Irritability
The ability of living organisms to respond to changes in their environment.
Stimulus
A change in the internal or external environment that initiates a response.
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These flashcards cover key vocabulary from the lecture on how organisms respond to stimuli and the structure and function of the nervous system.
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Irritability
The ability of living organisms to respond to changes in their environment.
Stimulus
A change in the internal or external environment that initiates a response.
Response
A change in an organism brought about by a stimulus.
Receptor
The part of an organism that detects the stimulus.
Effector
The part of an organism that responds to the stimulus, such as muscles or glands in animals or tips of roots and shoots in plants.
Phototropism
Growth in response to the stimulus of light.
Geotropism
Growth in response to gravity.
Auxin
A hormone that controls growth in plants.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
The part of the nervous system that consists of cranial and spinal nerves connecting the CNS to the rest of the body.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord.
Neuron
A nerve cell that transmits messages in the nervous system.
Synapse
The tiny gap between adjacent neurons where neurotransmitters are released to transmit impulses.
Reflex action
A rapid, automatic response to a stimulus involving a reflex arc.
Involuntary actions
Actions that occur without conscious thought and are rapid, simple responses.
Cranial reflexes
Reflex actions that involve the brain, such as blinking or sneezing.
Spinal reflexes
Reflex actions that involve the spinal cord, such as the knee-jerk reflex.
Voluntary actions
Actions that are consciously controlled by the brain.
Homeostasis
The regulation of internal conditions within an organism to maintain stable conditions.
Myopia
A condition where distant objects are out of focus; corrected with diverging lenses.
Hypermetropia
A condition where near objects are out of focus; corrected with converging lenses.
Cataract
A cloudy area that forms in the lens of the eye, often corrected by surgery.