The Bodys Senses and the Use of It - Research Paper Example

1) List and explain the three general functions of the nervous system. The three main functions of the nervous system are orientation, 2) coordination, and 3) conceptual thought (intelligence) (Kippers 2-3). Orientation pertains to the body’s ability to adapt into its natural surroundings that may differ from its original habitat. This capability is brought around by the body’s use of its senses that protects us from the dangers brought about by an ever changing kind of environment (Kippers 2-3). These senses are the sense of sight, sense of smell, sense of touch and sense of hearing (auditory). The sense of sight and sense of hearing are categorized as telereceptors that act on any stimuli which is remote from the body. The sense of smell and taste likewise protects the body from poisoning since it enables us to distinguish good and bad food before we ingest them (Kippers 2-3). The sense of touch helps us detect pain and provides a reflex withdrawal that is naturally and unconsciously prepared before conscious awareness of pain is passed on to the brain (Kippers 2-3). Further, the sense of touch allows us to learn about our surroundings by touching and feeling everything around us (Kippers 2-3). The second function of the nervous system is coordination. Coordination is the body’s ability to receive a number of stimuli through the various senses, which are appropriately coordinated and processed thereby allowing us to give a proper reaction to any given circumstances. The feedback or response given by an individual may vary and depend on character, experience, culture, etc. (Kippers 2-3). Last but not the least function of the nervous system is the ability of a person to have conceptual though or intelligence. Every individual is capable of calculation, imagination, abstract reasoning and creativity that make him or her superior than any other mammal (Kippers 2-3). 2. List and describe the two principal divisions of the peripheral nervous system and their subdivisions. The peripheral nervous system (PNS is made up of all the other parts of the nervous system excluding the brain and the spinal cord which are parts and segments of the central nervous system (CNS) (Noveguide.com 1-3). The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is divided into two main categories which are: 1) the sensory somatic nervous system and 2) the autonomic nervous system (Novelguide.com 1-3). The sensory somatic nervous system serves as the sensory entrance between the environment or surroundings outside the human body and the CNS. The responses made by the body in this part of the PNS are inclined to be conscious (Noveguide.com 1-3). The sensory somatic nervous system is composed of 31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 pairs of cranial nerves. Other pairs are only for sensory neurons which are mainly engaged in the senses for smell, vision, hearing and balance (Novelguide.com 1-3). The other pairs are made up of motor neurons that affect movements (example: swallowing, movement of head and shoulders) (Novelguid.com 1-3). Other pairs are comprised of a combination of sensory and motor neurons that work together. All the spinal neurons have both sensory and motor neurons; this and the other pairs contained therein allow the spinal neuron to function and work correctly serving as the means to transmit signals from any stimuli that is normally followed by a response (Novelguide.com 1-3). The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is subdivided into three parts: 1) the parasympathetic nervous system; 2) the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system (Novelguide.com 1-3). Mainly, the ANS control the activities of the cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, endocrine and exocrine glands (Novelguid.com 1-3). It does its work automatically along with being a mediator of the visceral reflex arcs; and likewise acts to stimulate or hinder impulse activities within innervated tissues (Noveguide.com 1-3). 3. List the four events that lead to transmission of an impulse across a synapse. Synaptic transmission entails a series of intricate molecular events. Primarily, signals or impulses come in electrical forms which are then converted into electrical messages upon their arrival at the connecting neuron (holisticeducator.com 1-6). The onset of the nerve impulses activates the discharge of specialized molecules that are manufactured, packed and stored in vesicles along the synaptic knob neurotransmitters (holisticeducator.com 1-6). These neurotransmitters travel to the pre-synaptic membrane of the synaptic knob and transmitted across the synaptic cleft. Upon reaching the postsynaptic membrane they attach with specialized protein receptor molecules (holisticeducator.com 1-6) creating a transmitter receptor complex that triggers a change in the membrane porosity within the connecting neuron (holisticeducator.com 1-6). The second event occurs at the transmitter-receptor complex and can either inhibit or excite