Study Guide

Excretory System:
Excretion: the process of getting rid of waste materials

Parts:

1.​ Kidneys - filter blood to get rid of excess water, urea (toxic
substance) and other waste, and produce urine
-inside are 1 million tiny, microscopic tubes called NEPHRONS
2.​ Urethra- the pipe through which urine is expelled
3.​ Liver - also apart of the digestive system
4.​ Urinary bladder- muscular bag that temporarily stores urine, when
your urinary bladder is ¾ (75%) full you will get the urge to urinate.
5.​ Lungs
6.​ Skin - gets rid of excess water through sweat

Kidneys, Urinary bladder, and the urethra are the primary organs; they do
not overlap with another system.

Nephrons- a small filtering structure in the kidneys that removes wastes

from blood and produces urine.
Filtering Process (2 stages):
-nephrons filter both the wastes and the needed materials from the blood
- the needed materials are returned to the blood and wastes are
excreted

Organ How What They Excrete

Kidneys Filtering blood several Excess water, urea,
times a day with the
help of nephrons

Lungs When you exhale Carbon dioxide, small

amounts of water

Skin Sweating Excess of water (sweat),

lactic acids, salts, urea

Extra stuff I had in my notes:

Organs of the excretory system need to get rid of waste materials
efficiently to maintain homeostasis and prevent sickness and diseases.
Nervous System:

Nervous System -> The body’s communication system

Comprised of 2 branches: The Central Nervous System (CNS) and the
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Parts:
1.​ Brain
2.​ Spinal cord
3.​ Nerves

In the nervous system, there are highly specialized cells & tissues that help
the nervous system to collect information either from within the body or
from outside.
Neuron: cell that carries information through the nervous system.

Dendrites: picks up information/changes-> Axon: receives information and

sends it to cells

2 BRANCHES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: CNS AND PNS

CNS (Central Nervous System)

Parts:
1. Brain- protected by the skull
2. Spinal cord- delicate structure (resemblance of a boiled noodle)
They control and regulate functions and operations of the body and
mind.

-Brain is soft and delicate

- well protected by a bony skull
-protecting the brain is a layer of connective tissue and a fluid that
prevents injury to the brain
Spinal cord/vertebral column (backbone)-flimsy and soft
-Vertebral column protects it
-In between the bones of the spinal cord there is a padding called spinal
disk
-spinal cord links to brain to other parts of the body
Brain:
1.​ Controlling voluntary actions (ex: typing, writing, reading, ect.)
2.​ Controls involuntary actions (ex: heart beating, blood flowing, ect.)
3.​ Memory
4.​ Cognitive ability (ability to make decisions, reason and intelligence)
5.​ emotions

Spinal Cord:
1.​ Take information from receptors to the brain
2.​ Takes processed information from the brain to the neurons

Function:
-​ Control and regulate functions and operations of the body and
mind
PNS (Peripheral Nervous System)
Parts:
-Nerves

Function:
-Transmitting/ gathering information from either within the body or from
the outside

-nerves (network to connect the CNS with the rest of the body)
43 pairs of nerves
12 pairs of nerves begin in the head and branch out to other parts of the
head

PNS has two groups of nerves

-Autonomic Nervous System
-Somatic Nervous System

Autonomic Nervous System:

-deals with all functions that are involuntary
Ex. digestion, heartbeat and respiration

Somatic Nervous System

-deals with all functions that are voluntary
Ex. typing, reading, playing sports

Neurons:
-3 different types of neurons

1.​ Sensory neurons

Picks up information about a change that may be electromagnetic,
chemical or mechanical and taken to the sensory receptors (organs)
-eyes
-ears
-nose
-tongue
-skin

2.​ Interneurons
Pass on information from 1 neuron to another
 3.​ Motor neurons
A neuron that carries processed information from the brain to your
organs, glands or limbs/muscles and directs you how to react or
what you need to do to maintain homeostasis.

