The human nervous system | Biology | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

True or false? Humans are unicellular.

True

False ✓
Match the organ to its sense.

taste

⇔

tongue ✓

smell

⇔

nose ✓

touch

⇔

skin ✓

eyes

⇔

light ✓
Match the tissue to its function.

muscle

⇔

contract and relax to bring about movement ✓

fat

⇔

provide energy and insulation ✓

nerve

⇔

transmit electrical impulses ✓
Starting with the smallest, put these levels of organisation in order.

1

⇔

cell

2

⇔

tissue

3

⇔

organ

4

⇔

organ system
Who is correct?

Sam: Specialised cells are only found in animals.

Laura: Specialised cells have features that help them do their job. ✓

Lucas: Specialised cells are only found in plants, like the root hair cell.

Jacob: Specialised cells are important and we need more of them.
What is the role of the nervous system?

to transport messages around the body quickly ✓

to excrete waste products

to absorb products from our surroundings

Exit quiz

What are the two main sections of the nervous sytem?

inner

central ✓

brain

outer

peripheral ✓
Match the part of the nervous system to its description.

brain

⇔

processes messages and coordinates responses ✓

spinal cord

⇔

dense column of nerve cells that connects the PNS and CNS ✓

neurones

⇔

transmits electrical impulses between different parts of the body ✓

sensory receptors

⇔

detect changes in the environment ✓
Which of these are responses?

sweating ✓

muscle contraction ✓

change in temperature

pain
True or false? Receptors are made of cells.

True ✓

False
Put these in order to show the path of a message through the nervous system.

1

⇔

sensory receptor

2

⇔

sensory neurone

3

⇔

relay neurones in CNS

4

⇔

motor neurone

5

⇔

effector
Match the stimuli to the response.

hot object

⇔

move body part away ✓

hot environment

⇔

sweating ✓

bright light

⇔

pupils narrow ✓

increase in blood sugar level

⇔

release insulin ✓

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

The human body has a nervous system that enables us to sense and respond quickly to changes outside and inside the body.
Examples of stimulus (e.g. increase in temperature) and response (e.g. sweating).
The structures that make up the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
Receptors detect stimuli; they can be single cells (e.g. in the skin) or groups of cells in sense organs (e.g. the eye).
Sensory neurones join receptors to the CNS; motor neurones join the CNS to effectors that carry out the response.

Common misconception

There are multiple misunderstandings about the nervous system, including the order and function of neurones, the roles of the stimulus, receptor and effector, and the central and peripheral parts.

The pathway through the nervous system is built up with examples and demonstrated as a flowchart. The roles of the different parts is explained and practised, and distinctions are made between the central and peripheral parts.

Keywords

Nervous system - Detects and coordinates a response to changes in internal or external environment.
Receptor - Senses a change in the environment, such as a change in light or temperature.
Stimulus - The change in the environment, such as a sound, touch or light.
Neurone - A nerve cell which transmits electrical impulses between different parts of the body.
Effector - A muscle or gland which carries out a response.