotransmitter binds to, receptor / protein on cell surface ;
6 neurotransmitter and receptor are complementary / AW ;
7 results in an impulse in, relay / next, neurone ;
State that in a reflex arc the synapses ensure that impulses travel in one
direction only
• State that many drugs, e.g. heroin, act upon synapses
Q: Suggest how the structure of a synapse ensures that impulses travel in one
direction
A: neurotransmitter released / vesicles, on one side of synapse ; receptors /
described, only found on the opposite side of synapse ;
Q: There are pain receptors in the skin. These receptors transmit impulses along sensory neurones to the spinal cord.
Fig. 3.1 shows the synapses between sensory neurone A and a relay neurone and sensory neurone B and a relay
neurone, in the spinal cord. Fig. 3.2 is an enlarged view of the synapse between sensory neurone A and the relay
neurone, as indicated by the circle on Fig. 3.1.
When an impulse arrives along sensory neurone B, a different

neurotransmitter is released. This prevents the production of an
impulse in the relay neurone. Molecules of heroin have a similar
shape to the neurotransmitter released from these neurones.
Explain how heroin affects the function of the synapse.
A: 1 heroin is converted into morphine ;
2 heroin diffuses into synapse ;
3 heroin binds to receptors (for neurotransmitter) ;
4 ref to, endorphin / encephalin, receptors / neurotransmitter ;
5 ref to heroin being complementary to receptor ;
6 blocks neurotransmitter entering receptor site ;
7 (or) stimulates receptor ;
8 reduced / increased, pain perception ; as appropriate;
9 morphine stimulates release of dopamine acts on relay neurone
even when no impulse in neurone B

14 Coordination and Response: 14.1 Nervous Control in Humans

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

14 Coordination and Response: 14.1 Nervous Control in Humans

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

14 Coordination and Response: 14.1 Nervous Control in Humans

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

14 Coordination and

•The human nervous system consists of the:

•There are three main types of neurone: sensory, relay and motor

(i) motor (neurones) ; (ii) muscle ; gland

A spinal cord / grey matter ;

The arm shown in Fig. moves in response to the detection of

i)State the structure found at X

ii)State the type of involuntary action shown by the flow chart

(ii) muscles; glands

(iv) withdrawal reflex / knee jerk reflex / iris reflex;

The Reflex Arc

The Synapse: Definition

Impulses travel between neurones across a synapse.

1 ref to chemical neurotransmitter ;

1 vesicles (containing neurotransmitter) move to the cell membrane ;

When an impulse arrives along sensory neurone B, a different

You might also like