depending on the entry of the neuron and properties of the impulse – meaning the intensity and strength of the signal and the stimulus (holisticeducator.com 1-6). An inhibition effect prevents the transmittal of the signals, while an excitatory effect sets off new signals down the length of the axon of the connecting neuron (holisticeducator.com 1-6). The third event is synapse excitation. This occurs when membrane permeability or porosity is increased that the pores open allowing the charged ions to pass through (holisticeducator.com 1-6). If the nerve impulse is adequately strong, the binding effect would be excitatory as it opens the pores and allow the passage of electrically charged ions that would initiate the creation of a new impulse (holisticeducator.com 1-6). The fourth event is the synapse inhibition wherein the signal or impulse sent is not strong enough or is below the threshold required of depolarization, thus preventing the nerve impulse to be transmitted to the connecting neuron (holisticeducator.com 1-6). 4. Explain the meaning of “odor snapshot” and its relevance to human beings. The first response to stimuli is usually associated with the sense of smell. It generally alerts the other senses before the source of odor is seen, felt or hear. Smell is detected by chemoreceptors, which are sensory cells (Dowdey 1). As odor molecules stimulate chemoreceptors in the nasal cavity or nose, an electrical impulse is conveyed or passed on to the brain where it is interpreted and perceived to become something we identify as smell (Dowdey 1). Relatively, smell starts when airborne molecules motivate the olfactory receptor cells that come from substances with volatile molecules. Humidity and temperature affects odor since these two natural elements enhances molecular volatility that makes a certain smell or odorant stronger than the ordinary (Dowdey 2). Odor snapshot has something to do with the brain’s ability to recognize, categorize and memorize a vast variety of odors (Dowdey 3). Hence, a smell can bring forth memories, affect day-to-day activities and even control people’s moods and behavior. The reason behind this is the olfactory bulb is a segment of the brain’s limbic system. It is a spot linked with the brain to recall or remember (memory) and feeling (emotion) that can immediately evoke strong responses and memories (Dowdey 4). Additionally, the olfactory bulb has close access to the amygdale and hippocampus that develops emotion and associative learning. Smell causes memories due to the conditioned responses and because of the brain’s capability of linking a particular smell with an emotion or a memory (Dowdey 4). As a result, when a similar smell is detected by the olfactory bulb the link which draws out a memory or mood is already present (Dowdey 4). 5. Explain the mechanism of hearing. Hearing involves a complex mechanism that operates on the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear (New World Encyclopedia 4-5). The outer ear is the visible portion which is formed like a convoluted cup that extends from the opening of the ear canal on the either side of the head. This portion is called an auricle or pinna that helps direct the sound towards the ear canal, both of which intensifies and channels the sound waves to the eardrum or tympanic membrane (New World Encyclopedia 4-5). The middle ear is comprised of the eardrum which is stretched across the outer side of the bony air-filled cavity or hollow space (New World Encyclopedia 4-5). In comparison to the tympanic membrane which is similar to a drum head, the middle ear cavity is like a drum body. The function of the middle ear is to process the sound waves captured by the outer ear from the air that surrounds the body. This is then propelled in to the vibrations of fluid contained in the cochlea located at the inner air (New World Encyclopedia 4-5). The sound waves shift the tympanic membrane at the same time moving the ossicles that likewise moves the fluid within the cochlea (New World Encyclopedia 4-5). The inner ear or cochlea is a fluid filled compartment formed like a snail, and has a membranous partition along its full length (New World Encyclopedia 4-5). The cochlea or inner ear transmit the received signals coming from the middle ear as waves within the fluid and membranes condensing them into nerve impulses which are transmitted to the brain (New World Encyclopedia 4-5). Works Cited Dowdey, Sarah. “How Smell Works.” howstuffworks. URL: http://health.howstuffworks.com/smell3.htm holisticeducator.com. “The Biology of Learning: The Synapse and the Transmission of Nerve Impulses via Neurotransmitters.” URL: http://www.holisticeducator.com/synapse.htm Kippers, Vaughn. “The Central Nervous System I & II.” URL: http://www.uq.edu.au/~anvkippe/an105/cns.html New World Encyclopedia. “Hearing (sense). URL: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hearing_(sense) novelguide.com. “Peripheral Nervous System.” URL: http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/gend_02/gend_02_00273.html Read More