New
New
Year 10
AQA
Higher

The human nervous system

I can describe the parts that make up the human nervous system that enables us to sense and respond to changes.

New
New
Year 10
AQA
Higher

The human nervous system

I can describe the parts that make up the human nervous system that enables us to sense and respond to changes.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The human body has a nervous system that enables us to sense and respond quickly to changes outside and inside the body.
  2. Examples of stimulus (e.g. increase in temperature) and response (e.g. sweating).
  3. The structures that make up the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
  4. Receptors detect stimuli; they can be single cells (e.g. in the skin) or groups of cells in sense organs (e.g. the eye).
  5. 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.

Encourage students to think about the nervous system in real terms by describing how their body is responding to stimuli such as a pencil or an instruction. The flowchart could be simulated using a chain of students representing each part.
Teacher tip

Equipment

None required.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
True or false? Humans are unicellular.
true
Correct answer: false
Q2.
Match the organ to its sense.
Correct Answer:taste,tongue

tongue

Correct Answer:smell,nose

nose

Correct Answer:touch,skin

skin

Correct Answer:eyes,light

light

Q3.
Match the tissue to its function.
Correct Answer:muscle ,contract and relax to bring about movement

contract and relax to bring about movement

Correct Answer:fat,provide energy and insulation

provide energy and insulation

Correct Answer:nerve,transmit electrical impulses

transmit electrical impulses

Q4.
Starting with the smallest, put these levels of organisation in order.
1 - cell
2 - tissue
3 - organ
4 - organ system
Q5.
Who is correct?
Sam: Specialised cells are only found in animals.
Correct answer: 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.
Q6.
What is the role of the nervous system?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: to transport messages around the body quickly
to excrete waste products
to absorb products from our surroundings

6 Questions

Q1.
What are the two main sections of the nervous sytem?
An image in a quiz
inner
Correct answer: central
brain
outer
Correct answer: peripheral
Q2.
Match the part of the nervous system to its description.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:brain,processes messages and coordinates responses

processes messages and coordinates responses

Correct Answer:spinal cord,dense column of nerve cells that connects the PNS and CNS

dense column of nerve cells that connects the PNS and CNS

Correct Answer:neurones,transmits electrical impulses between different parts of the body

transmits electrical impulses between different parts of the body

Correct Answer:sensory receptors,detect changes in the environment

detect changes in the environment

Q3.
Which of these are responses?
Correct answer: sweating
Correct answer: muscle contraction
change in temperature
pain
Q4.
True or false? Receptors are made of cells.
Correct answer: true
false
Q5.
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
Q6.
Match the stimuli to the response.
Correct Answer:hot object,move body part away

move body part away

Correct Answer:hot environment,sweating

sweating

Correct Answer:bright light,pupils narrow

pupils narrow

Correct Answer:increase in blood sugar level,release insulin

release insulin