The Nervous System

Front 1

Name the parts of the Nervous System

Back 1

Parts of the Nervous System

Front 2

The Nervous System has two parts what are they?

Back 2

The Central Nervous System
The Peripheral Nervous System

Front 3

What is the Central Nervous System made up of?

Back 3

Brain
Spinal Cord

Front 4

What is the Peripheral Nervous System made up of?

Back 4

Motor and Sensory Nerves
The Autonomic Nervous system

Front 5

Which specialized cells conduct information in the Nervous System?

Back 5

Neurons.
Bundles of Neurons form thin cables called Neurons.
Electrical impulses travel along those nerves.

Front 6

Where do the Neurons from the brain and spinal cord run to?

Back 6

Muscles.

Front 7

How do specialized Nerves cells speed up nerve impulses?

Back 7

These specialized nerve cells wrap around the nerves forming and insulating layer called a Myelin Sheath.

Front 8

What does the Myelin Sheath contain?

Back 8

The myelin sheath contains gaps called Nodes, which allow the nerve impulses to jump from node to node in order to travel quickly.

Front 9

Once the nerve impulse reaches the end a nerve cell what must it do?

Back 9

It must cross the synapse in order for the message to continue.

Front 10

What is a Synapse?

Back 10

A synapse is a gap between neurons.

Front 11

What happens if the nerve impulse can not 'jump' the synapse?

Back 11

It is carried across the synapse by chemical messengers called Neurotransmitters.

Front 12

What are Neurotransmitters made up of?

Back 12

These are brain hormones like Serotonin, dopamine and acetylcholine.

Front 13

What nutrients do we need good levels of to make adequate brain hormones?

Back 13

Zinc
Magnesium
B Vitamins

Front 14

What happens when Serotonin is low?

Back 14

We can feel depressed.

Front 15

What is our reward system?

Back 15

Dopamine is involved in our reward system.

Front 16

What which brain hormone can be high in risk takers and gamblers.

Back 16

Dopamine.

Front 17

What brain hormone is low in Parkinson's disease?

Back 17

Dopamine.

Front 18

Which group of people are most effected by Parkinson's disease?

Back 18

Elderly people.

Front 19

Which part of the body is the control center of the body?

Back 19

The Brain.

Front 20

What % of weight does our brain account for?

And what % of energy does it consume?

Back 20

About 2%

About 20% Energy.

Front 21

Tell me about the Cerebrum?

Back 21

The Cerebrum is divided into 2 hemispheres - right and left.

Front 22

What is each hemisphere of the Cerebrum covered by and what is it called by?

Back 22

An outer grey layer called the Cerebral Cortex.

Front 23

What function does the Cerebrum handle?

Back 23

Sophisticated functions such as processing visual images and thinking.

Front 24

What structure lies beneath the rear of the Cerebrum and what is its purpose?

Back 24

Cerebellum.
It controls movement.

Front 25

What lies beneath the Cerebellum?

Back 25

The Brain Stem.

Front 26

What purpose does the brain stem serve?

Back 26

The Brain Stem controls life processes such as digesting, breathing, and blood pressure.

Front 27

Where is the Hypothalamus located and what is its function?

Back 27

The hypothalamus is within the brain stem and is the center for the emotions and instincts.
The hypothalamus is responsible for keeping everything in balance - or homeostasis.

Front 28

List what the hypothalamus controls:

Back 28

Hunger
Thirst
Body Temp
Water balance
Pain
Sleep cycles
Sexual satisfaction
Anger and aggression
It also regulates the Autonomic nervous system which regulates pulse, BP, breathing etc.,

Front 29

How does the hypothalamus controls all the functions it is responsible for?

Back 29

The hypothalamus releases hormones. Many of them travel to the Pituitary which then sends hormone signals to various parts of the body like the thyroid, adrenals and reproductive organs.

Front 30

What are the organs in the brain called which co-ordinate our emotions and emotional reactions to situations?

Back 30

It is called the Limbic System.

Front 31

What does the Limbic System contain?

