Long-Term Effects of Stimuli

1. Long-Term Effects of Stimuli Mr. Chapman Science 8

2. Remember the Nervous System? • The job of the nervoussystem is to respond to stimuli, which are changes in the environment or anything that causes a response. • The singular form of stimuli is stimulus.

3. Stimuli • When you move from a shaded area to one with bright light, the light acts as a stimulus. • Your eyes respond by shrinking the pupils, which allow light into your eye. By doing this, you do not get as much light in your eye. That is response to stimulus!

4. Shrinking Pupils On the right is a dilated pupil, one that is trying to absorb the most light. On the left is a non-dilated pupil. Your pupils shrink like this if you shine bright light in them.

5. Some Stimuli Are Harmful to the Health of Your Body The following can have very negative effects on your body: Alcohol Cigarettes Drugs

6. Alcohol • Alcohol slows down normal brain activity and normal body functions. • Thinking, co-ordination, and reaction time are all affected, which often leads to accidents and injury. • Alcohol can be addictive, and its abuse can lead to enlargement of the heart, heart attack, and stroke.

7. Cigarettes • Thousands of harmful substances enter a person’s body every time they smoke a cigarette. • Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that raises blood pressure and releases adrenaline, and stimulates the body to feel pleasure. This makes a person feel good for a short time when they smoke.

8. Cigarettes • This pleasurable feeling leads many smokers to come back and have another cigarette, leading to addiction. • Tars in cigarettes are also negative stimuli, leading to cell damage and abnormal growth of cells. • This physical damage can lead to emphysema, or lung cancer.

9. Substances in Cigarettes

10. Drugs • Some drugs have immediate effects on your body. Marijuana, for instance, causes rapid heartbeat, bloodshot eyes, and dry mouth and throat. • Marijuana users may talk loudly, act silly, have difficulty walking, and consume large amounts of food.

11. Drugs • Marijuana is often referred to as a gateway drug. • This means that people who use marijuana often continue on to experiment with other drugs, leading them down a dangerous path to addictions and self-destructive behaviour.