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CHAPTER 4: The interaction function

4.1 Interaction function

1. Order these processes about the interaction function.

a) Muscles or glands receive impulses (via motor nerves) from the CNS; these
impulses instruct the effectors to bring about a response

b) Thermoreceptors in the skin detect the change in temperature and convert this
into a ‘message’ in the form of nerve impulses, which travel along nerves towards the
central nervous system

c) Motor nerves carry information (as nerve impulses) from the CNS to the
effectors.

d) The central nervous system (CNS), made up of the brain and spinal cord,
processes the information about the change in external environment. Information
from particular receptors is interpreted in specific parts of the brain. The
hypothalamus processes information about body temperature

e) A change of temperature occurs in the environment

f) Sweat glands produce sweat to cool the body.

2. These stimuli are detected by receptors.

Stimulus Detector

Light

Sound

Chemicals

Temperature

Forces

3. Choose the correct word in each case:

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a) The senses work with three/two inter-connected systems

b) Those systems are the central nervous system and the endocrine/homeostatic
system
c) Those systems work separately/together
d) The muscular response is faster/slower than the endocrine response
e) The endocrine system produces movements/hormones which regulate many
functions of our body
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4.6 Nervous coordination

4. Read these passages from the text and answer the questions that follow.

Nerve Cells
Although the nervous system is very complex, nervous tissue consists of just two
basic types of nerve cells: neurons and glial cells. Neurons are the structural and
functional units of the nervous system. They transmit electrical signals, called nerve
impulses. Glial cells provide support for neurons. For example, they provide neurons
with nutrients and other materials.

Neuron Structure
A neuron consists of three basic parts: the cell body, dendrites, and axon. You can
watch an animation of the parts of a neuron at this link:
http://www.garyfisk.com/anim/neuronparts.swf

• The cell body contains the nucleus and other cell organelles.
• Dendrites extend from the cell body and receive nerve impulses from other
neurons.
• The axon is a long extension of the cell body that transmits nerve impulses to other
cells. The axon branches at the end, forming axon terminals. These are the points
where the neuron communicates with other cells.

Myelin Sheath
The axon of many neurons has an outer layer called a myelin sheath. Myelin is a lipid
produced by a type of a glial cell known as a Schwann cell. The myelin sheath acts like
a layer of insulation, similar to the plastic that encases an electrical cord.

Types of Neurons
Neurons are classified based on the direction in which they carry nerve impulses.
• Sensory neurons carry nerve impulses from tissues and organs to the spinal cord and
brain.
• Motor neurons carry nerve impulses from the brain and spinal cord to muscles and
glands.
• Interneurons carry nerve impulses back and forth between sensory and motor
neurons.

Questions
a. What is a neuron? What are glial cells?

b. What is the role of a dendrite and an axon?

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c. What does the myelin sheath do?

d. Describe the differences between a motor and sensory neurone

5. Look at this picture and complete the sentences below

a. Painted in blue there are ___________neurons

b. Painted in red there are ___________ neurons

c. Painted in brown there are ________neurons

6. The following diagram shows a motor neurone:

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(a) Insert the correct letter by each

part shown below:

Part
Axon
Cell body
Dendrites
Myelin sheath
Nucleus

A) Using arrows, indicate on the diagram the direction that the impulse travels.

B) To what does this neurone connect?

 At X : ___________________________

 At Y : ___________________________

7. Match the descriptions in the table below with the terms in the list.
A. Synapse B. Axon C. Myelin sheath D. Nerve impulse E. Sense receptor F.
Response; G. Reflex H. Cell body I. Dendrite J. Nerve K. Neurotransmitter L.
Axon terminal

1. The long fiber that carries the nerve impulses.

2. A bundle of axons.
3. The connection between adjacent neurons.
4. The chemical secreted into the gap between neurons at a synapse.
5. A rapid automatic response to a stimulus.
6. The covering of fatty material that speeds up the passage of nerve impulses.
7. The structure at the end of an axon that produces neurotransmitters to transmit
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the nerve impulse across the synapse.

8. The high speed signals that pass along the axons of nerve cells.
9. The branching filaments that conduct nerve impulses towards the cell.
10 The sense organ or cells that receive stimuli from within and outside the body.
11. The reaction to a stimulus by a muscle or gland.
12.The part of the nerve cell containing the nucleus.

