Nervous Co-ordination

Syllabus tag: KCSE | Biology | Form 4 | Topic 3 Reception, Response and Co-ordination

Lesson objectives

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

• Describe the structure of the nervous system and of a neurone.
• Explain the reflex arc and distinguish reflex from voluntary action.
• Describe the transmission of a nerve impulse across a synapse.
• Explain the functions of the brain and the autonomic nervous system.

Summary

The nervous system co-ordinates the body by carrying electrical impulses along neurones. The central nervous system is the brain and spinal cord; the peripheral system is the nerves leading to and from it. A reflex action is a rapid automatic response following a fixed pathway — the reflex arc — which bypasses the brain and so protects the body before thought is possible.