Autonomic Nervous System (OCR A-level Biology)

This detailed lesson looks at the structure and function of the motor neurones that form the autonomic nervous system and is responsible for automatic responses. The engaging PowerPoint and accompanying resource have both been designed to cover the second part of point 5.1.5 (g) of the OCR A-level Biology A specification which states that students should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of the functional organisation of the motor system into somatic and autonomic systems. Students will discover that this system is further divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic systems to control different aspects of a particular involuntary response.

The lesson begins with a focus on the types of effectors that will be connected to the CNS by autonomic motor neurones. Students will learn that effectors which are not under voluntary control such as cardiac muscle, smooth muscle and glands will be innervated by these neurones. Moving forwards, a quick quiz competition is used to introduced ganglia as a structure which connects the two or more neurones involved in the cell signalling between the CNS and the effector. This leads into the discovery of the two divisions and students will begin to recognise the differences between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems based on function but also structure. The remainder of the lesson looks at the differing effects of these two systems.

This lesson has been written to tie in with the lesson on the organisation of the mammalian nervous system which covers the first part of specification point 5.1.5 (g)