A2 - Biopsychology. Nervous System and Endocrine System

Question 1

What does the Somatic Nervous System control?

Answer 1

Muscle Movement and receiving sensory information from receptors

Question 2

What does the CNS consist of?

Answer 2

The brain and the spinal cord

Question 3

Define Adrenaline:

Answer 3

A hormone produced by the adrenal glands, part of the immediate stress response.
Increases Heart Rate
Contracts Blood Vessels
Dilates Air Passages

Question 4

What happens to a neuron when it is activated?

Answer 4

The inside of the cell becomes positively charged for a split second, causing an action potential to occur.

This creates an electrical impulse down the nerve cell

Question 5

What is the Fight or Flight system?

Answer 5

The way an animal responds when a threat is perceived, the body becomes ready to either fight a threat, or flee from it.

Question 6

What is an Excitatory Neurotransmitter?

Answer 6

A Neurotransmitter that increases the likelihood a neuron will fire and pass on the electrical impulse

Question 7

What is a dendrite?

Answer 7

Long branch like structures that protrude from the cell body, connect to other neurons (connects to their axons)

Question 8

What are axons?

Answer 8

A long channel on a neuron, which carries electrical impulses, and has synapses at the end. Can be up to a metre long.

Question 9

List biological changes to the body in the Sympathetic State

Answer 9

Heart rate and breathing rate increases
Dilates Pupils
Inhibits Digestion
Inhibits production of saliva
Contracts Rectum

Question 10

What charge does a neuron have in it’s resting state?

Answer 10

A negative charge

Question 11

What are nodes of ranvier?

Answer 11

Gaps in the Myelin Sheath that speed up transmission of electrical impulses

Question 12

What is the Autonomic Nervous System?

Answer 12

part of the Peripheral System, governs functions like breathing, heart rate, digestion, sexual arousal and stress response

Question 13

What does the pituitary gland control?

Answer 13

The release of other hormones in the body, eg those involved in the menstrual cycle.

Question 14

What is a gland?

Answer 14

An organ in the body that synthesises (makes) substances such as hormones

Question 15

What is an Inhibitory Neurotransmitter

Answer 15

A neurotransmitter which decreases the likelihood a neuron will fire and pass on an electrical impulse

Question 16

List biological changes in the parasympathetic state

Answer 16

Heart rate and breathing rate decreases
Constricts Pupils
Stimulates Digestion
Stimulates production of saliva
Relaxes Rectum

Question 17

What are neurons separated by?

Answer 17

Synapses

Question 18

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 18

Chemicals that relay signals across the synapse from one neuron to another.

Question 19

Which type of neuron is connected to an effector? (Eg a muscle)

Answer 19

A motor Neuron

Question 20

What are the three types of Neuron?

Answer 20

Sensory
Relay
Motor

Question 21

Why might someone who is permanently stressed, eg has a stressful job, get ill more often?

Answer 21

A prolonged stressor stimulates the production of cortisol, which inhibits the immune system, meaning getting ill is easier.

Question 22

What effects does cortisol have?

Answer 22

Releases stored glucose from the liver (for energy)
Controls swelling after injury
Suppresses immune system

Question 23

What is the myelin sheath?

Answer 23

A fatty layer which coats the axon, insulating the axon, which protects the axon, and increases the speed of the electrical impulses.

Question 24

What does the hormone thyroxine do?

Answer 24

Increases heart rate, produced in the thyroid gland

Question 25

What are the two main Nervous Systems?

Answer 25

The Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System

Question 26

What is a hormone?

Answer 26

A chemical which circulates in the blood stream, and affects certain cells (those with receptors for that hormone)

Question 27

What does the peripheral nervous system consist of

Answer 27

All the other nerves in your body, that make up the ANS and the SNS

Question 28

Why are there gaps in the Myelin Sheath?

Answer 28

If the Myelin Sheath was constant, it wouldn’t speed up transmission, it would slow it down. The gaps increase the efficiency of the electrical impulses

Question 29

What is the endocrine system?

Answer 29

The system in which hormones are secreted and received, for example adrenaline

Question 30

What is an SSRI?

Answer 30

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

The drug slows the reuptake of serotonin once it reaches the synapse, ensuring it stays active in the brain for longer

Question 31

Outline the bodily response to an immediate stressor

Answer 31

The hypothalamus activates the adrenal medulla
The adrenal medulla secretes adrenaline
This arouses the sympathetic nervous system

Once the threat is over the parasympathetic system is aroused

Question 32

What type of neuron connects the peripheral nervous system and the Central Nervous system?

Answer 32

A Relay Neuron

Question 33

Outline the Bodily Response to a Prolonged Stressor

Answer 33

The Hypothalamus stimulates the Pituitary Gland
The Pituitary Gland Secretes ACTH
ACTH stimulates the adrenal glands to produce Cortisol
Cortisol helps the body maintain high blood sugar through the stress

Question 34

A* QUESTION

how does an excitatory neurone increase the likelihood of an action potential?

Answer 34

It allows sodium ion channels to open, which allows the positively charged sodium ions into the axon, triggering an action potential

Question 35

A* QUESTION

how does an Inhibitory neurotransmitter prevent an action potential from occurring?

Answer 35

It either stimulates the closing of sodium ion channels, preventing positively charged sodium ions from entering the neurone, or it opens chloride ion channels, allowing negatively charged ions into the cell

Question 36

Name three neurotransmitters

Answer 36

Serotonin
Dopamine
Glutamate

Could also have:

Acetylcholine
Noradrenaline