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A Brief description of Central nervous system, sensory, motor and connector neurones.

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A Brief description of Central nervous system, sensory, motor and connector neurones.

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The Central Nervous System controls (CNS) most of the functions that are happening in and around our body. The CNS consists of two important components which are the spinal cord and the brain. The brain interprets information from main senses such as eyes, ears, mouth etc. and also internal organs such as stomach, liver and bladder. The spinal cord is a communication system between the brain and the body, if this were somehow disrupted then information would not be exchanged between them, the cause of this might be a spinal cord injury during an accident. The CNS controls all voluntary movements within the body such as walking and involuntary movements like blinking and breathing.

https://www.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis/health/how-the-spinal-cord-works
(Accessed: 25/10/18)

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The resource I have chosen is a picture diagram of the central nervous system in the human body. It allows us to visualise where the CNS can be found and what the functions are briefly. The labels allow us to recognise which part of the body belongs to which system, for example the label that goes to the brain also has in parenthesis CNS which automatically lets you know it belongs to the central nervous system rather than the PNS. This prevents any confusion and separates the CNS from the PNS easily. The labels clearly state the structure of each part of the body and their roles in the nervous system for example “spinal cord initiation of reflexes from ventral horn and lateral horn...”. This gives a precise description of where the location is and what takes place. The picture is good for people who are visual learners; studies prove that some people have better understanding when there are visual interpretations of words.

Although this picture gives a clear understanding of the nervous system I feel that it can be improved. It is very brief and does not detail the functions of the nervous system. The words also are very difficult to understand, if a person was looking at this for the first time they would not get a clear explanation of what the nervous system is.
The resource however is trustworthy and reliable for information, it is from openstax. All the authors are university graduates and also used by college boards of education.

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Sensory neurones are nerve cells within the nervous system; they collect information from in and around the body from the sensory receptors. They are in charge of monitoring the body’s conditions whether it is internal or external. The example that the website gives is that “For instance, if you picked up a hot coal, sensory neurons with endings in your fingertips would convey the information to your CNS that it was really hot”.

Motor neurones are neurones that convey messages to its designated place for example to your muscles or organs. These types of neurons get information from other neurons and pass it on. In the instance of the hot coal example the motor neurones would send a message to your muscles in your fingers which in turn would allow you to move your fingers or hand away from the coal.
Connector neurons are interneurons that allow communication between the sensory and motor neurone. They process information and allow you to come to conclusions. For the example with the hot coals it may be to remove the hand or also come to a conclusion “that things that looked like hot coals are not good to pick up”
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/human-biology/neuron-nervous-system/a/overview-of-neuron-structure-and-function
(Accessed: 25/10/18)

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The resource I have chosen to meet criteria 1.1 is a website called biologymad. The website contains information on the nerve cells and neurones like sensory, motor and connector. Information about the 3 neurones is compiled into a table which is clear. It allows us to see the location, function and also the length of there fibres.

This website is excellent because it allows you to get all the relevant information clearly. It contains diagrams of each neurone which is labelled accordingly for example if you wanted to find information on the motor neurone, from the website I would be able to say the following:

The motor neurone is an efferent neurone which means that it will be moving away from the neurone. The function of the motor neurone is to relay messages from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles or organs. From the diagram I can locate where the Schwann cell nucleus is on the motor neurone as well as myelin sheath. The motor neuron has short dendrites and long axons.
I chose this website because it was easy for me to retain the information; it is put in clear and simple language that anybody can understand. The website is also designed for those who study A-level biology, which means its relevant. It highlights the main points of each neurone. The language format is fairly good as it is easily understandable in the sense that if someone who does not study biology reads this, they will be able to understand fairly quickly.

The only critique is that they do not go into too much detail about the complexity of the neurone; they do not talk about the functions in detail either. It is brief and simple.

