biopsych- nervous system and endocrine system Flashcards
what is the central nervous system
The CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain provides conscious awareness and is involved in all psychological processes. The brain consists of many regions, which are responsible for different functions.
what is peripheral nervous system
Your peripheral nervous system (PNS) is that part of your nervous system that lies outside your brain and spinal cord. It plays key role in both sending information from different areas of your body back to your brain, as well as carrying out commands from your brain to various parts of your body.
what are the two divisions of the peripheral nervous system
the automatic nervous system
the somatic nervous system
what is the somatic nervous system
the part of the pns that controls skeletal muscles voluntary
what is the automatic nervous system
the part of the pns that controls involuntary physiologic processes including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion, and sexual arousal
what are the two parts of the automatic nervous system
sympathetic system and parasympathetic system
what is the sympathetic nervous system
fight or flight
e, the sympathetic nervous system increases heart rates, breathing rate, causes vasoconstriction and pupil dilation
what is the parasympathetic nervous system
rest and digest
parasympathetic nervous system decreases heart
rate, breathing rates, causes vasodilation and pupil constriction
describe the endocrine system
- The endocrine system is the main chemical messenger system of the body, where hormones are
secreted into the bloodstream from glands, and then are transported towards target cells in the
blood, with complementary receptors.
descrube pituitary gland thyroid gland and adrenal gland
The pituitary gland is considered to be the ‘master’ gland
because it controls the release of hormones from all other glands in the body. For example, the
thyroid releases the hormone thyroxine, which increases heart rate and therefore increases the rate
of growth. The adrenal gland releases adrenaline which creates the physiological arousal preceding
the fight or flight response, through increasing the activity within the sympathetic branch of the
nervous system.
describe step 1 of the flight or fight response
1.The body senses and becomes aware of a stressor in the environment e.g. the sound of a speeding car.
describe step 2 of the flight or fight response
Through sensory receptors and sensory neurones in the PNS,
this information is sent to the hypothalamus in the brain which coordinates a response and triggers increased levels of activity in the
sympathetic branch of the ANS.
describe step 3 of the flight or flight response
Adrenaline is released from the adrenal medulla in the adrenal glands, and is transported to target effectors, via the blood and through the action of the endocrine system.
describe step 4 of the flight or fight response
This results in the rectum contracting, saliva production being inhibited and a greater breathing rate. This creates the physiological response needed to sustain the fight or flight response, whose
adaptive purpose is to enable us to escape the stressor and so increase the likelihood of our survival.
describe step 5 of the flight or fight response
Once the stressor is no longer a threat, as part of an antagonistic pairing, the hypothalamus triggers less activity in the sympathetic branch and more activity in the parasympathetic branch of
the ANS. This is also referred to as the rest and digest response, due to the parasympathetic branch decreasing the activity which was originally increased through the action of the
sympathetic branch.
