Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

4.1 Answers
Remembering
1 a cornea and lens
b iris and pupil
c retina
2 a rods
b cones
3 If you only had one eye, you would not be able to judge the distance of objects.
4 Eyebrows and eye lashes protect from dust and particles, tear ducts wash away particles, orbits
stop the eye from being knocked.
5 hyperopia: long-sightedness; myopia: short-sightedness

Understanding
6

Part Description/function

Conjunctiva Thin, clear layer covering front of eye

Iris Colourful part of the eye that changes the size of the pupil to regulate the amount
of light that enters the eye

Pupil The hole at the centre of the iris that allows light to enter the eye

Cornea Transparent convex layer in front of the pupil that focuses light rays as they enter
the eye

Lens A jelly-like convex lens that can be stretched or compressed to focus light rays on
the back of the eye

Retina A layer of cells on the back of the eyeball that detects light and sends the image to
the brain

Vitreous humour The liquid inside the eye that gives it shape

Aqueous humour Liquid between the cornea and the iris that maintains the shape of the cornea

Sclerotic layer Tough outer layer of the eyeball

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Part Description/function

Choroid A layer of blood vessels between the retina and the sclerotic layer that nourishes
the back of the eye.
It is black and prevents light from reflecting around inside the eyeball.

Suspensory Ligaments that hold the lens in place

ligaments

Ciliary muscles Muscles that adjust the shape of the lens to allow focusing

7 Colour blindness is caused by a lack of differentiation between the cones that detect red, green or
blue light.
8 The blind spot does not have any light-sensitive cells because the blind spot is where blood
vessels and the optic nerve join the eyeball.
9 Blinking moistens the eye, stimulates the tear ducts to produce tears and removes foreign
particles.

Applying
10 a humans, monkeys, dogs, cats, owls
b rabbits, mice, fish, chickens
11 long-sightedness (hyperopia)
12 presbyopia

Analysing
13 Predators: monkeys, dogs, cats, owls.
Prey: rabbits, mice, fish, chickens.
Humans (apes) can be predator or prey but have developed binocular vision to help jump between
trees etc. (in the case of apes).
14 Both the eye and a camera have a series of lenses that focuses light from an image onto a surface.
In the case of the eye, the surface is the retina, whereas for a camera it is film. However, eyes
focus the image by changing the shape of the lens, whereas a camera changes the relative
distance between the lenses.
15 Lasik surgery involves the cornea being lifted up in order for a laser to reshape the eye. It results
in less discomfort and healing time. PRK involves completely removing a layer of cells from the
surface of the cornea and remodelling its shape.

Evaluating
16 a In a bright room, your pupils are very small, so when you walk into a dark room, your eye
does not receive enough light. It takes some time before your pupils adjust to the new reduced
light levels.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

b When you are suddenly exposed to bright light your pupils need time to contract. You squint
to reduce the amount of light initially going in to your eye.
c The choroid is black to absorb light and stop it being reflected around your eye. Without it,
the inside of your eyeball would appear bright and wash out the images projected onto your
retina.
d Flies have many eyes that allow them to see in all directions at the same time so they can
always see you coming.
17 Not very good. An owl is mostly nocturnal; therefore, there is very little need for an owl to see
colour. It is much more important that they can detect great detail in dim lighting.
18 Humans, like all apes, need two forward-facing eyes to judge distances. This is very important
when driving a car, but our ancestors would have needed two eyes to jump between trees etc.
19 Insects and animals need to distinguish colours in order to determine which flowers and plants
are good to eat, to find a mate (e.g. the bower bird) and to determine which animals might be
dangerous. Certain animals display colours to show that they are poisonous and shouldn’t be
eaten. These colours are usually red, black and yellow. Other animals mimic these colours so they
won’t be eaten themselves.