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There are three different type of neurones work together to form a reflex arc or action. These are called sensory, motor and interneurons. The reflex is an involuntary action that takes place upon touching the stimuli such as, a knee jerk or touching a hot coal. A reflex action takes place in a sequence without assistance from the brain hence making the reaction fast.  At first you have the stimuli which the receptors in your muscles detect, the sensory neuron sends electrical signals to the relay neuron which is located in the central nervous system. Relay neurons connect the sensory neuron to the motor neuron. The motor neuron then sends electrical signals to the effector which allows it to give a response; this can be the muscle contracting to move the hand away from the stimuli.
http://www.biologymad.com/nervoussystem/nervoussystemintro.htm#reflex
(Accessed: 25/20/18)

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Explain the role of sensory and motor neurones in a reflex arc? Resource and evaluation. (1.2)

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Explain the role of sensory and motor neurones in a reflex arc? Resource and evaluation. (1.2)

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The resource I have chosen is a video from fuse school, this is a channel on YouTube made by teachers and animators that work together to form educational purposes. In this video the teacher talks about reflex arcs and how they work. He goes on to explain what components are included in the reflex arc such as motor and sensory neurone, CNS, receptors and stimuli.

During 1:00 in the video there is an animation that shows what would happen when you touch the stimulus which is, going from the receptors in your finger to the spinal cord. He goes on to talk about how reflex arcs are built in or innate behaviours which means that they are not learned from before.

I had decided to pick this resource because the information was easily understood; he was clear in what he was saying. The way the information was read out was slow enough so that the listener keeps up or makes notes if needed. If the reading was too fast then it would be hard to keep up with, you would have to keep pausing and going back to each part of the video and this was not the case. Another good reason I had chosen this video was because if you did not understand what was being said you can click in the description, there is all the information typed up for you. The vocabulary used was relevant and easily understandable, in the sense that if someone who was not studying biology watched the video, they would have a rough idea of what a reflex arc is.

One of the disadvantages of this video is that lack of any detail about any of the neurons; they roughly mention the roles of each neuron. They also put a diagram of the reflex arc which they also could have explained thoroughly but they used an animation video instead. I feel that they could have talked more of what happens during each stage of reflex arc for example what happens when the sensory neuron sends electrical charges.

BBC Bitesize - GCSE Combined Science - How does the nervous system help us respond? - OCR 21C - Revision 3
https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/ztjrng8/revision/3
(Accessed 26/10/18

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What is a Reflex Arc | Physiology | Biology | FuseSchool

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Explain the mechanism of transmission of an impulse along a neuron?

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Explain the mechanism of transmission of an impulse along a neuron?

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An action potential occurs when a neuron sends messages along the axon. An action potential takes place when voltage gated potassium channels are open or closed. The membrane that is unstimulated is called polarised. Action potentials (AP) are able to travel along distance and can send out signals frequently, it cannot send more than one signal. In most cases the vesicles that are released from AP are not enough for it to trigger a response therefore the brain uses the neuron network to send a lot of signals within one neuron.

These are main stages of action potentials:

Depolarisation, this is the flow of sodium ions inwards that increases the concentration gradient. If the potential difference reaches threshold then the sodium ion channels which are also voltage gated open up and diffuses in the neuron.

Repolarisation, this is when sodium ion channels close and potassium channels open, the membrane of the neurone is permeable so that potassium ion channels can diffuse out. When this happens the membrane is at resting potential.

Resting potential occurs when all the ion channels have been reset; the sodium potassium pump has returned to the membrane and upholds resting potential until it is excited by another stimulus. (-70millivolts).
Transmission of Nerve Impulses . 2018.  Transmission of Nerve Impulses . [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/anatomy-and-physiology/nervous-tissue/transmission-of-nerve-impulses. [Accessed 29 October 2018].

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The resource I have chosen is a video made by crash course on YouTube.

