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Psychology - Year One > Biopsycholgy > Flashcards

Biopsycholgy Flashcards

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1
Q

Name all the divisions of the human nervous system

A
  • Central Nervous System
  • Peripheral Nervous System
  • Somatic Nervous System (within the PNS)
  • Autonomic Nervous System (within the PNS)
  • Sympathetic Nervous System (within the ANS)
  • Parasympathetic Nervous System (within the ANS)
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2
Q

What is the Central Nervous System composed of?

A

The Brain and the Spinal Chord

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3
Q

What is the function of the Brain?

A
  • Centre of all conscious awareness
  • Controls thought, perception and voluntary movements
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4
Q

What is the function of the Spinal Cord?

A

The spinal cord relays messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Also responsible for reflex actions

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5
Q

What is the job of the Peripheral Nervous System?

A

Transmits messages to and from the CNS to the rest of the body through nerves

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6
Q

What is the function of the Somatic Nervous System?

A
  • Voluntary control of skeletal muscles
  • Involuntary reflexes such as the reflex arc
  • Integrates brain with outside world by including sensory and motor neurons
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7
Q

What is the function of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)?

A
  • Manages involuntary processes
  • Transmits information to and from internal bodily organs
  • Works alongside the endocrine system
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8
Q

What is the ANS divided into?

A

The ANS is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

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9
Q

What is the function of the sympathetic nervous system?

A

Activates the ‘fight or flight’ response by preparing the body for stress

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10
Q

What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

Promotes the ‘rest and digest’ response

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11
Q

What are neurons?

A

Specialised nerve cells that form the nervous systems, they communicate through electrical and chemical signals

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12
Q

Name the structures within the neuron

A
  • Dendrites
  • Cell Body (Soma)
  • Axon
  • Axon Hillock
  • Myelin Sheath
  • Nodes of Ranvier
  • Axon Terminal
  • Cell Membrane
  • Schwann Cells
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13
Q

What is the function of the dendrites?

A

Branch-like structures that receive electrical signals from other neighbouring neurons

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14
Q

What is the function of the cell body (Soma)?

A

The cell body contains the soma which controls the neurons activity and also provides energy

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15
Q

What is the function of the axon?

A

The axon is a long fibre that transmits electrical signals (action potentials) away from the cell body

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16
Q

What is the function of the axon hillock?

A

The axon hillock is where the neuron decides whether to send the action potentials to another neuron

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17
Q

What is the function of the myelin sheath?

A

The myelin sheath is a fatty layer that insulates the axon, increasing the speed of signal transmission

18
Q

What is the function of the nodes of ranvier?

A

The nodes of ranvier are gaps within the myelin sheath where the transmission ‘jumps’ from each node, speeding up transmission

19
Q

What is the function of Schwann cells?

A

Schwann cells produce the myelin sheath

20
Q

What is the function of the axon terminal?

A

The axon terminal is the endpoint of the neuron where signals are transmitted to the next cell via synaptic transmission

21
Q

What are the three main types of neurons?

A

Sensory, Motor and Relay Neurons

22
Q

What is the function of the sensory neuron?

A

The sensory neuron carries information from sensory organs to the CNS. They have long dendrites and short axons with the cell body normally in the middle

23
Q

What is the function of the motor neuron?

A

The motor neuron transmits signals from the CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands, enabling responses like movement or the secretion of hormones. They have short dendrites and long axons. The cell bodies are found in the CNS (normally spinal cord) and their axons from the peripheral nervous system.

24
Q

What is the function of relay neurons (interneurons)?

A

Relay neurons are found only in the CNS and connect sensory and motor neurons. They have short dendrites and short axons> They normally don’t have any myelin sheath as speed is less critical for short-distance transmission.

25
Q

What is synaptic transmission?

A

The process by which neurons communicate

26
Q

What are the steps to synaptic transmission?

A

1) The action potential reaches the axon terminal
2) This triggers vesicles to release their neurotransmitters across the synapse via diffusion (makes signal chemical)
3) Chemical signal locks onto the special post-synaptic receptor sites (turns signal back into electrical)
4) Stimulation of the postsynaptic reception by neurotransmitters results by either excitation or inhibition of the postsynaptic membrane via summation

27
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

Neurotransmitters are the brain chemicals released that relay signals across neurons via the synapse. Each has a unique molecular structure that fits perfectly to a receptor site

28
Q

What is excitation?

A

Increases the polar charge of the postsynaptic neuron and therefore increases the chance of the electrical signal being passion on - known as depolarisation.

29
Q

Name an example of an excitation neurotransmitters

A

An example is adrenaline

30
Q

What is inhibition?

A

Increases the negative charge of the post synaptic neuron and decreases the likelihood of it passing on an electrical impulse - known as hyper-polarisation

31
Q

What is an example of an inhibition neurotransmitter?

A

Serotonin

32
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

The endocrine system is a network of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream to regulate physiological processes.

33
Q

Which system works faster, the endocrine or nervous system? How do you know this?

A

The Nervous system works faster because it is largely based of electrical impulses and the endocrine system is based fully on chemical signals

34
Q

What are glands?

A

Glands are specialised organs found in the endocrine system that secrete substances such as hormones, enzymes and other fluids into the body.

35
Q

Give three examples of glands found in the endocrine system

A
  • Pituitary Gland
  • Thyroid Gland
  • Adrenal Glands
36
Q

What is the role of the pituitary gland?

A

The pituitary gland controls all other endocrine glands and secretes hormones such as ACTH and the growth hormone

37
Q

What is the role of the thyroid gland?

A

The thyroid gland releases thyroxin which is an important hormone in the regulation of a person’s metabolism

38
Q

What is the role of the adrenal glands?

A

The adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol which are two very important hormones for stress responses

39
Q

What are hormones?

A

Hormones are chemical messengers produced by endocrine glands and released directly into the bloodstream. They travel to target organs or tissues and influence processes such as growth, metabolism, reproduction and stress responses

40
Q

Give three examples of hormones

A
  • Adrenaline
  • Insulin
  • Oestrogen/Testosterone

Psychology - Year One (3 decks)

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