Creating
20 Creative and practical task.
21

4.1 Practical activities

Prac 1: Eye tests
Common mistakes
Measurement of the blind spot can be easily missed if the object of focus is moved too quickly.
Possible results
Students work through a series of tests to investigate their sense of sight, blind spot and discover
whether they have a dominant eye. All results will vary.
Suggested answers
1 Students’ measurements.
2 Students’ measurements
3 We would not be able to judge distance as well if we had only one eye.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Prac 2: Persistence of vision

Common mistakes
A brighter drawing will assist the brain in retaining the image longer.
Possible results
The bird appears to be in the cage. When you see the image of the bird, your brain holds onto the
image for a short time even when the image appears and disappears quickly. The same thing happens
with the image of the cage. The two images overlap in your brain so the bird appears to be in the cage.
Suggested answers
1 Persistence of vision refers to the length of time the retina retains an image.
When you look at an image, your brain remembers it for a fraction of a second after it has
disappeared. This happens because our eyes cannot keep up with the speed of change between
each image.
2 Slow rotation: the bird is out of the cage. Fast rotation: the bird appears to be inside the cage.
3 When the human eye sees more than 10 images within a second, our brain assembles them
together as a series of moving images. Movies use the same technology, except they show 24
frames per second, so the effect is much smoother and more natural.

Prac 3: Eye dissection

Common mistakes
Students may cut too deep and accidentally cut through the lens.
Possible results
Through dissecting a cow’s eye, students gain an understanding of the structure and function of the
human eye.
Suggested answers
1 Answers will vary.
2 upside-down
3 The lens is flexible because it needs to change shape according to the distance of vision.

Prac 4: Lens and retina

Common mistakes
A well-lit room will assist this exercise.
Possible results
The paper behaves as the retina, and the convex lens behaves as the lens of the eye. The convex nature
of the lens of the human eye turns an image upside-down onto the retina.
Suggested answers
1 upside-down
2 a lens: convex lens
b retina: sheet of paper
3 The thicker the lens, the clearer and further away the image appeared to be.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

4.2 Answers
Remembering
1 Sound travels at ~340 m/s and is transmitted by vibrating waves of air particles
2 a inner ear
b ossicles (hammer, anvil and stirrup)
c cochlea
3 middle ear
4 decibel
5 100–110 dB

Understanding
6 Cotton buds are small enough to reach and damage the eardrum.
7 a protects dust and bacteria entering the ear
b may stop the eardrum from vibrating correctly, causing temporary deafness.
8 Prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause the hairs in the cochlea to flatten or cause tinnitus. A
blow to the head can cause the tympanic membrane to tear. Infection can cause a build-up of wax
that can cause temporary deafness or a jamming of the ossicles.
9 You may experience temporary partial deafness and a ringing in the ears caused by damage to the
hairs lining the cochlea.

Applying
10 The sound came from the right.
11 when working in situations with prolonged loud noise; e.g. ground crew for aircraft; when
experiencing short but very loud sounds such as on a gun-firing range; protection from infection
when swimming
12 a train, lawn mower
b jumbo jet taking off, thunder clap
c whisper

Analysing
13 A horizontal Eustachian tube makes it easier for bacteria to enter deeply into the ear canal where
infection can easily take hold.

Evaluating
14 a The inner ear contains fluid in the semi-circular canals that help you determine whether you
are standing up, lying down or at an angle. An infection affecting the inner ear can confuse
this mechanism.
b Your body can be tilted in three directions—forwards and back, left and right, up and down,
so you need three semi-circular canals to determine your position.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

c The act of swallowing can help open the Eustachian tube, allowing the pressure in the inner
and outer ears to be adjusted.
d Large ears allow animals to collect more of the sound waves to aid hearing and give them pre-
warning of approaching predators.
15 Initially from the intensity of the sound. Our ears are forward facing, so sounds in front will
appear clearer and louder. However, we will turn our heads slightly to determine which direction
the sound is coming from.
16 Caleb has a problem with how sound is collected and amplified; i.e. in the outer and middle ears.
However, Sarah may have a problem with how the sound is processed; i.e. in the inner ear.
17 Yes, two ears allow prey to determine the direction of a predator attack, and two ears allow
predators to pin-point prey.

Creating
18 Creative and practical task.
19 Creative and practical task.

4.2 Practical activities

Prac 1: Hearing tests 1
Common mistakes
Ensure that the blindfold is not too loose or too tight.
Possible results
Students discover the directional ability our ears have to detect sounds.
Suggested answers
1 We can detect distance from the sounds we hear, because the loudness is less and the sound is
often muffled the further away the sound.
2 The direction of sound changes.
3 To distinguish whether a sound is coming from the left or the right. This facilitates our sense of
distance, direction and balance.

