Homeostasis
What is homeostasis?
Maintaining a stable internal environment despite changes inside or outside the body.
What are the two main parts of the central nervous system?
Brain and spinal cord
What is a rapid, automatic response to a stimulus called?
A reflex
What chemical messengers are produced by endocrine glands?
Hormones
Which system generally produces the quicker response: nervous or endocrine?
Nervous system
Name one condition controlled by homeostasis.
Body temperature, blood glucose, water balance, etc.
What specialised cells carry electrical impulses around the nervous system?
Neurons
What part of a neuron receives signals from other neurons or receptors?
Dendrites
Hormones travel around the body mainly through what?
The bloodstream
Which system communicates primarily using hormones?
Endocrine system
What type of feedback mechanism reverses a change and returns the body toward its normal level?
Negative feedback
Which type of neuron carries information from receptors towards the central nervous system?
Sensory neuron
What part of the neuron carries an electrical impulse away from the cell body?
Axon
Which gland produces cortisol?
Adrenal Glands
Which system generally produces longer-lasting effects?
Endocrine system
When body temperature becomes too high, what happens to blood vessels near the skin?
They dilate (vasodilation) to increase heat loss.
Which type of neuron carries signals from the central nervous system to an effector?
Motor neuron
What is the tiny gap between two neurons called?
Synapse
Which gland produces insulin?
Pancreas
What type of signal is transmitted along neurons?
Electrical impulses
Arrange these parts of a feedback loop in the correct order: Effector, Receptor, Stimulus, Response, Control Centre.
Stimulus → Receptor → Control Centre → Effector → Response
What is the difference between the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
The CNS contains the brain and spinal cord; the PNS consists of nerves connecting the CNS to the rest of the body.
Put these structures in order during a reflex response: motor neuron, sensory neuron, receptor, interneuron, effector.
Receptor → Sensory neuron → Interneuron → Motor neuron → Effector
What is the main role of insulin in homeostasis?
It helps lower blood glucose levels by promoting glucose uptake and storage.
Give two differences between nervous and endocrine communication.
Nervous system: rapid, electrical signals, usually short-lived and targeted. Endocrine system: slower, hormones carried in blood, often longer-lasting and more widespread.