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How does the nervous system help us respond?
Survival of an organism depends on its ability to respond to changes in the environment. The nervous system allows fast-acting but short-lived responses.
Organisms need to detect and respond to changes in their internal and external environment. This is because the conditions inside our
body must be carefully controlled for it to function effectively and survive. The control systems that allow organisms to respond to changes are incredibly important. All control systems include: The nervous system allows an organism to respond quickly to changes in the internal or external environment. The responses to the stimuli are short-lasting. Receptors are groups of specialised cells. They detect a change in the environment stimulus. In the nervous system this leads to an electrical impulse being made in response to the stimulus. Sense organs
contain groups of receptors that respond to specific stimuli. Effectors include muscles and glands - that produce a specific response to a detected stimulus.Responding to changes in environment
The nervous system
Receptors
Sense organStimuli receptors
respond to Skin
Touch, temperature, pain
Tongue
Chemicals [in food and drink, for example]
Nose
Chemicals [in the air, for example]
Eye
Light
Ear
Sound, position of head
Effectors
For example:
- a muscle contracting to move an arm
- muscle squeezing saliva from the salivary gland
- a gland releasing a hormone into the blood
Receptors are connected to effectors as follows:
These detect the changes in the environment [stimulus] |
Nerve cells that send a signal from the sensory receptors to the CNS |
The central nervous system [CNS], which is the brain and the spinal cord. This coordinates a response and sends a signal down a motor neuron. |
Nerve cells that receive a signal from the CNS and transfer it to the effector |
The muscles or glands that produce a response to the stimulus |
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What is the process of detecting stimuli in the environment?
What is the ability to detect stimuli called?
What is detecting a stimulus?
Term: | detection of stimulus involved in sensory perception |
Definition: | The series of events involved in sensory perception in which a sensory stimulus is received and converted into a molecular signal. |
Parent Terms: | is-a detection of stimulus part-of sensory perception |
Category: | Biological Process |
ID: | GO:0050906 |