Nervous System Animation
for Children
Endocrine
System
Animation
for Children
Regulation and Reaction
Mr. Levasseur
Springfield Central High School
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What is the purpose of the digestive system?
How is mechanical breakdown of food accomplished?
How is chemical breakdown of food accomplished?
What is peristalsis?
Where in the digestive tract are nutrients absorbed into the blood stream?
Where in the digestive tract is water reabsorbed into the body?
What is the function of the liver?
What is the function of the stomach?
What is the function of the small intestine?
What is the function of the colon?
What is the function of the gall bladder?
What is the function of bile?
What is the function of enzymes?
What is a bolus?
What is the acid found in stomach?
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Explain how the nervous system (brain,
spinal cord, sensory neurons, motor
neurons) mediates communication among
different parts of the body and mediates
the body’s interactions with the
environment.
Identify the basic unit of the nervous
system, the neuron, and explain generally
how it works.
Recognize that communication among cells
is required for coordination of body
functions.
◦ The nerves communicate with electrochemical
signals, hormones circulate through the
blood, and some cells produce signals to
communicate only with nearby cells.
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The nervous system is the control, command and
communication center of our entire body.
Our thoughts, action and emotion are controlled by
this system.
The system consists of our brain, spinal cord, and a
network of nerves.
The cells of the nervous system (neurons)
communicate with one another by electrical and
chemical signals.
The 3 overlapping functions of the nervous system
includes:
a.) Our body has millions of sensory receptors
and the nervous system uses them to monitor
changes occurring both inside and outside of the
body. The information that is gathered by our
sensory receptors, (our 5 senses) is called sensory
input.
b.) A second function, known as integration, is
the processing and interpreting of sensory input to
decide what should be done at each moment.
c.) It then causes a response, called a motor
output, by activating effecter organs.
EXAMPLE 
You are driving a car…
When you come to a red light, what
do you do?
YOU MUST STOP!
1. Seeing the red light is your sensory input.
2. Your nervous system integrates this
information (red means stop).
3. Your foot goes for the break (motor
output) and you stop the car.
All of our bodies’ actions are
controlled by the nervous
system or by hormones.
What sensory
input,
integration and
motor output
might this
athlete be
experiencing?
•The nervous system can be divided into two principle parts:
•Central Nervous System (CNS)
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CNS
The Central
Nervous
System
consists of the
brain and the
spinal cord,
occupying the
dorsal body
cavity.
The CNS is the
part of the
nervous
system that
deals with
integrating
and command.
The CNS
interprets
sensory input
and dictates
motor
responses.
PNS
•Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
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The Peripheral
Nervous System
consists mainly
of nerves which
extend from the
brain and the
spinal cord.
The spinal nerves
of the PNS carry
information
(impulses) to and
from the spinal
cord.
The cranial
nerves of the PNS
carry information
(impulses) to and
from the brain.
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Nerves are thin threads of nerve cells
(neurons).
Neurons run and send messages
throughout our bodies.
Nerve cells, known as sensory
nerves, send message to and from
our brain and connect to the brain
through our spinal cord.
When nerve cells are stimulated (by
heat, sound, etc.) they generate a
small electrical impulse.
The electrical impulse travels the full
length of a nerve cell.
Once it reaches the end of a nerve
cell, it uses chemistry to help the
message reach the next nerve cell.
Chemicals are release at the end of
one nerve cell to carry the impulse to
the next nerve cell.
•The neuron is the fundamental
entity of the nervous system.
•All neurons have three parts.
•Dendrites receive information
from another cell and transmit
the message to the cell body.
•The cell body contains the
nucleus, mitochondria and other
organelles typical of eukaryotic
cells.
•The axon conducts messages
away from the cell body.
•Neuron Facts:
•Neurons, also known as nerve cells,
are specialized cells in the body that
conduct messages from one part of
the body to another by
electric/chemical impulses.
•Neurons have extreme longevity
(can function for a lifetime) given
good nutrients.
•They are amitotic which means they
cannot divide with mitosis so they
can’t replace themselves if they are
destroyed, (say no to drugs).
•Neurons have exceptionally high
metabolic rate, which means they
require lots of oxygen and glucose.
They cannot survive long without
Animation
oxygen.
Watch this Animation:
Dendrites
receive
electrochemical
information
from other
neurons and
send them to
the cell body of
a neuron.
The cell body,
(aka. the
soma), contains
the nucleus of
the neuron.
Nerve impulse
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/actionpotential.html
The Myelin
sheath protects
and electrically
insulates fibers
from one
another. It also
increases the
speed of nerve
impulse
transmission.