At 6:00 into the video there is a graph which is used as an animation to show how action potentials work and what happens at each gradient. He explains that when an environmental stimulus occurs thus causing the sodium ion channels to open. This then increases the charge inside the membrane. At threshold the voltage gated sodium ion channels open and all positive sodium ion channels diffuse inside. This is the stage of depolarisation where is at the potential of 40 millivolts. The process of repolarisation kicks in and the voltage gated potassium ions open letting out potassium ions to rebalance the charges. This then leads to hyperpolarisation where the voltage drops to -70 millivolts before all gates close. The sodium potassium pumps then brings everything back to resting level.

An interesting fact I learned from this resource was that the strength of the action potential always remains the same no matter what the stimulus may be. Signals can either be weak or intense depending on the stimulus, the example that was given in the video was: for a weak signal and low frequency it would be something like picking up an egg. If it was something trying to crush a can, there is a high frequency and therefore the signal intensifies.

This video is precise and straight to the point, all the information that was given was relevant and on topic. Although it was easy to understand the language may have been too technical for someone who does not study biology. The video also started off with something off topic, I understand he was trying to make us understand the similarities between voltage and potential, but it was time consuming to get to the main part of action potential. The information was clear but it was read out too fast.

It is reliable and trustworthy as the information is coming from reliable sources such as hank green who was the producer of this source. Hank green is a graduate in biochemistry, therefore making his videos dependable.
The Nervous System, Part 2 - Action! Potential!: Crash Course A&P #9

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The Nervous System, Part 2 - Action! Potential!: Crash Course A&P #9

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There are two main types of actions that the body carries out and these are the voluntary actions and the involuntary ones also commonly known as reflex actions. A voluntary action is something that you do by yourself with consciousness, your brain sends impulses to the effectors (muscle or glands)through the spine with the assistance of the relay neuron to the motor neuron. The action is voluntary and done under your will. An involuntary action or reflex action is something you do unconsciously, without knowing. Your spinal cord is in total control and the brain takes no action during this process. It occurs in response to a stimulus and without a choice.
The resource meets criteria 2.1 because it talks about the differences between the two actions. It contains a table which consists of the differences. A few examples are that the reflex actions are initiated by a stimulation of the receptor however voluntary actions are initiated in the brain- cerebral cortex. Another comparison is that in voluntary actions the impulses that are sent from the brain are sent to the opposite side of the body but with reflex action they are sent to the same side of the body. Voluntary actions have many cells and synapses that have longer pathways which makes it slow. On the other hand you have reflex actions who only have 3 cells and 2 synapses which makes it quicker.

This is a great resource because all the information is set out properly and organised. The definitions are first which allows you to go in sequence, you learn the meanings first. Then there is a table with the comparisons, the differences between the two actions. There is also a video in the case that you don’t understand the written form, this is good because some students might learn better visually rather than written language. It is easy to understand and meets the criteria. The language is not difficult to understand because it is not too technical.
This is reliable and trustworthy because it is a blog written by a biology graduate in America. Its clear and precise matching to the criteria.
http://thumbiology.blogspot.com/2011/03/voluntary-and-involuntary-actions.html
(Accessed:27/10/18

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There are two main kinds of actions that our body carries out:

Voluntary actions,

Involuntary actions or reflex actions.

Both actions involve stimuli, an impulse, neurons and effectors. However they are differents.
Voluntary Actions :
A voluntary action is basically an action which you yourself initiate by your own conscious. Your cerebral cortex (brain) sends impulses from it to the effectors (muscles or glands) via the spinal cord with relay neurons and finally a motor neurons. This action is under the control of the will thus is known as a voluntary action.
Involuntary Actions (Reflex Actions) :
Involuntary actions as their name suggest, are total opposites of voluntary actions, a reflex action is not under the control of the will. In this case, your spinal cord takes total control, without your own conscious. Reflex actions controlled by the spinal cord, example scratching, are called spinal reflexes. There are also cranial reflexes, example blinking, that are controled by de brain but not by the cerebral cortex. Brushing, sneezing and salivation are also reflex actions however, salivation is also known an conditioned reflex action which we will be discussing later. In this webpage Kidshealth you can read and listen to a explanation of different reflex actions.
This table compares the two types of actions:

Impulses passes from the motor area in cerebral cortes down spinal cord to:

Impules pases sensory neuorns and relay neurone in grey matter of spinal cord which passes impulse to:

Motor neurone carries impulse to effector (muscle) with contracts and produces action

Motor neurone carries impulse to effector (muscle) with contracts and produces action

Many cells and synapses, and longer pathway - therefore slow.