Prac 2: Modelling hearing difficulties

Common mistakes
The length of the paragraphs selected should be long enough to contain a wide array of hissing
sounds.
Possible results
Students discover how sounds and speech can be different for people with hearing difficulties.
Suggested answers
1 Students’ responses.
2 Speech is often learned by hearing it and repeating it. People with hearing difficulties do not
have the ability to hear their own voices so cannot correct the pitch of their voice.
3 Men’s voices have a lower frequency.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Prac 3: Measuring decibels

Common mistakes
Check that the batteries of the sound meters are charged before proceeding outside, or take spare ones
with you.
Possible results
Using a sound meter, students measure various sounds in decibels and classify each sound as harmful,
dangerous, loud, normal or quiet.
Suggested answers
1, 2 Students’ results.

4.3 Answers
Remembering
1 a sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami
b

Sense Sense organ

Sight Eye

Hearing Ear

Smell Nose

Taste Tongue

Touch Skin

2 a True
b True
c True
d False
3 a dead skin layer, epidermis, dermis, fatty layer
b pain receptor, light contact receptor, heat receptor, cold receptor, pressure receptor
c basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma

Understanding
4 Molecules from the toilet are dispersed into the air and taken into your nose where they dissolve,
triggering the olfactory cells to send a message to the brain.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

5 If there is a gas leak, the gas can be smelt.

6 Hold your nose so you can’t smell it.
7 The fatty layer allows energy to be stored in the form of fat and also provides thermal insulation.
8 Sweat requires energy to change from a liquid to a gas; i.e. evaporate. When sweat evaporates, it
absorbs heat energy from your skin, making you feel cooler.
9 Wear sunscreen, stay out of the Sun during the middle of the day, wear a hat, wear long-sleeved
clothing and, when outdoors, try and stay in the shade.

Applying
10 touch
11 sweet: sugar, sour: lemon, bitter: vegemite, salty: salt, umami: cheese
12 chef, cooking
13 burned: burning paper, foul: sewage, fragrant: flowers, fruity: fresh apples, resinous: paint
stripper, spicy: cinnamon
14 to help chew, language
15 dermatitis

Analysing
16 Papillae and taste buds are different. Papillae are raised protrusions on the tongue. Taste buds sit
on top and in between the papillae and are the taste receptors.

Evaluating
17 Although both kissing and stubbing a toe rely on the sense of touch, stubbing a toe sends a very
strong message to the pain receptor. However, kissing sends a very slight message via the pain
receptors and a stronger message from the pressure receptors, which the brain interprets as
pleasurable.
18 The high skin cancer rate in Australia is both cultural and geographical. As a nation, Australia
receives a large amount of sunlight during the year. Also, Australia is very close to the hole in the
ozone layer, meaning that Australia is more exposed to UV radiation from the Sun than other
countries. However, Australia also has a ‘sun-worshipping’ culture where being tanned is
considered beautiful and healthy. Australians tend to spend a lot of time in the sun, at the beach
or playing sports etc.

Creating
19 Creative task.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

4.3 Practical activities

Prac 1: Taste regions
Common mistakes
Ensure that the blindfold is not too loose or too tight.
Possible results
Students determine whether some regions of the tongue are more receptive to certain tastes. Results
should be comparably similar to the results in Figure 4.3.5.
Suggested answers
1 A: sour, B: bitter, C: sour, D: sweet,
E: sweet and salty.
2 Students’ results.
3 Students’ results.
4 Students’ results.

Prac 2: Taste trickery

Common mistakes
The experiments designed by the students should be assessed by the teacher before carrying them out.
Possible results
Students’ design.
Suggested answers
Students’ design.

