The

Nervous
System

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson you should have:

Been introduced to motor neurones, sensory neurones and interneurons.

Explored a basic reflex arc.

Researched the organisation of the central nervous system.

Tested your reaction times!

Completed the nervous system quiz.

Activity
In

pairs on your poster paper do a mind

map of what you think the nervous
system does and the parts it is made up
ofYou have 5 minutes, be prepared to
feedback

Functions of the nervous

system

The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal

cord, and a complex network of neurons.
It organizes, explains, and directs interactions
between you and the world around you.
It controls sight, hearing, taste, smell, and feeling
(sensation).
Voluntaryandinvoluntaryfunctions,
such
as
movement, balance, and coordination.
It also controls the ability to think and reason. The
nervous system allows you to be conscious and have
thoughts, memories, and language.

Neurones

The nervous system is composed of nerve

cells, or neurones
There are 3 types:
Sensory neurones
Motor neurones
Interneurons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNgGKSNiNw&feature=related

Sensory Neurone:
Moving away from a central organ or point

Relays messages from receptors to the brain or spinal cord

Motor Neurone:

Moving toward a central organ or point

Relays messages from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles and

organs

Interneuron (relay neurone):

Relays message from sensory neurone to motor neurone

Reflex arc can also be

represented by a simple flow
diagram

Imagine you touch a very hot radiator. With heat as the stimulus use
this reflex arc to describe what your nervous system does.
Write this down and be prepared to feedback on one of the stages..

Activity:Knee Jerk Reflex (Patellar

Reflex)
Have

a partner sit with his or her legs crossed so that his leg
can swing freely. Hit his leg gently just below the knee with the
side of your hand. The leg will kick out immediately (if you hit
the right place).
The knee jerk reflex (seen in the figure below ) is called a
monosynaptic reflex because there is only one synapse in the
circuit needed to complete the reflex. It only takes about 50
milliseconds between the tap and the start of the leg kick.
That is fast!
The tap below the knee causes the thigh muscle to stretch.
Information is then sent to the spinal cord. After one synapse
in the ventral horn of the spinal cord, the information is sent
back out to the thigh muscle that then contracts.

Organisation Of The Human Nervous

System:

Research Activity!
Using

the computers, complete your

tables on the organisation of the nervous
system. All of you should complete at
least half the table, some of you should
aim to complete all the table and the
extension task.
Be prepared to feedback
You have 20 minutes to complete this
task.

Central nervous system (CNS):

Consists of the brain and spinal cord & is effectively the centre
of the nervous system, it processes information received
from the peripheral nervous system.

Peripheral nervous system (PNS):

Portion of the nervous system that is outside the brain and
spinal cord. Connected to the CNS, to sensory organs & other
organs of the body, muscles, blood vessels and glands.

Somatic nervous system (SNS):

Part of the PNS that regulates body movement through control
of skeletal (voluntary) muscles and also relates with the
environment through the reception of external stimuli, such
as through the senses of vision, hearing, taste, and smell.

Autonomic nervous system (ANS):

controls the bodies internal environment. Vital in the
process of homeostasis and helps control the
heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, respiration,
blood pH and other bodily functions. Controls are
done automatically below the conscious level.

Sympathetic & Parasympathetic nervous

system:
Part of the ANS and responsible for control.
Essentially speeding up or slowing down of
processes, linked to fight or flight.

Reaction times!

This activity is designed to measure your response time to something

that you see. Hold the ruler near the end (highest number) and let it
hang down.
Have another person put his or her hand at the bottom of the ruler and
have them ready to grab the ruler (however, they should not be
touching the ruler). Tell the other person that you will drop the ruler
sometime within the next 5 seconds and that they are supposed to
catch the ruler as fast as they can after it is dropped.
Record the level (inches or centimetres) at which they catch the ruler
(you can convert the distance into reaction time with the chart I have).
Test the same person 3 to 5 times (vary the time of dropping the ruler
within the 5 second "drop-zone" so the other person cannot guess
when you will drop the ruler).

Table of reaction times.

Overview
The

basic nervous system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=eKAObu3v9cA&feature=related

Activity:
Complete

sheets!

your quiz

Extension task:
Discuss

the following in pairs and be

prepared to feedback..
Think!...If a person has a stroke how will
this affect the brain and the body
functions?
Can you think of any other nervous
system problems?

Activity
Please

write down on your post it notes

two things you have enjoyed or
understood in todays lesson and one
thing you are not so clear onPlease
place these on the board at the front.
We will use your comments as a starter
activity for next weeks lesson.
Neuro-sensory word search- please
complete.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson you should have:

Been introduced to motor neurones, sensory neurones and interneurons.

Explored a basic reflex arc.

Researched the organisation of the central nervous system.

Tested your reaction times!

Completed the nervous system quiz.