Functions of the Nervous System Quiz

Functions of the Nervous System

• Receives sensory input, integrates and stores information, and transmits motor responses.
• Sensory input involves sensory receptors detecting stimuli within and outside the body.
• Sensory neurons convert stimuli to nerve impulses and transmit them to the central nervous system (CNS).

Integration Process

• The CNS, comprising the brain and spinal cord, processes sensory input.
• Determines an appropriate motor response based on interpreted sensory information.

Motor Output

• Motor responses are executed by sending nerve impulses down motor neurons.
• Motor neurons stimulate muscle contractions or gland secretions as needed.

Sensory Receptors

• Sensory input can come from special senses (smell, taste, vision, hearing, balance) and general senses (somatic and visceral).
• Various sensory receptors are specialized for detecting different types of stimuli.

Proprioceptive Sensation

• Proprioceptive sensors provide information about body position and movement for balance and coordination.

Special Senses

• Five special senses include olfaction (smell), gustation (taste), vision, hearing, and balance.

Olfaction

• Olfactory receptors involved in detecting scents are located in the nasal cavity.
• Olfactory chemoreceptors convert odor molecules into nerve impulses sent to interpretation sites in the brain.

Gustation

• Gustatory receptors responsible for taste are found on the tongue.
• Stimulated gustatory chemoreceptors send nerve impulses to their interpretation points in the brain.

Accessory Organs of the Eye

• Accessory organs include eyelids, eyelashes, lacrimal glands, and extraocular muscles.
• Each organ assists in protecting and supporting the eye's primary functions.

Eye Structure and Function

• Main tunics of the eye are the fibrous tunic, vascular tunic, and neural tunic, each with distinct components and functions:
  • Fibrous tunic: Provides structural support (includes cornea and sclera).
  • Vascular tunic: Supplies blood to the eye (includes iris and choroid).
  • Neural tunic: Houses photoreceptors (includes retina).

Lens and Photoreceptors

• The lens focuses light on the retina and is located behind the iris.
• Two types of photoreceptors in the retina: rods (sensitive to light) and cones (detect color).

Visual Processing

• The blind spot exists where the optic nerve exits the retina; no photoreceptors are present.
• The eye has anterior and posterior cavities filled with aqueous and vitreous humor, respectively.
• Light goes from the cornea to the retina and is ultimately interpreted in the brain.

Hearing and Ear Structure

• The ear consists of external (auricle), middle (ossicles), and inner ear (cochlea).
• Frequency refers to sound wave cycles per second, while pitch describes how high or low a sound is.

Auditory Processing

• Sound waves are funneled by the auricle and transmitted via the auditory canal.
• Sound vibrations travel through the ossicles to the cochlea, where they are converted to nerve impulses for brain interpretation.

Balance Physiology

• The vestibular system in the inner ear detects changes in position and motion to maintain balance.

Test your understanding of the functions of the nervous system, including sensory input, information integration, and motor response transmission. This quiz covers the roles of sensory receptors, neurons, and the central nervous system in processing stimuli.