BIOLOGY
by Miller & Levine

[complete Table of Contents]

Use the pull-down menu to jump to any of the Book's 40 Chapters:

Additional Resources:


Is your brain telling you the truth?
Are these circles bumps? Or are they depressions? (You can find the answer in the Hughes Foundation Booklet on the Senses)

New Information:

In early editions of the Dragonfly book, Figures 35-6 and 35-7 and the description of The Nerve Impulse on pages 898-899 were a bit confusing. I rewrote this section for clarity in June 2002. Click Here for the revision and copies of the both new Figures.

 

 

 

Chapter 35
The Nervous System

In this chapter, students will read about the organ systems of the human body, focusing primarily on the nervous system. They will read about how nerve cells transmit information, the major divisions of the nervous system, and the effects of various types of drugs on the nervous system.

Hot Links Chapter Self-Test
Take it to the Net Teaching Links

What are Web Codes?

Web Codes for Chapter 35:
Science News: The Human Body
SciLinks: Nervous System
SciLinks: Human Brain
SciLinks: Senses
SciLinks: Drugs and Drug Abuse
Self-Test


Section 35-1: Human Body Systems
The eleven organ systems of the human body work together to maintain homeostasis.

Section 35-2: The Nervous System
The nervous system controls and coordinates functions throughout the body and responds to internal and external stimuli.
A nerve impulse begins when a neuron is stimulated by another neuron or by its environment.

Section 35-3: Divisions of the Nervous System
The central nervous system relays messages, processes information, and analyzes information.
The sensory division of the peripheral nervous system transmits impulses from sense organs to the central nervous system. The motor division transmits impulses from the central nervous system to the muscles or glands.

Section 35-4: The Senses
There are five general categories of sensory receptors: pain receptors, thermoreceptors, mechanoreceptors, chemoreceptors, and photoreceptors.

Section 35-5: Drugs and the Nervous System
Stimulants increase heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. In addition, stimulants increase the release of neurotransmitters at some synapses in the brain.
Depressants slow down heart rate and breathing rate, lower blood pressure, relax muscles, and relieve tension.
Cocaine causes the sudden release of a neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine.
Opiates mimic natural chemicals in the brain known as endorphins, which normally help to overcome sensations of pain.
Alcohol is a depressant, and even small amounts of alcohol slow down the rate at which the nervous system functions.


The Hughes Medical Institute publishers a marvelous booklet on the senses — a perfect complement to Section 35-4. You can use it on-line, or download the whole booklet in PDF format:

http://www.hhmi.org/senses/

 

 

 

 

Click Here for Science News articles
on The Human Body


(Complete Index of Articles)

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