Only 3 cells, 2 synapses - therefore quicker.
Secondary information passes up spinal cord to brain, so subject is aware after event.

In a reflex actions a receptor pick up the stimulus. Impulses are produced and travel along the sensory neurons to the spinal cord.. The reflex actions are very rapid and they are designed to prevent injury. So they are automatic, you do not have to think about them.

In a reflex action a sensory receptor is stimulated by a stimulus, signals pass from it along a sensory neuron ( afferent neuron) to the spinal cord. The impulse passes through a relay neuron, directly to the motor neuron (efferent neuron) that transmites the impulse to the effector (e.g., a muscle or a gland), which acts accordingly. Such a pathway is called a .

This videos is another way of learn it.

A conditioned reflex action is a special kind of reflex action which results from the learning from past experiences. For example, many people salivate at the smell of good food as they had learnt from past experiences that such smell are associated with good food and they have to urge to want to eat them, hence salivary glands are stimulated and saliva is produced and secreted.

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There are two main kinds of actions that our body carries out: Voluntary actions, Involuntary actions or reflex actions. Both actions involve stimuli, an impulse, neurons and effectors. However they are differents. Voluntary Actions :A voluntary action is basically an action which you yourself initiate by your own conscious.

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The autonomic nervous system is a part of the nervous system that controls muscles of the internal organs like the heart and glands. There are two different parts to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The first one is the sympathetic nervous system which allows the body to go into the fight or flight response. The second one is the parasympathetic nervous system which allows the body to rest, relax and slow the heart rate to complete other bodily functions such as gland activity.

The resource I have chosen is a website that meets the criteria of 2.1 because it explains the role of the autonomic nervous system. It starts by explaining what the autonomic nervous system’s role actually is. “The autonomic nervous system plays an essential role in keeping the body's internal environment (temperature, salt concentration, blood sugar, oxygen and carbon dioxide level in blood, etc) in proper balance, a condition called homeostasis”. This is very crucial because without this regulator is temperature got too low or high then you may get hypothermia which is fatal and life threatening.

They also explain the 2 different parts of the ANS which are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The systems have opposing effects on the internal organs they act on. They state that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is in control of emergencies, it prepares the body to give out energy and protect on effects of injury. This is called the fight or flight response, it prepares for intense activities. The roles the source described for this system is that “It shuts the gut down, speeds up the heart, increases blood pressure, dilates (makes bigger) the pupils of the eyes, makes more glucose. However the parasympathetic does the complete opposite, it looks after your body during rest and restoration. The resource calls the PNS the housekeeping system. Its action is (almost always) the opposite of the sympathetic division. It activates the gut for digestion, slows the heart rate, decreases the blood pressure, etc.

I chose this resource because it is easily understandable and simple, the language is technical but not over the top where no one can understand. They also have diagrams which are great for people who like to see visual images to learn. It was helpful to understand the separate roles of each system as it separated the information nicely.

This resource is somewhat reliable because it does have all the correct information, but it may not be trustworthy because it is not a professional website and also does not state who curated the information.
Indianaedu. 2018. Indianaedu. [Online]. [30 October 2018]. Available from: http://www.indiana.edu/~p1013447/dictionary/ans.htm
(Accessed:28/10/18)

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The autonomic nervous system plays an essential role in keeping the body's internal environment (temperature, salt concentration, blood sugar, oxygen and carbon dioxide level in blood, etc) in proper balance, a condition called homeostasis. The autonomic nervous system also plays a major part in emotional experience and expression.