Nervous System Map
The brain and spinal cord together form this major division of the nervous system.
What is the central nervous system, or CNS?
This specialised cell carries messages through the nervous system.
What is a neuron, or nerve cell?
This chemical messenger is produced by an endocrine gland.
What is a hormone?
Often called the “master gland,” this gland produces growth hormone and influences several other endocrine glands.
What is the pituitary gland?
This communication system generally produces the fastest responses.
What is the nervous system?
This division carries information between the central nervous system and the rest of the body.
What is the peripheral nervous system, or PNS?
These short, branching parts of a neuron receive signals and carry them towards the cell body.
What are dendrites?
This is an organ that produces hormones and releases them directly into the bloodstream.
What is an endocrine gland?
Located in the neck, this gland produces thyroxine, which influences growth and the rate at which the body uses energy.
What is the thyroid gland?
This communication system generally produces responses that begin more slowly but last longer.
What is the endocrine system?
This specialised structure detects a stimulus such as light, sound, heat, pressure or a chemical.
What is a receptor?
This long part of a neuron carries an electrical impulse away from the cell body.
What is the axon?
Hormones are transported around the body using this system.
What is the bloodstream or circulatory system?
Located above the kidneys, these glands release adrenaline during sudden stress, danger or excitement.
What are the adrenal glands?
Complete the comparison: nervous-system messages travel mainly along these, while endocrine-system messages travel through this.
What are neurons and the bloodstream?
A muscle or gland that carries out the body’s response to a nervous signal is given this name.
What is an effector?
These three types of neurons commonly form a response pathway between a receptor and an effector.
What are sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons?
A cell that responds to a particular hormone because it has the correct receptor is called this.
What is a target cell?
These reproductive glands produce oestrogen and testosterone respectively.
What are the ovaries and testes?
Nervous-system messages use electrical impulses and neurotransmitters, while endocrine-system messages use these chemical messengers.
What are hormones?
Place these parts of a simple reflex pathway in the correct order: motor neuron, receptor, effector, control centre, and sensory neuron.
What is receptor → sensory neuron → control centre → motor neuron → effector?
Describe the form of a message as it travels along one neuron, across a synapse and along the next neuron.
What is an electrical impulse along the first neuron, a chemical signal across the synapse and an electrical impulse along the next neuron?
A hormone can circulate past many cells but affect only particular ones for this reason.
What is that only target cells have receptors with the correct shape for that hormone?
During adolescence, a student grows taller, develops puberty-related body changes and experiences a sudden rush of adrenaline before performing on stage. Name the three main glands involved.
What are the pituitary gland, the ovaries or testes, and the adrenal glands?
A student touches a hot tray and pulls their hand away almost instantly. Over several months, the same student experiences puberty-related body changes. Identify the main communication system responsible for each and justify your choices using speed, signal type and duration.
What are the nervous system for the immediate withdrawal and the endocrine system for the longer-term changes? Nervous signals travel rapidly as electrical impulses along neurons, while endocrine signals are hormones carried in the blood and generally produce slower, longer-lasting effects.