Prac 3: Skin receptors

Common mistakes
Ensure that the blindfold is not too loose or too tight.
Possible results
The palm of the hand, back of the neck and fingertips are more sensitive to touch because the two
toothpicks could be felt on the skin, concluding that there are more touch receptors in these areas.
Suggested answers
1 Students’ results.
2 Students’ results.
3 There are more touch receptors in the areas of the skin where sensitivity is important; e.g. lips to
detect temperature before we swallow; fingertips to enable fine motor skills.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

4.4 Answers
Remembering
1 Foot is lifted up rapidly, muscles in the leg become tense, might vocalise (ouch), breathing might
be held or become shallower.
2 The most usual response is to move to a more favourable position.
3 a 37°C
b 7.38
4

Receptor Stimulus

a Cells of the retina iv light

b Cells of the inner ear v sound

c Taste buds ii chemicals

d Osmoreceptors in the brain vi water levels

e Semicircular canals in the ears i gravity

f Thermoreceptors in the skin iii heat

Understanding
5 a Stimulus: anything that triggers a change in the way an organism behaves.
b Response: how an organism changes after receiving certain stimuli.
c Homeostasis: maintenance of a constant internal environment of an organism.
d Feedback: information given back to the organism after a stimulus and response in order to
allow the organism to make an adjustment.
e Coordination: the organisation of a chain of responses set off by stimuli.
6 A driver affected by alcohol is not able to respond to stimuli as quickly. Thus, in the event of an
emergency, where every millisecond counts, the driver may not be able to react in time.
7 Answers will vary depending on personal experience.

Applying
8 water, glucose and hydrogen ions; i.e. pH

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Stimulus Response

A very cold wind Shivering

Bad smell from a drain Emily pinches her nose

A bus sounds its horn John covers his ears

Temperature rises Reuben takes off his shirt

The smell of sausages on the BBQ Helen salivates

Susan yawns Patrick yawns

A salty meal Kristy drinks more water

Scary scene in a movie Lan screams

10 a barks back, cowers, runs away

b more fierce barking and growling, stands his ground, relaxes
c engage in a fight, the second dog accepts the first dog’s authority/dominance, second dog
never returns to the area
11 a main arteries
b brain
c lungs and heart
d breathing rate would increase and heart beats faster

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

12

13 a Feeling cold, shivers and puts on a coat. She may also have rubbed her hands together or
jumped on the spot to get warm, moved to a warmer location.
b She is now feeling hot, so she starts sweating.
c Removes the coat and puts on lighter clothes that will not cause her to get so hot.

Evaluating
14 The child might start screaming, which the dog may interpret as aggressive behaviour and so
continues to bark and growl. The child may show fear and retreat and the dog may be happy that
its territory is no longer threatened, so it stops barking.
15 Various creative responses possible.
a Student is holding a pen in the flame of a Bunsen burner.
b shouts at the student, bangs a ruler on the desk, turns off the gas to the Bunsen burner
c surprise, shock, embarrassment
d puts the pen down
e continues to burn the pen, shouts back, leaves the classroom

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Creating
16

4.4 Practical activities

Prac 1: Sweet and salty
Common mistakes
Students rinsing their mouth thoroughly between sweet and salty samples will produce better results.
Possible results
Results will vary depending on the class.
Suggested answers
1 Various answers. The minimum concentration at which sweetness was tasted will vary for each
student.
2 Various answers. The minimum concentration at which saltiness was tasted will vary for each
student.
3 Results will vary depending on the class.
4 Thresholds are important for stimuli that are able to cause harm.
5 a Expectations may alter senses and the interpretation of them.
b Blindfolds or ‘blind testing’ (where students do not know what they are tasting) could be used
to avoid this possibility.

Prac 2: Sound threshold

Common mistakes
Any experiments designed by students should be assessed by the teacher before carrying them out.
Possible results
Results will vary depending on the class.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Suggested answers
Students’ results.

4.5 Answers
Remembering
1 a central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
b CNS: brain and spinal cord. Acts as a control centre, receiving, processing and sending
messages.
PNS: sensory receptors and nerves. Continuously informs the CNS of changing conditions.
2 a skull, cerebrospinal fluid, meninges
b blow to the head, deprived of oxygen, deprived of blood (stroke)
c spinal cord may be broken by a fall, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida
3 a blink, squint
b cough
c salivate
d tan, sweat
4 eating, walking, talking

Understanding
5 Neurotransmitters carry chemical messages between synapses.
6 Synapses are like switches turning neural pathways on and off. Without synapses all the neurons
would be connected all the time.
7 A wrinkled cerebrum increases the surface area of the brain, allowing more neurons to be
crammed into a smaller volume. This allows humans to have a very sophisticated brain without the
need for a huge head.
8 A bright light is shone in the eye.
Receptors detect a change in light intensity.
An impulse is sent along a motor neuron to iris muscles.
Iris muscles contract, causing the pupil to narrow.
An impulse is sent along a sensory neuron to the brain (simultaneously).

