BSC 2011- General Biology II Peer-Led Team Learning

Workshop #11 Chapter 38 (& Review)

Nervous and Sensory Systems and Review
1. How is an action potential generated in an axon? Discuss the ions and ion channels involved in the generation of the action potential.
How is an action potential conducted over long distances without loss of the signal?

2. Why is it that when you pinch yourself lightly, it really does not hurt that much, but when you pinch yourself hard, it hurts a lot? Is
it because you send an action potential of larger magnitude to your brain? Draw a graph to show this process.

3. Neurons can be several feet long, and thus could carry a signal to its destination without synapses. Yet most neurons are much shorter,
and synapses are common in neural pathways. What are the advantages of having synapses?

4. What is a brain? What is its function? How do cnidarians and echinoderms function and perform behaviors without having a brain?

5. How does the human brain differ in function spatially? Compare surface (cerebral cortex) vs. deep (e.g. hippocampus), and
different locations on the cortex, including left vs. right hemispheres.

6. In general terms, how do sensory receptors work? Referring to general changes in the membrane or at receptors, how do visual,
auditory (hearing), taste, smell, touch, and pain receptors detect a change in the environment, and convert that signal into a neural
signal?
7. How is the lateral line of fish similar to the human ear? Consider function and phylogeny.

8. Label the diagram of the brain using the terms in the box below. Explain the major functions of each structure.

a. thalamus
b. pineal gland
c. hypothalamus
d. pituitary gland
e. spinal cord
f. midbrain
g. pons
h. medulla oblongata
i. frontal lobe
j. parietal lobe
k. cerebrum
l. cerebellum
m. temporal lobe
n. occipital lobe

9. Describe the main adaptations of each taxon for its particular environment & life style (e.g. marine environment, freshwater,
terrestrial, parasitic, flying, active predator, sessile, etc.).

10. Distinguish between sexual and asexual reproduction.