Question 1 Hard
Which neurone in a reflex arc is found within the spinal cord?
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Answer: relay neurone
- It links sensory and motor neurones.
- It is the relay neurone.
Homeostasis, the nervous system and reflexes: GCSE Combined Science Biology practice questions
A second set of questions on homeostasis, the nervous system and reflexes. They are different from the ones on the topic page. Try each, then open the answer and compare your working.
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Question 2 Hard
A person catches a ruler after it has fallen 15 cm, 12 cm and 18 cm. Calculate the mean distance.
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Answer: 15 cm
- 15 + 12 + 18 = 45.
- 45 ÷ 3 = 15.
Question 3 Hard
Why are impulses at a synapse one-way only? Give the word for what crosses the gap.
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Answer: chemicals
- The chemical is released from one side only.
- So the impulse goes one way.
Question 4 Hard
Name the three parts of a control system in homeostasis in the order they act. Give the first one.
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Answer: receptor
- A change is detected first.
- So the receptor acts first.
Question 5 Easy
What do we call a change in the surroundings that a receptor detects?
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Answer: stimulus
- A receptor picks up a change.
- The change is a stimulus.
Question 6 Easy
What type of cell carries electrical impulses in the nervous system?
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Answer: neurone
- Impulses travel along nerve cells.
- The cell is a neurone.
Question 7 Medium
Name the type of neurone that carries impulses from a receptor to the CNS.
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Answer: sensory neurone
- It carries a signal in from the receptor.
- It is a sensory neurone.
Question 8 Medium
What does the ruler drop test measure?
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Answer: reaction time
- The ruler is caught after a drop.
- It measures reaction time.
Quick checks
Short questions with options. Choose one before you open the answer.
Check 1
What is homeostasis?
Show answer
Regulating the internal conditions of the body to keep them in a narrow range.
Check 2
What does a receptor do?
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It detects a stimulus.
Check 3
What is a coordination centre?
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A part such as the brain or spinal cord that processes information and sends instructions.
Check 4
What is an effector?
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A muscle or gland that produces a response.
Check 5
What is the CNS?
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The brain and spinal cord.
Check 6
What does a sensory neurone do?
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It carries impulses from receptors to the CNS.
Check 7
What does a motor neurone do?
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It carries impulses from the CNS to effectors.
Check 8
What is a relay neurone?
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A neurone in the spinal cord that links sensory and motor neurones.
Check 9
What is a synapse?
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A gap between two neurones.
Check 10
How does an impulse cross a synapse?
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A chemical diffuses across the gap and starts a new impulse.
Check 11
What is a reflex action?
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A fast, automatic response that does not involve conscious thought.
Check 12
Why are reflexes useful?
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They protect the body from harm quickly.
Check 13
What is reaction time?
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The time between a stimulus and a response.
Check 14
How does the ruler drop test show reaction time?
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The shorter the distance the ruler falls, the faster the reaction.
Check 15
Name two factors that might change reaction time.
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Caffeine and tiredness.
Check 16
What happens to impulses at a synapse?
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They travel in only one direction.
Check 17
Name the three parts of a control system in order.
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Receptor, coordination centre, effector.
Check 18
Give two examples of conditions kept steady by homeostasis.
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Body temperature and blood glucose.
Check 19
What is a stimulus?
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A change in the surroundings that a receptor detects.
Check 20
What is a neurone?
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A nerve cell that carries electrical impulses.
Check 21
What is the pathway of a nervous response?
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Stimulus, receptor, sensory neurone, CNS, motor neurone, effector, response.
Check 22
What do effectors do?
Show answer
Muscles contract or glands release hormones to produce a response.
Keep going with Homeostasis, the nervous system and reflexes
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