Applying
9 a motor neuron
b i cell body
ii nucleus
iii dendrite
iv myelin
v axon

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

10 a cerebrum
b cerebellum
c medulla
d spinal cord
11 a cerebrum
b medulla
c cerebellum
d cerebrum
12 coughing, sneezing, blinking
13 left hemisphere
14 a light
b sound
c chemical
d heat

Analysing
15 a A neuron has all the main features of cells. It has a nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane.
b A neuron has additional specialised features; i.e. dendrites, axon. Neurons may be specialised;
i.e. interneurons, motor neurons, sensory neurons.
16 A nerve is made up of many neurons bundled together.
17 Sensory neurons have specialised endings that respond to stimuli, such as heat, light, pressure etc.
Motor neurons transmit information from the central nervous system to organs such as muscles to
cause movement in response to stimuli. Interneurons allow messages to be sent within the central
nervous system for thinking, sensing, creativity and memory.

4.5 Practical activities

Prac 1: Brain dissection
Common mistakes
Light cuts rather than deep cuts into the tissue of the brain will assist in obtaining a thin layer of the
membrane.
Possible results
Through dissecting a lamb’s brain, students gain an understanding of the structure and function of the
human brain.
Suggested answers
1 The brain is easier to dissect when partially frozen, as an unfrozen brain has a ‘mushy’
consistency that makes it difficult to cut cleanly.
2 The cerebrum is waxy and pale pink/grey, with a folded surface.
3 The cerebellum indicates the back of the brain. This allows easy identification of the left and
right hemispheres of the brain.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

4 The cerebellum is a darker pink/red, has a firmer consistency and has finer (but shallower) folds
than the cerebrum.
5 The medulla is a creamy-white tough, thick cord.

Prac 2: A model brain

Common mistakes
Students may accidentally cut right through the orange, separating the two hemispheres. A
demonstration on how to cut the orange beforehand may be helpful.
Possible results
Students construct a model of the human brain.
Suggested answers
1 The orange peel represented the skull in this model.
2 The flesh of the orange represented the cerebrum.
3

Function Left hemisphere Right hemisphere

Artistic and musical ability no yes

Intuition no yes

Perception no yes

Language yes no

Mathematics yes no

Logical thinking yes no

Prac 3: Brain wars: the Stroop effect

Common mistakes
Time measurements may vary depending on the reflexes of the time keeper.
Possible results
Students are presented with the names of different colours, written in coloured inks, and then asked to
either read the word or name the colour of the print. Students will find that word reading is quicker
than colour naming, the interference occurs because words are read faster than colours are named.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Suggested answers
1 The left hemisphere of the brain is associated with reading and speaking language.
2 The right hemisphere is most associated with identifying colours.
3 Two contradictory pieces of information (colours and names of colours) are coming into the
different hemispheres of the brain. The brain must then rapidly communicate between both
hemispheres to solve the problem.
4 The left hemisphere is reading the words. The right side is detecting the actual colours. Both
sides are in contradiction.
5 If the names of the colours were written in another language, it is unlikely that you would
experience the same problem. The left hemisphere would not be ‘reading’ the words (as they are
a nonsensical jumble of letters). Hence, only the right hemisphere would be providing
information about what is seen (i.e. the actual colours).

Prac 4: Response time

Common mistakes
Any experiments designed by students should be assessed by the teacher before carrying them out.
Suggested answers
Students’ results.

Science Focus investigations

Prac 5: What’s that smell?
Common mistakes
Make sure that the lids of the containers are tight fitting, ensuring smells are not weakened by loss of
vapour.
Possible results
Students will identify a variety of common smells from memory.
Suggested answers
1 Various scores will be possible.
2 Different people will detect different parts of the scent and will relate them to different sources.
Discussion will allow a pooling of sensations and memories.
3 Wine experts discuss the taste and smell of a wine to pool their sensations and memories.
4 If the vapours are allowed to escape, then the sample will become progressively ‘weaker’ and
harder to smell.
5 Various answers are possible. Perception is likely to change once its source is known.
6 Various answers are possible.

