biopsychogy

Question 1

what is the Human Nervous System?

Answer 1

a body wide system of nerve cells that collects information from the world, process the info and then directs organs and muscles

Question 2

what is the Central Nervous System?

Answer 2

involves complex processing. Made up of the Brain (for all conscious and most unconscious processing) and the Spinal Chord (which receives and transmits information and some reflex processing)

Question 3

what is the Peripheral Nervous System?

Answer 3

a body wide network of messenger neurones that connect body to environment: Sensory neurones (take info to the CNS) and motor neurones (takes info away from CNS)

Question 4

what is the Autonomic Nervous System?

Answer 4

the part of the PNS that controls actions of internal glands (involuntary system)

Question 5

what is the Somatic Nervous System?

Answer 5

the part of the PNS that controls skeletal muscles (voluntary system)

Question 6

what is the Sympathetic System?

Answer 6

part of the ANS:
- increased bodily activities
- release of Noradrenaline
- activates fight or flight
- increased heart, sweat and breathing rates
- dilates pupils

Question 7

what is the Parasympathetic System?

Answer 7

part of the ANS:
- decreased bodily activities
- release of acetylcholine
- activates rest and digest
- decreased heart, sweat and breathing rates
- constricts pupils

Question 8

what does the Pituitary gland do?

Answer 8

• the master gland
• releases ACTH
• controls the release of hormones from other glands

Question 9

what does the Hypothalamus do?

Answer 9

• releases CRH
• links the nervous system to the endocrine system

Question 10

what does the Pineal Gland do?

Answer 10

• releases Melatonin
• modulates sleep pattern
• keeps bodies day and night rhythm

Question 11

what does the Thyroid Gland do?

Answer 11

• releases Thyroxine
• modulates metabolism (rate of energy use in the body)

Question 12

what does the Pancreas do?

Answer 12

• releases Insulin
• regulates blood sugar levels

Question 13

what do the Adrenal Glands do?

Answer 13

• releases Adrenaline
• regulates the effects of the fight or flight response

Question 14

what do the Ovaries do?

Answer 14

• release Oestrogen
• develops secondary sexual characteristics in females

Question 15

what do the Testes do?

Answer 15

• release Testosterone
• leads to development of secondary sex characteristics in males

Question 16

what does a Sensory Neurone do?

Answer 16

• detects sensations at sensory receptors
• action potential travel across the nerve along the myelinated axon
• electrical signal is then converted into a chemical signal to cross the synapse

Question 17

what does a Relay Neurone do?

Answer 17

• after synaptic transmission a new action potential forms in the dendrites
• this neurone is in the spine
• sends a signal to the CNS but also sends a signal immediately along its axon to the motor neurone

Question 18

what does a Motor Neurone do?

Answer 18

• detects signal from the relay neurone via synaptic transmission
• passes signal along its own myelinated axon to stimulate effector

Question 19

what is the synapse?

Answer 19

the axon terminal - found at the end of a neurone and allows them to communicate by passing chemical signals by a process called synaptic transmission

Question 20

what is a Neurotransmitter?

Answer 20

a chemical messengers released by the neurones - either excitatory or inhibitory of the development of an action potential in other neurones

Question 21

what is the process of synaptic transmission?

Answer 21

• the action potential travels down the axon of the presynaptic neurone
• the forces the vesicles containing neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft
• receptors on the postsynaptic neurones dendrite membrane detects the neurotransmitters
• this changes the chemistry of the postsynaptic neurone
• if the charge in the post synaptic neurone passes a threshold a new action potential forms and passes the messge on

Question 22

what do Excitatory Neurotransmitters do?

Answer 22

increase the likelihood of new action potential forming in the post synaptic cell - when detected by receptors the electrical charge inside becomes more positive and likely to fire

Question 23

what do Inhibitory Neurotransmitters do?

Answer 23

decrease the likelihood of new action potential forming in the post synaptic cell - when detected by receptors the electrical charge inside becomes more negative and less likely to fire

Question 24

what is the fight or flight response?

Answer 24

an evolutionary mechanism in response to a threat - primes the body and mind for extreme action such as fighting or escaping a threat

Question 25

how does the fight or flight response lead to the release of adrenaline?

Answer 25

• a stressor is detected by the hypothalamus
• the HPA axis in the endocrine system is activated
• the pituitary releases ACTH
• this is detected by the adrenal cortex releasing cortisol
• the hypothalamus also activated the Sympathetic branch of the ANS which releases adrenaline

Question 26

what does triggering of the fight or flight response cause in the Short Term?

Answer 26

acute stress - response to immediate pressures - exciting in small amounts but exhausting if maintained

Question 27

what does frequent triggering of the fight or flight response cause in the Long Term?

Answer 27

chronic stress - can result in stress-related illness affecting the immune and circulatory system