8. What is the function of a neurotransmitter?

a. hurl neurons through synapses to create new nerve impulses
b. chemically link neurons across the synapse to conduct impulses
c. receive and transmit ultrasound waves across synapses
d. none of the above

9. Complete this outline of the nervous system substituting the numbers for words.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

10. Use the words provided to complete the sentences below.

Axon
Brain Stem
Cell Body
Central Nervous System
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Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Dendrites
Impulse
Interneuron
Motor Neuron
Peripheral Nervous System
Sensory Neuron
Spinal Cord
Stimulus
Synapse
a. A _____________________________ picks up information from the
environment and carries it to the brain or spinal cord.
b. An _________________ is an electrical message sent through the neurons of the
nervous system.
c. A __________________ is a change in the environment that your nervous system
detects.
d. The _________________ is the space between each neuron, where the end of a
neuron meets the next neuron.
e. The _________________ is the long part of the neuron that conducts electrical
impulses to the end.
f. An ______________________________ carries information from sensory
neurons to motor neurons.
g. The _____________________ is the part of the neuron that contains the
nucleus.
h. A ______________________________ carries an impulse from the brain to a
muscle or gland.
i. The _____________________ are the parts of the neuron that carry an impulse
toward the cell body, and there can be many of them.
j. The _______________________ is the part of the brain that controls muscle
action and balance.
k. The _______________________ is the part of the brain that controls all
involuntary actions like breathing and your heartbeat.
l. The _______________________ is the part of the brain that interprets
impulses from the senses and carries out complex processes like memory and learning.
m. The _____________________________ is made up of the brain and spinal
cord.
n. The _____________________________ is made up of all the nerves outside of
the central nervous system.
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o. The ___________________________ connects your brain to the peripheral

nervous system and is protected by your vertebrae.

11. Complete this table indicating the functions carried out by the components of
the central nervous system.

Cerebrum
Cerebellum
Brain stem
Spinal cord

12. Read the passage below. Answer the questions in complete sentences.
The brain may be the boss of the body, but it can't do it alone. It needs some nerves
— actually a lot of them. And it needs the spinal cord, which is a long bundle of nerves
inside the vertebrae that protect it. It's the spinal cord and nerves that let
messages, or impulses, flow back and forth between the brain and body.
When you were born, your brain came with all the neurons it will ever have, but many
of them were not connected to each other. When you learn things, the messages
travel from one neuron to another, over and over. Eventually, the brain starts to
create connections between the neurons, so things become easier and you can do
them better and better.
Think back to the first time you rode a bike. Your brain had to think about pedaling,
staying balanced, steering with the handlebars, watching the road, and maybe even
hitting the brakes — all at once. Eventually, as you got more practice, the neurons
sent messages back and forth until a pathway was created in your brain. Now you can
ride your bike without thinking about it because the neurons have successfully
created a "bike riding" connection, or pathway. The neurons are able to send impulses
more quickly after these connections are created.

a. Why is the spinal cord important?

b. Explain what happens in your nervous system when you learn and practice
something new.

c. Based on the passage, why is it easier to do something that you have practiced
many times rather than something you may never have done before
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13. Visit this web http://highered.mcgraw-

hill.com/sites/155934623x/student_view0/chapter3/interactive_activity_a.html
and answer the activity

14. Choice the correct answer

1. The brain and the spinal cord are part of the

a. peripheral nervous system
b. sympathetic nervous system
c. central nervous system
d. parasympathetic nervous system

2. What is the basic functional unit of the nervous system?

a. cell body
b. reflex arc
c. neuron
d. neutron

3. Which of the following is true?

a. Dendrites carry information toward the cell body.
b. Dendrites carry information away from the cell body.
c. Axons carry information toward the cell body.
d. None of the above

4. Neurons carry information through the body in the form of

a. nerve impulses.
b. dendrites
c. axons.
d. nerve fibers.

5. Which neurons conduct information toward the central nervous system?

a. sensory neurons
b. motor neurons
c. interneurons
d. none of the above

6. Messages take the form of electrical signals, and are known as

a. sensory neurons
b. nerve impulses
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c. motor neurons
d. reflex arc

7. What is the name given to the spaces between adjacent neurons?

a. reflex arc
b. effector
c. synaptic cleft
d. resting potential

8. What is the function of a neurotransmitter?

a. hurl neurons through synapses to create new nerve impulses
b. chemically link neurons across the synapse to conduct impulses
c. receive and transmit ultrasound waves across synapses
d. none of the above

9. The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are divisions of the ____ nervous
system
a. central
b. autonomic
c. peripheral
d. sensory

10. A change in the environment that may be of sufficient strength to initiate an

impulse is called a(an)
a. excitability
b. stimulus
c. polarized
d. potential

11. The somatic nervous system regulates activities that are

a. unconscious control
b. involuntary
c. conscious control
d. automatic

15 Visit this web

http://wps.aw.com/bc_goodenough_boh_3/104/26721/6840650.cw/content/index.ht
ml watch the video and answer the activity about the reflex arcs

16. The following words may be used more than once, complete the passage below.
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Brain Spinal cord Sensory Fast