Prac 6: Chunking
Common mistakes
Instruct students not to look at the cards before the activity begins. Thick, non-see-through paper will
assist this exercise.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Possible results
Students test whether memory can be improved by chunking information.
Suggested answers
1 Various answers are possible. The easiest to remember will be the ones that most resemble real
words.
2 Some things are easier to remember than others because they bear a memorable pattern (e.g.
they form actual words, letters are in alphabetical order etc.) or form ‘natural’ chunks of easy-
to-remember information.
3 Various answers are possible. Some factors that might be given are the form of the chunks, the
number of times this sort of task has been attempted in the past, distractions, size of print etc.
4 No answer required.

4.6 Answers
Remembering
1 Not all responses need to be immediate. Hormones provide a longer-lasting response, and
hormones do not need to be supplied continuously.
2

Gland Hormone

a Adrenal ii Adrenalin

b Pancreas iv Insulin

c Pituitary v ADH

d Thyroid vi Thyroxin

e Ovaries i Oestrogen

f Testes v Testosterone

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Understanding
3 a Hormones are chemicals produced by the body to stimulate a change in the body’s
biochemistry at the cellular level.
b Hormones are produced by specialised glands located in different areas of the body; e.g.
brain, pancreas, reproductive organs.
c Hormones are released into the bloodstream and carried to target cells by the circulatory
system.
4 Like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, hormones have a specific shape and will only react with receptors
of the correct shape.
5 The pituitary gland because it links the nervous and endocrine systems. Like the conductor of an
orchestra, it stimulates other glands to release hormones.
6 Increased heart rate: Causes blood to be pumped around the body quicker so that more oxygen is
sent to the muscles and brain for increased physical and mental alertness.
Dilation of bronchioles: Allows large volumes of air to be taken into the lungs to provide more
oxygen for the circulatory system.
Glucose release from the liver: Glucose provides a very quick energy source for the muscles.
Increased breathing rate: Increases oxygen to the circulatory system to increase respiration and so
release energy.
7 In emergency or panic situations (e.g. predator attack), the nervous system provides a very quick
and instinctual response to the danger while the endocrine system provides a longer-term
response to fight the attacker or flee the danger.
8 Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH): causes the thyroid to release thyroxin.
Thyroxin: regulates the speed of cell reactions.
Human growth hormone (HGH): causes all tissues and organs in the body to grow.
Testosterone and oestrogen: simulate growth of the reproductive organs and maturation of the
body; i.e. puberty.
9 No, by the time the person is an adult the changes will be permanent. Giving thyroxin only
prevents the changes, it cannot reverse them.
10 The urine and faeces of dogs contain hormones called pheromones that provide information about
the dog which deposited them. This is a form of chemical communication between dogs and can
be used to mark territory or indicate when a dog is ready to mate.

Applying
11 a M
b O
c L
d K
e N
f P
12 Type I: 15%, Type II: 85%

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

13 Ants use pheromones to mark food trails, dogs use pheromones to mark territory, many animals
use pheromones to attract a mate.

Analysing
14 A hormone is a chemical that is released inside the body to stimulate a change in an organism’s
own biochemistry. A pheromone is released outside the body into the environment to stimulate a
response from other organisms.
15

Nervous system Endocrine system

Nature of message Stimuli are normally detected by Stimuli are normally detected by
small receptors and the response receptors in large organs and the
sent to the brain via electrical response is sent to the brain by
impulses. hormonal relay.

Distribution of message The electrical impulses are sent The hormones are released into
along neurons (nerve cells). the bloodstream and carried to the
relevant organs by the circulatory
system.

Speed of delivery Almost instantaneous. Can take several minutes or even

days to create the desired change.

Length of response Normally only as long as the Changes may exist for minutes,
message is being sent. days or even a lifetime.

