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01.06.20 - Functions and Divisions of the Nervous System

Last updated almost 5 years ago
17 questions

Functions and Divisions of the Nervous System


Objectives:
  • Identify the functions of the nervous system
  • Distinguish between the branches of the nervous system
1

On a scale of 1-5, how are you doing today? (1=not great, 5 = great). You may elaborate if you like.

1

What is something not grade related that you are proud of from quarter 2? This doesn't have to be related to school!

1

Draw a picture describing the highlight of your break.

1

What do you know about the nervous system? What do you want to learn about the nervous system?

1

What do you need from me (your teacher) to do your best in class today?

Part 1: DIY Nervous System Demonstrations!

For this part of today's lesson, you will need...
  • a cell phone or coaster (or something of similar shape and weight)
  • a tall chair or table to sit on (your feet should dangle a little bit)
  • a blank piece of paper (lined paper is OK)
  • a pen or pencil
Follow your teacher's instructions for each demo, then answer questions 6-7
1

Demo #1: Let's kick it up a notch

What happened when you hit your patellar tendon? What about the nervous system do you think makes this happen?

1

Demo #2: The Case of the Missing Dot

What happened to the dot on the paper when you moved the paper closer to your face? What about the nervous system do you think makes this happen?

1

Take turns introducing yourself to your group members, sharing the following information:
  • Name
  • Best movie you've seen, podcast you listened to, show you've watched, or book you've read during the pandemic
  • If you were an Olympic athlete, what sport would you compete in?
In the space below, share one thing you have in common with a member of your team. You may write it out or draw a picture.

Part 2: Function of the Nervous System

With your group, read through the following text describing the function of the nervous system. (text was retrieved and slightly edited from www.openstax.com)

The nervous system is involved in receiving information about the environment around us (sensation) and generating responses to that information (motor responses). The nervous system can be divided into regions that are responsible for sensation (sensory functions) and for the response (motor functions). But there is a third function that needs to be included. Sensory input needs to be integrated with other sensations, as well as with memories, emotional state, or learning (cognition). Some regions of the nervous system are termed integration or association areas. The process of integration combines sensory perceptions and higher cognitive functions such as memories, learning, and emotion to produce a response.

Sensation. The first major function of the nervous system is sensation—receiving information about the environment to gain input about what is happening outside the body (or, sometimes, within the body). The sensory functions of the nervous system register the presence of a change from homeostasis or a particular event in the environment, known as a stimulus. The senses we think of most are the “big five”: taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing. The stimuli for taste and smell are both chemical substances (molecules, compounds, ions, etc.), touch is physical or mechanical stimuli that interact with the skin, sight is light stimuli, and hearing is the perception of sound, which is a physical stimulus similar to some aspects of touch. Those five are all senses that receive stimuli from the outside world, and of which there is conscious perception. Additional sensory stimuli might be from the internal environment (inside the body), such as the stretch of an organ wall or the concentration of certain ions in the blood.

Integration. Stimuli that are received by sensory structures are communicated to the nervous system where that information is processed. This is called integration. Stimuli are compared with, or integrated with, other stimuli, memories of previous stimuli, or the state of a person at a particular time. This leads to the specific response that will be generated.

Response. The nervous system produces a response on the basis of the stimuli perceived by sensory structures. An obvious response would be the movement of muscles, such as withdrawing a hand from a hot stove, but there are broader uses of the term. The nervous system can cause the contraction of all three types of muscle tissue. For example, skeletal muscle contracts to move the skeleton, cardiac muscle is influenced as heart rate increases during exercise, and smooth muscle contracts as the digestive system moves food along the digestive tract. Responses also include the neural control of glands in the body as well, such as the production and secretion of sweat to lower body temperature.
Responses can be divided into those that are voluntary or conscious (contraction of skeletal muscle) and those that are involuntary (contraction of smooth muscles, regulation of cardiac muscle, activation of glands).
1

Which of the following is the best overall description of the function of the nervous system?

1

Use the reading above to match the following terms with the best definition.

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
A change in environment or homeostasis
Stimulus
Processing of stimuli
Integration
An event that occurs in a targeted tissue in reaction to stimuli
Response
3

Use the reading above to categorize the following scenarios as either a stimulus, an integration, or a response.

  • You watch a sad scene on a TV show in which a dog dies
  • You recognize that the cookies baking are your favorite cookies
  • Bloodflow to the muscles in your legs increases
  • You are hiking and you see a bear
  • You think about your dog
  • You feel sad and cry
  • Your hand touches a hot stove top
  • Your biceps brachii muscle contracts
  • Your salivary glands release saliva in your mouth
  • You smell cookies baking
  • Stimulus
  • Integration
  • Response
1

All reponses of the nervous system involve integration

Part 3: Divisions of the Nervous System

Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be learning about the cells, signals, and responses that are involved in the nervous system maintaining homeostasis in the body. In order to understand how the different parts of the nervous system work together, we must first disinguish between the different branches of the nervous system.

While the nervous system is mainly made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, there are different branches within the nervous system that are in control of different responses. While we will learn more details about these branches later on in the unit, we will start today with the basics.
1

Watch the video below. As you watch, pause the video and discuss and select the best descriptions of each branch of the nervous system (NS).

Draggable itemCorresponding Item
Branch of the NS that controls glands, smooth + cardiac muscle, and other involuntary tissues and organs
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Connects central nervous system to muscles, glands, and other organs
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Branch of the NS responsible for the 'rest and digest' response
Brain
Protected by the vertebral column; sends signals between brain and other organs in the body
Spinal cord
Processing center of the NS
Somatic Nervous System
Protected by the skull; location of thought, emotion, and coordination
Autonomic Nervous System
Branch of the NS responsible for the 'fight or flight' response
Sympathetic Nervous System
Branch of the NS that controls skeletal muscles; voluntary
Parasympathetic Nervous System
1

Which of the following statements best compares and contrasts the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system? There may be more than one answer.

1

Use what you know about the sympathetic ("Fight or Flight") and parasympathetic ("Rest and Digest") nervous systems to categorize the following responses.

  • Increase in heart rate
  • Increase in pupil diameter
  • Increased bloodflow to the muscles in the leg
  • Decrease in bloodflow to digestive organs
  • Increased bloodflow to the digestive organs
  • Decrease in heart rate
  • Sympathetic Nervous System
  • Parasympathetic Nervous System
1

Think about a simple situation that has involved your nervous system in the last few hours (Were you hungry? Did you hit your knee on something? Did you turn a light on?)

For this situation, identify the...
  1. Stimulus
  2. Response
  3. Integration (if any)
Then, describe which division(s) of the nervous system were involved and how.

1

What questions do you still have about the function and/or branches of the nervous system?