Electrical impulse Sensory cell Inter Effector
Contracts Motor

When the hand touches the flame, a ____________ in the skin sends an

____________ ____________ along the ____________ neurone to the

____________ ____________. Here the ____________ neurone links with an

____________ neurone which then passes the message to the ____________

neurone. The ____________ neurone carries the message to the ____________

muscle which ____________ and removes the hand from the flame. This is a very

____________ response and does not involve the ____________.

17. Which are the differences between a neuron and a nerve?

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4.8 Endocrine coordination

18. Match each number to the name of a gland

Ovaries, Testes, Parathyroids, Adrenals, Pituitary gland, Thyroid Thymus, Pancreas

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

19. Fill the gaps with the correct word or words

Hormones, nervous system, diabetes, hypothalamus, insulin, negative feedback

system, pineal gland (or pineal body), glucagons, melatonin . Parathyroid, metabolism,
twenty, precocious puberty
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1. In general, the endocrine system is in charge of body processes that happen slowly,
such as cell growth. Faster processes like breathing and body movement are
controlled by the. _____________________

2. The brain contains these three glands: pituitary gland,

________________and____________________

3. __________________are chemical messengers that transfer information and

instructions from one set of cells to another.

4. The pancreas produces two important hormones ______________________

and______________

5. If the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, the result is

______________________

6.____________________ hormone controls the level of calcium in the blood.

7. The thyroid gland is involved in ________________, the process by which the

fuel in the food we eat is converted into cellular energy.

8. When hormone levels reach a certain normal amount in the blood, the endocrine
system has a built-in turnoff process. It is called______________.

9. Endocrine glands release more than _______ major hormones directly into the
bloodstream.

10. The pineal gland secretes _____________

11. If the pituitary glands release hormones that stimulate the gonads to produce sex
hormones too early, some kids may experience __________________and begin to
go through puberty at a very young age.

20. Match the functions described in column B with the endocrine gland listed in
column A
Column A Column B

. 1. produces male sex characteristics

a) Pituitary
2. regulates blood sugar level
b) Thyroid
3. increases heart and breathing rate
c) Tymus
d) Adrenals 4. produces female sex
characteristics
e) Pancreas
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f) Ovaries 5. regulates the level of calcium

g) Testes 6. increases rate of metabolism

h) Parathyroids 7. development of immune system

8. regulates the activities of other

glands

21. Read these passages from the text and answer the questions that follow.

Hormone Regulation: Feedback Mechanisms

Hormones control many cell activities, so they are very important for homeostasis.
But what controls the hormones themselves? Most hormones are regulated by
feedback mechanisms. A feedback mechanism is a loop in which a product feeds back
to control its own production. Most hormone feedback mechanisms involve negative
feedback loops. Negative feedback keeps the concentration of a hormone within a
narrow range.

Negative Feedback
Negative feedback occurs when a product feeds back to decrease its own production.
This type of feedback brings things back to normal whenever they start to become
too extreme. The thyroid gland is a good example of this type of regulation. It is
controlled by the negative feedback loop..
Here’s how thyroid regulation works. The hypothalamus secretes thyrotropin-
releasing hormone, or TRH. TRH stimulates the pituitary gland to produce thyroid-
stimulating hormone, or TSH. TSH, in turn, stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete
its hormones. When the level of thyroid hormones is high enough, the hormones feed
back to stop the hypothalamus from secreting TRH and the pituitary from secreting
TSH.
Without the stimulation of TSH, the thyroid gland stops secreting its hormones.
Soon, the level of thyroid hormone starts to fall too low. What do you think happens
next? Negative feedback also controls insulin secretion by the pancreas.

Positive feedback
Positive feedback occurs when a product feeds back to increase its own production.
This causes conditions to become increasingly extreme. An example of positive
feedback is milk production by a mother for her baby. As the baby suckles, nerve
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messages from the nipple cause the pituitary gland to secrete prolactin. Prolactin, in
turn, stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk, so the baby suckles more. This
causes more prolactin to be secreted and more milk to be produced. This example is
one of the few positive feedback mechanisms in the human body. What do you think
would happen if milk production by the mammary glands was controlled by negative
feedback instead?

Questions
a. What is a feedback mechanism?

b. What is negative feedback regulation? Give an example.

c. What is positive feedback regulation? Give an example.

d. What do you think would happen if milk production by the mammary glands was
controlled by negative feedback instead?

22. Two of the hormones secreted by the pancreas are insulin and glucagon. These
hormones work together to maintain a balanced blood sugar level. How do they do
that?

Why must some people take insulin as a medication on a regular basis?

23. Visit this web http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/ESquiz.html and answer the quiz

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about the endocrine system

24. Visit the web

http://www.anatomyarcade.com/games/wordsearch/endocrineWS/endocrineWordsea
rch.html and answer the activity.