Evaluating
16 Pheromones are often used to stimulate a pleasurable, sexual response. Manufacturers of
perfumes and aftershaves would like to simulate this response with their products to make their
customers appear and feel more attractive to others. It would also promote higher product sales.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Creating
17

18

4.6 Practical activities

Prac 1: Plant hormones
Common mistakes
Make sure that the test tubes are tightly sealed to avoid water escaping, causing the plant to dry out.
Possible results
The plants will bend towards the light.
Suggested answers
1 Diagrammatic answer required.
2 This experiment tests the response of plants to the stimulus of light. This tropism is called
phototropism.
3 Placing the tubes both in the dark and in the light allowed a comparison to ensure that the only
variable tested was light.

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Prac 2: Plants and gravity

Students’ design.

Chapter answers
Remembering
1 a sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch
b outer, middle, inner
c sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami
d brain, spinal cord
e cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla
f testosterone, oestrogen, thyroxin
2

Part Function

a Cerebellum ii Centre for sight, hearing and speech

b Medulla i Controls involuntary actions such as breathing

c Meninges iv Protect the brain from injury

d Cerebrum iii Controls muscle movements while you are cycling

3 a growth, puberty, fight or flight response

b seed germination and growth, production of flowers etc.
4

Functions Hormones

a Blood glucose levels iii Insulin

b Female reproductive functions iv Oestrogen

c The rate of chemical reactions in cells v Thyroxin

d Water levels within the body i ADH

Copyright © Pearson Australia 2010 (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) ISBN 978 1 4425 1531 4
Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

Functions Hormones

e Readiness of the body for action vi Adrenalin

f Deepening of the male voice at puberty ii Testosterone

Understanding
5 Iris: regulates the amount of light entering the eye.
Lens: focuses light rays onto the retina.
Retina: senses light.
Choroid: provides oxygen and nourishment to the back of the eye. Also stops light from being
reflected.
6 The pupil dilates in dim lighting. This allows more light to enter the eye, which helps vision in
low light conditions.
7 Eardrum: converts sound waves in the air into vibrations of the ossicles.
Ossicles: transmit vibrations of the eardrum to the liquid-filled cochlea, which sends the signals
to the brain.
Semicircular canals: sense when you are tilted and provide balance.
8 Molecules from the substance are dissolving in our nostrils and are sensed by receptors.
9 You could reduce the sensation of taking an unpleasant medicine by blocking your nose.
10 a Stimulus: something that causes a change or response; e.g. pricking your finger with a needle.
b An effector: something that creates a change; e.g. muscles contracting when you burn
yourself.
c A receptor: special organelles designed to sense particular stimuli; e.g. pressure receptors in
the skin.
d A response: a change that occurs as a result of a stimulus; e.g. a plant turning towards
sunlight.
11 a synapses
b When the electrical signal travelling along a neuron reaches a synapse, neurotransmitters are
released and quickly move across the gap, restarting the electrical impulse.
12 a A reflex action is a response that does not require any brain control.
b sneezing, coughing, blinking
c Reflex actions need to be fast because they are often your first line of defence; e.g. if you
touch a hot iron. High speed is achieved by sending the message from the receptors straight to
the motor neurons and bypassing the brain.

Applying
13 The right and left edges of the tongue detect sour taste.
14 a to respond to possible attack from a predator, to respond to changes in the environment

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Answers to Science Focus 3 second edition Student Book questions

b Often a response to a single stimulus requires a change to many body parts and functions.
c nervous and endocrine systems
15 a, b light: rods and cones in the retina on the back of the eyeball
flavour: taste buds on the tongue
heat: thermoreceptors in the skin
sound: eardrum in the middle ear, hairs of the cochlea
16 a cerebrum
b medulla
c spinal cord
d cerebellum
17 a homeostasis
b Blood sugar levels that are too low result in hypoglycaemia, which can result in
unconsciousness. Sugar levels that are too high result in hyperglycaemia, which may lead to
fatigue or coma.
c endocrine system
d diabetes

Evaluating
18 Our senses are all very important to our survival, although some more so than others. Sight and
hearing are probably our most important senses. Touch is also very important to prevent people
from hurting themselves accidentally. People are sometimes forced to live without one of their
senses; for example, in the cases of blindness or deafness. Living without two or more senses
makes life very challenging and would require significant care and supervision.

Creating
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