Nerve Impulses: the message carried by the neuron is called a nerve

impulse
Synapse: the junction where one neuron can transfer an impulse to
another neuron is called a synapse

Pathway a Nerve Impulse Will Take:

1.​ Begin with dendrites
2.​ Sends the information through axon
3.​ At axon tips electrical signals change to chemical signals
4.​ Signal can bridge the gap (synapse) and continue to the next
neuron
5.​ Impulse is converted to electrical signal again
6.​ Travels through the neuron

-Takes fraction of second for information to be transported

-electrical impulse is shot to another neurons (sensory or brain)
-Brain process information and sends it to motor neurons

Reflexes:
Reflex: automatic response that occurs without conscious control

Ex. something pricked you -> retract your hand (reflex)

-Information that you were injured is sent to the memory of the brain, so
you know to be careful next time.
Sequence of Neurons During The Reflex Arc:
1.​ Sensory neurons detect a pain stimulus
2.​ Sends impulses to the spinal cord
3.​ Interneurons in the spinal cord carry impulses to motor neurons
4.​ Trigger muscle contractions
5.​ Pain impulses travel to the brain
6.​ Interpreted and stored as memories

Endocrine System:
Homeostasis: maintaining a stable internal environment even though
there may be drastic external changes

There are 2 systems that play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis .

1.​ Nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves)
2.​ Endocrine system (glands, hormones)

-Nervous system works using electrical impulses

-Endocrine system works using chemicals called HORMONES

-Nervous system is fast acting

-Endocrine system is slow acting

Hypothalamus (part of both nervous and endocrine system)- King of the

endocrine system

Hypothalamus (nervous system)- sends nerve impulses

Plays important role to control sleep, hunger, and other bodily activities

Hypothalamus (endocrine system)- produces chemicals called hormones

Regulate and control other endocrine glands.

Pituitary Gland
Nickname: Master Gland because the hormones secreted by the pituitary
gland regulate all other endocrine glands and hormones they produce.

Glands Description Hormone Function

Hypothalamus Located deep Links the nervous system and the

inside the brain endocrine system and controls the
above the spinal pituitary gland.
cord

Pituitary gland Pea sized gland, (Master gland.)Hormones control

located beneath other endocrine glands. Controls
the hypothalamus and maintains blood pressure,
body’s water balance and growth.

Pineal Gland In the brain Regulates sleep-wake cycle. Also,

controls the body's adjustments to
seasons. (releases melatonin)

Thyroid gland Located in the Secrets, a hormone called thyroxine

neck controls all energy related in the
cells. Thyroxine plays a role in
metabolism.

Adrenal gland Kidney bean Hormones secreted are called

shaped, sit on top adrenalin. Helps to fight or flee from
of each kidney a stressful situation. Helps regulate
the salt water balance, helps the
kidney to filter sugar in blood.

Pancreas Part of the Secrets 2 hormones-Insulin and

digestive and Glucagon. Helps regulate blood
endocrine system. sugar levels.
Leaf-like
appearance
Glands Description Hormone Function

Hypothalamus Located deep Links the nervous system and the

inside the brain endocrine system and controls the
above the spinal pituitary gland.
cord

Pituitary gland Pea sized gland, (Master gland.)Hormones control

located beneath other endocrine glands. Controls
the hypothalamus and maintains blood pressure,
body’s water balance and growth.

Ovary Found in 2 hormones- Estrogen and

females only Progesterone, responsible for
female characteristics, egg
development and childbirth.

Testes Found in males Produces hormone-testosterone,

only responsible for sperm production
and male characteristics.

Parathyroid glands Size of a pea, Regulate the blood calcium levels

located next to (bones)

thyroid glands
in the neck.

Thymus gland In the chest in Helps immune system develop

between lungs during childhood

Parts of the Brain:

-cerebrum
-cerebellum
-brain stem
Cerebrum- interprets input from senses, controls movement, carries out
complex mental processes.
Ex. learning, memory

Cerebellum- coordinates muscle actions and helps keep your balance.

Brain stem- controls the body's involuntary actions.

Ex. heartbeat and breathing

Negative feedback: The process by which a system is turned off by the

condition it produces.

Negative Feedback:
1.​ Hypothalamus senses cells need more energy; signals the pituitary
gland
2.​ Pituitary gland releases
thyroid-stimulating hormone
(TSH)
3.​ TSH signals the thyroid gland to
produce more thyroxine
4.​ Hypothalamus senses that
thyroxine levels is high enough
and signal pituitary gland
5.​ Pituitary gland stops producing TSH
6.​ Thyroid gland stops producing as much thyroxine