The Nervous System

Biology 30

The Nervous System and Sensory Reception 

Information 

Major Text: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Inquiry into Biology, Chapters 11-12

Lab Exercises: - Reflex Arcs

                           - Examining Neural Tissue

Evaluation:

A test is to be written at the end of this unit. It will cover all of the objectives listed below.. You must have your lab write-ups approved by a Biology teacher in order to get test permission. 

Introduction: These units revolve around how your body uses its nervous system to maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis means "steady state" and refers to your body's ability to maintain a constant internal environment no matter what happens in your external environment. The nervous system allows your body to respond to stimuli both inside and out. Failure to respond to such stimuli in many cases could compromise survival itself. In these units you will look at how your nervous system is organized, and how it works to bring about change. You will also examine how your sensory receptors communicate to your brain about the world outside your body.

Objectives: When you have completed the learning activities for these units you will be expected to:

            1. Define homeostasis. (page 366)

            2. Describe the organization of the central and peripheral nervous systems. (page 367)

            3. Describe the general structure and function of a neuron, a myelin sheath, and glial 

                cells. (pages 368, 370, and 372)

            4. Explain the difference between sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons as 

               well as the difference between neurons and nerves. (pages 368-370)

            5. Describe the components of a basic reflex arc and explain, using an example, how it 

                works to maintain homeostasis. (pages 368-370)

            6.  Explain the polarized nature of a neuron and describe the sequence of events that takes 

                 place during an action potential. How does an action potential proceed from one end 

                 of a neuron to the other? (pages 370-378)

            7. Explain how the speed of a nerve impulse differs in myelinated versus non-myelinated 

                neurons. What accounts for the difference? (pages 370-378)

            8. Describe the sequence of events that take place across a synapse when an action 

                potential travels from one neuron to another. How can some drugs affect what happens 

                at the synapse? (pages 378-383 and Appendix A – Neurotransmission in the Brain)

            9. Differentiate between white matter and grey matter in the central nervous system. 

               Where is each located? (pages 385-386)

10. Describe the structure of the spinal cord and its related spinal nerves. (pages 385-387  

      and lab activity)

            11. Describe the divisions of the brain into the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain. 

                  Outline the major structures of each division. (pages 385- 387)

            12. Describe the locations and functions of the major lobes of the cerebrum as well as the 

                  corpus callosum. (pages 389-395)

            13. Explain the differences between the somatic and autonomic divisions of the 

                  peripheral nervous system. (pages 396-399)

            14. Explain the differences between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of 

                  the autonomic nervous system. (pages 396- 399)

            15. Explain the process of sensory adaptation. (pages 406-407)

            16. Distinguish between different types of sensory receptors in your body. (pages 407-

                 409)

            17. Describe the structure of the human eye and list the functions of each of the 

                  components. (pages 410-412 and lab activity)

            18. Describe the conditions of astigmatism, myopia and hyperopia. (pages 412-413)

            19. Differentiate between rods and cones. What are they sensitive to and where is each 

                  located in relation to the fovea centralis? (pages 414- 415)

            20. Describe the parts of the brain associated with vision. (page 416)

            21. Explain why you have a blind spot. (page 416)

            22. Describe problems that can lead to vision loss, including, glaucoma, cataracts, retinal 

                  disorders, retinal detachment, and macular degeneration. (page 418)

            23. Describe the organization of the ear into the outer, middle, and inner ears, and 

                  describe the function of the components of each one. (pages 419-424)

            24. Describe how each component of the ear contributes to our experiencing sound. 

                  (pages 419-421)

            25. Describe the structures of the ear associated with equilibrium and explain how each 

                  component works. (pages 424-426)

            26. Describe the structures associated with taste, smell, and identify the type of receptors  

                  involved. (pages 426-429)

Learning Activities: When doing the readings for these units make notes as you see fit. Pay close attention to bold terms and diagrams. The practice questions at the end of each section may be valuable to gage your understanding of the concepts.

1. To satisfy the objectives for these units, you are responsible for the material covered in chapters 11 and 12 as well as Appendix A: Nervous System Appendix A

2. Do as many review questions in the book as you find necessary to learn the material. The following questions should definitely be considered: page 384 1, 3-8, page 395 1-7, page 399 1-5, page 409 1, 4,5, page 418 1-7, page 429 1-3. The chapter 11 review on pages 402-403 and the chapter 12 review on pages 432-433 might also be helpful. The answers to all textbook questions can be found on D2L. Nervous System Text Answers

3. Vocabulary check: Be able to define the following terms:

homeostasis

glial cells

nerves

dendrite

axon

Schwann cell

membrane potential

polarization 

node of Ranvier

depolarize

repolarize

refractory period

threshold potential

all or none impulse

synapse

neuromuscular junction

neurotransmitters

acetylcholine

cholinesterase

meninges

blood-brain barrier

cerebrospinal fluid

cerebral cortex

occipital lobe

frontal lobe

temporal lobe

parietal lobe

Broca’s area

Wernicke’s area

MRI scan

PET scan

norepinephrine

photoreceptor

mechanoreceptor

chemoreceptor

thermoreceptor

adaptation

accommodation

proprioceptor

otolith

taste bud

olfactory bulb

olfactory cells

4. Technologies: Be able to describe the following technologies and discuss their advantages and disadvantages to society:

- The use of stem cells to correct nervous tissue damage (you may wish to review page 527)

- Pharmaceuticals that can inhibit or excite the effects of neurotransmitters. See Appendix A – Neurotransmission in the Brain.

5. Attend the optional seminars for this topic. The schedule can be found on the white board in the science resource centre. The seminar schedule is also posted on D2L.  Nervous System Seminars Presentations

6. If you can’t make the seminar you have another review option. Each topic on D2L has video seminar clips that you can review on your own time. As well, check out the Khan Academy videos and Crash Course videos related to this topic. Links to these are found on D2L. Please note that these videos are not made specifically for Bio 30 in Alberta so in some cases there is more or less information than you need for this course, but they are very helpful for understanding the topic.

Nervous System Video Links: Nervous System Video Links

7. Perform the following lab activities: Reflex Arcs,  and Examining Neural Tissue.  

8. Complete the self-test that follows in this learning guide. Nervous System Self-Test

 Evaluation: After completing all of the above exercises, have your lab write-ups approved by a 

 biology teacher and get test permission. Go to the testing centre to write the exam for the Nervous System and Sensory Receptors.