Module 10 REVIEW

• 10-1 What are the functions of the nervous system’s main divisions, and what are the three main types of neurons?

• The central nervous system (CNS)—the brain and the spinal cord—is the nervous system’s decision maker.
• The peripheral nervous system (PNS), which connects the CNS to the rest of the body by means of nerves, gathers information and transmits CNS decisions to the rest of the body.
• The two main PNS divisions are the somatic nervous system (which enables voluntary control of the skeletal muscles) and the autonomic nervous system (which controls involuntary muscles and glands by means of its sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions).
• Neurons cluster into working networks.
• There are three types of neurons:

  1. (1)Sensory neurons carry incoming information from sense receptors to the brain and spinal cord.

  2. (2)Motor neurons carry information from the brain and spinal cord out to the muscles and glands.

  3. (3)Interneurons communicate within the brain and spinal cord and between sensory and motor neurons.

• 10-2 What is the nature and what are the functions of the endocrine system, and how does it interact with the nervous system?

• The endocrine system is a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, where they travel through the body and affect other tissues, including the brain. The adrenal glands, for example, release the hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight response.
• The endocrine system’s master gland, the pituitary, influences hormone release by other glands. In an intricate feedback system, the brain’s hypothalamus influences the pituitary gland, which influences other glands, which release hormones, which in turn influence the brain.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. If you accidentally touch a hot stove, which of the following is responsible for moving your hand away before you even realize what you have done?
   1. Sensory neuron
   2. Motor neuron
   3. Interneuron
   4. Receptor neuron
   5. Cortisol
2. Hormones are ______________ released into the bloodstream.
   1. neurons
   2. myelin
   3. action potentials
   4. electrical messengers
   5. chemical messengers
3. Which division of the autonomic nervous system calms a person down once a stressful event has passed?
   1. Parasympathetic
   2. Central
   3. Somatic
   4. Sympathetic
   5. Endocrine
4. Which of the following endocrine glands may explain unusually tall height in a 12-year-old?
   1. Pituitary
   2. Adrenal
   3. Pancreas
   4. Parathyroid
   5. Testes
5. Which of the following communicates with the pituitary, which in turn controls the endocrine system?
   1. Parathyroid glands
   2. Autonomic nervous system
   3. Hypothalamus
   4. Spinal cord
   5. Pancreas
6. Which division of the nervous system enables a person to move the muscles necessary to walk down the street?
   1. Central nervous system
   2. Sympathetic
   3. Parasympathetic
   4. Somatic
   5. Endocrine
7. Female sex hormones are released by the
   1. parathyroid glands.
   2. pituitary gland.
   3. hypothalamus.
   4. thalamus.
   5. ovaries.
8. The role of interneurons is to
   1. send messages from specific body parts to the brain.
   2. transmit and process information within the brain and spinal cord.
   3. act as connectors, supporting other neurons in the brain.
   4. send messages from the brain to body parts.
   5. influence the pituitary gland.

Practice FRQs

1. While walking barefoot, you step on a piece of glass. Before you have a chance to consciously process what has happened, you draw your foot away from the glass. Identify and explain the three types of neurons that deal with information regarding this painful stimulus.

Answer

1 point: Sensory neurons carry information from the point of the injury to the central nervous system. Page 92

1 point: Interneurons are neurons within the brain and spinal cord. Interneurons would help you interpret the pain and enable your spinal cord to send out marching orders. Page 92

1 point: Motor neurons carry the instruction from the central nervous system to activate the muscles in your leg and foot. Page 92

2. Home alone, you hear a noise in another room. Explain the reactions of each of the following to this situation:
   • Sensory neurons
   • Sympathetic nervous system
   • Adrenal glands

(3 points)