Let’s see how you did! If you didn’t get a few of these, don’t let it stress you out – it just means you need to play with more experiments in this area. We’re all works in progress, and we have our entire lifetime to puzzle together the mysteries of the universe!
Here’s printer-friendly versions of the exercises and answers for you to print out: Simply click here for printable questions and answers.
Answers:
[am4show have=’p8;p9;p29;p56;’ guest_error=’Guest error message’ user_error=’User error message’ ]
1. How does the nervous system relate to the other organ systems? The nervous system controls the other systems
2. What is a synapse? The place where the axon of one neuron meets the dendrite of another
3. What organs are in the central nervous system? The brain and spinal cord
4. What are the three parts of the brain? Cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem
5. If the left side of the cerebrum is injured, will the right or left side of the body most likely be affected? Why? The right, because each hemisphere of the cerebrum controls the opposite side of the body
6. What do the vertebrae do? Protect the spinal cord
7. What is the function of myelin? Allow messages to move quickly along nerve cells
8. What is the difference between the somatic and autonomic nervous sytem? The somatic system controls voluntary system, while the autonomic system controls involuntary motion
9. When is the sympathetic nervous system used? In emergencies
10. How is a reflex different from a typical message to the brain? Reflexes bypass the brain, and are controlled by the spinal cord
11. What is the purpose of cones in the eyes? To see in color
12. What is the path of light coming into the cornea? After passing the cornea, the light goes through the pupil, then the lens, and is focused on the retina
13. What happens to images if a person has myopia? The image focuses in front of the retina instead of on it
14. What two things are ears responsible for? Hearing and body position (balance)
15. If the hairs in the ears semicircular canals move, what message is sent to the brain? That the body is moving
16. What are some parts of the body that have many touch receptors? Palms, soles of feet, lips, tongue
17. Where are taste buds found? On the tongue
18. What causes Reye’s Syndrome? Giving aspirin to young children with viral infections
19. What occurs during a seizure? A person becomes unconscious and may have violent jerking motions
20. What are some things you can do to “exercise” your brain? Read, learn, and do activities like crossword puzzles
[/am4show]