Back 31

our hypothalamus, amygdala and hippocampus.

Front 32

How does the Limbic System process our feelings?

Back 32

When we are upset, the Limbic System processes our feelings, memorizes them and sends messages to the rest of the body controlling our reaction to the situation. This is why when we encounter the same emotion again, our body remembers the physical response and the same reaction is produced.

Front 33

What system controls our emotions?

Back 33

The Limbic System

Front 34

What is the spinal cord made up of and what purpose does it serve?

Back 34

The Spinal Cord is a cable of Axons that extends from the brain stem.
Messages from the Brain travel along the spinal cord to all parts of the body.
The spinal cord consists of a column of grey matter covered by layer of white matter.
The backbone surrounds and protects the spinal cord.

Front 35

What is the Peripheral Nervous System?

Back 35

It consists of the nerves which reach from the spinal cord and brain to all parts of the body.

Front 36

What type of neurons are in the Peripheral system?

Back 36

Sensory neurons
Motor neurons

Front 37

What purpose does the Sensory Neurons perform?

Back 37

Sensory Neurons relay nerve impulses to the central nervous system via signals from sense organs and signals from internal changes such as blood pressure or pain.
So sensory neurons help the brain receive messages.

Front 38

What do Motor Neurons do?

Back 38

Motor neurons send messages from the brain to the muscles and glands so that we can move around and do activities.

Front 39

In the event of danger what happens?

Back 39

In the event of danger which requires quick action, information is sent to the spinal cord along sensory neurons then immediately back along motor neurons which triggers an involuntary reaction called a Reflex, like removing your hand from a hot plate.

Front 40

Which motor neurons are active all the time?

Back 40

Some motor neurons are ative all the time, even when the body is asleep.
These neurons, called Autonomic nervous system, keep the body going, controlling such actions as blood pressure and digestion.

Front 41

The Autonomic Nervous System is compared of which two parts?

Back 41

Sympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic System.

Front 42

What does our Parasympathetic system do?

Back 42

The Parasympathetic Nervous system prepares our body for flight or fight reaction.

Front 43

Which part of our body starts the Sympathetic Nervous System for flight or fight?

Back 43

Our Hypothalamus starts the flight or fight response.

Front 44

How does our body react to the flight or fight response?

Back 44

Our brain sends messages to our adrenals to make lots of adrenaline so we can run away or fight.
We start breathing heavily, our pulse quickens, we divert blood away from the gut to the muscles, so that we can move rapidly.
After the emergency is over we quickly calm down and hormone levels return to normal.

Front 45

Tell me what the Sympathetic Nervous System does?

Back 45

Increases our heart rate to move blood quickly.
Dilates the pupils so we can see well.
Stimulates the sweat glands to get rid of heat.
Dilates the blood vessels to the large muscles so they can work hard.
Constricts the blood vessels to the rest of the body to conserve blood for the muscles.
Opens up the bronchial tubes to the lungs so that we can breather hard.
Stops the secretion of digestive juices to conserve energy for action.

Front 46

Tell me what the Parasympathetic Nervous System does?

Back 46

Constricts the pupils
Decreases the heart rate
Constricts the bronchial tubes
Constricts the bronchial tubes
Activates the salivary glands
Stimulates secretions in the gut to restart digestion.

Front 47

What can we do to calm down from a stressful event?

Back 47

Deep slow breathing will help slow the heart rate and activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System.

Front 48

What is the difference between chronic and acute stress?

Back 48

Chronic stress occurs over months or even years, like work stress or relationship problems, our hormone response is different.
Our hypothalamus again sends signals to our adrenals but this time they make cortisol.
Normally our Cortisol is high in the mornings but gradually decreases as the day goes on.
In highly stressed people, they cortisol stays high all day long.
Eventually the adrenals get exhausted and cannot make enough cortisol anymore. Then the adrenal get exhausted and cannot make enough cortisol anymore.
Then adrenal fatigue sets in, we feel very tired all the time and have no energy to do anything. this may be the cause in some chronic fatigue sufferers.