The
presynaptic
terminals,
which is at the
end of neurons,
The axon of a neuron conducts information
(electrical impulses) away from the cell body to the contain
nerve’s terminal. The electrical impulse is passes chemicals that
can pass
with an action potential generated by the flow of
forward the
sodium ions (Na+) into the axon and flow of
impulses onto
potassium, ions, (K+) out of the axon.
the next
neuron.
animation
How do neurons “talk” to one another?
Neurons communicate by emitting
electrochemical impulses from one neuron
to the other.
Electrical impulses known as action
potentials, (seen below as red dots), are
sent along a neuron until the impulse
reaches the end of that neuron.
Chemicals called neural transmitters, (seen
below as blue dots) are then used to
transmit the impulses onto the next
neuron. Where a new action potential will
form and move through the second cell.
See Animation:
http://www.portscheller.net/bio/bilder/synapse01.swf
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Humans receive information from their
environment via sensory neurons that are
the key entities of the five senses:
◦ Sight
◦ Hearing
◦ Smell
◦ Touch
◦ Taste
Information about the environment is taken
in by sensory neurons in the eyes, ears,
nose, skin and tongue.
Sensory neurons then pass this information
via electrochemical signals to the brain
where the information can be processed,
(integrated) and a motor response can then
be sent to respond to the environmental
stimuli.
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Motor neuron are part of the central nervous
system.
Motor neurons trigger movement of skeletal
muscles.
During the nervous systems motor output,
impulses from the brain pass via the spinal
cord then through motor neurons to get to
skeletal muscles.
The muscle receives the impulse at the neuromuscular junction then the musce moves.
Sensory nerves can then report back to the
brain via the spinal cord (sensory input).
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As we all know, the brain is a
mass of neurons that integrate the
electrochemical messages that it
receive from the sensory nerves
via the spinal chord.
The brain likewise sends motor
out put responses to the different
sections of the body via the spinal
chord.
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The nervous system,
(electrochemical signals)
and the endocrine system,
(hormone signals) both send
messages throughout the
body.
There are some differences
between the two systems
that you should note.
One take home message
from this unit on the
human body should be that
none of the body’s
systems work alone.
Let’s now see some ways
the nervous system is
interdependent with other
systems to maintain
homeostasis.
http://www.uta.edu/biology/henry/classnotes/2458/N&Esystems.jpg
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The endocrine system
consists of glands that
release vital hormones into
the blood.
The endocrine system maintains
homeostasis and long-term
control using chemical signals.
The endocrine system works in
parallel with the nervous system
to control growth and maturation
along with homeostasis.
Animation
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Pituitary Gland is a small organ
located just beneath the base of
the brain, and sometimes called
the master gland because all other
endocrine glands come under its
control.
The pituitary gland receive
messages about the need for a
particular hormone and to secrete
either the hormone or substances
that cause the manufacture and
release of the hormone.
Some of what the pituitary gland
helps to control include:
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General Body Growth
Maturation of Sex Organs
Smooth Muscle Contraction
Kidney Function
Pituitary Gland Animation
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Adrenal Glands are critical to normal body functions, such as maintenance of fluid
balance, reaction to stress, and reproduction. There are two adrenal glands, each of
which lies above a kidney. There are more than 30 steroid hormones produced by the
adrenal glands.
Pancreas is located in the rear center of the abdominal cavity, behind the stomach.
Specialized cells in the pancreas produce two hormones, insulin and glucagon, needed
to maintain stable blood sugar levels in the body. The pancreas also functions in
digestion; enzymes, which are secreted directly into the small intestine through ducts.
These enzymes help break down proteins, carbohydrates (sugars and starches), and
fats in the small intestine.
Thyroid gland is located at the front of the neck above the top of the breastbone. The
hormones secreted by the thyroid influence the rate of metabolism (the chemical
processes in the body having to do with energy production).
Sex Glands The primary responsibility for hormone production for the reproductive
system lies with the testes (male sex glands) and ovaries (female sex glands).
◦ The testes are two oval organs in the scrotum (the pouch of skin behind the penis).
The testes produce sperm and sex hormones that govern the male secondary sex
characteristics, including the growth of facial hair.
◦ The two ovaries are located in the pelvis. The ovaries secrete the hormones
estrogen and progesterone, which govern ovulation (monthly release of an egg from
an ovary) and the female secondary sex characteristics, such as breasts.
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How does the nervous system mediate communication in the human
body?
How does the nervous system differ in communication from the
endocrine system in the human body?
What is the basic from of a neuron?
What is the basic function of a neuron?
What are the differences between the central nervous system and
the peripheral nervous system?
How do nerves communicate with each other?
What is the role of sensory nerves in the nervous system?
What is the role of motor neurons in the nervous system?
What is the endocrine system?
What are the key glands in the endocrine system?
How are the nervous and the endocrine systems similar and
different?