biopsychogy Flashcards
what is the Human Nervous System?
a body wide system of nerve cells that collects information from the world, process the info and then directs organs and muscles
what is the Central Nervous System?
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)
what is the Peripheral Nervous System?
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)
what is the Autonomic Nervous System?
the part of the PNS that controls actions of internal glands (involuntary system)
what is the Somatic Nervous System?
the part of the PNS that controls skeletal muscles (voluntary system)
what is the Sympathetic System?
part of the ANS:
- increased bodily activities
- release of Noradrenaline
- activates fight or flight
- increased heart, sweat and breathing rates
- dilates pupils
what is the Parasympathetic System?
part of the ANS:
- decreased bodily activities
- release of acetylcholine
- activates rest and digest
- decreased heart, sweat and breathing rates
- constricts pupils
what does the Pituitary gland do?
- the master gland
- releases ACTH
- controls the release of hormones from other glands
what does the Hypothalamus do?
- releases CRH
- links the nervous system to the endocrine system
what does the Pineal Gland do?
- releases Melatonin
- modulates sleep pattern
- keeps bodies day and night rhythm
what does the Thyroid Gland do?
- releases Thyroxine
- modulates metabolism (rate of energy use in the body)
what does the Pancreas do?
- releases Insulin
- regulates blood sugar levels
what do the Adrenal Glands do?
- releases Adrenaline
- regulates the effects of the fight or flight response
what do the Ovaries do?
- release Oestrogen
- develops secondary sexual characteristics in females
what do the Testes do?
- release Testosterone
- leads to development of secondary sex characteristics in males
what does a Sensory Neurone do?
- 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
what does a Relay Neurone do?
- 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
what does a Motor Neurone do?
- detects signal from the relay neurone via synaptic transmission
- passes signal along its own myelinated axon to stimulate effector
what is the synapse?
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
what is a Neurotransmitter?
a chemical messengers released by the neurones - either excitatory or inhibitory of the development of an action potential in other neurones
what is the process of synaptic transmission?
- 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
what do Excitatory Neurotransmitters do?
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
what do Inhibitory Neurotransmitters do?
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
what is the fight or flight response?
an evolutionary mechanism in response to a threat - primes the body and mind for extreme action such as fighting or escaping a threat
