Biopsychology Flashcards
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What makes up the human nervous system?
Peripheral nervous system and CNS
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What makes up the peripheral nervous sytem?
Autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What makes up the autonomic nervous system?
Symphetic and parasympthetic nervous system
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What makes up the CNS?
The brain and spinal cord
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What does the autonomic nervous system do?
Involuntary movements
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What does the somatic nervous system do?
Voluntary movements
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What does the sympathetic nervous system and parasymphetic nervous system do together and individually?
Fight or flight responses together, sympathetic adrenaline, parasympathetic calms you down
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What is the somatic nervous system made up of?
Cranial nerves and spinal nerves
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
What does the somatic nervous system do?
Transmit sensory information from the body to the brain then to the muscles to produce voluntary movement
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
Give some responses from the sympathetic nervous system
Dilated pupils, accelerated heartbeat, inhibited bladder contraction
DIVISIONS OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM
Give some responses of the parasympathetic nervous system
Slowed heartbeat, stimulates release of bile, contracts bladder
STRESSORS
What is a stressor?
Any stimulus that produces a stress response in a person.
STRESSORS
Are stressors objective?
Yes produce different responses in everyone
STRESSORS
What does the sympathetic nervous system cause?
The way to be physiologically aroused and ready to fight or flight
STRESSORS
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
Returns our body back to normal
STRESSORS
Describe response to a sudden stimuli
A stressor/threat is perceived
SNS is triggered
Fight or flight responses occur
This involves message to the adrenal medulla, which responds by secreting the hormone adrenaline into bloodstream
This causes a number of physical changes
Once threat is gone, parasympathetic branch takes control and brings body back to equillibrium
STRESSORS
Describe responses to ongoing stressors
If brain continues to perceive something as threatening, the second system kicks in. This is the bodies response to something like a stressful job.
STRESSORS
What is activated by ongoing stressors?
A stress response system, known as the HPS axis
STRESSORS
Describe the HPS
Hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland
Pituitary gland secretes the hormone ACTH
ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex and releases various hormones including cortisol
STRESSORS
What does cortisol do?
Enables the body to maintain steady supplies of blood sugar
STRESSORS
What does adequate levels of blood sugar help a person to deal with?
Prolonged stressor activity and helps the body return to normal
STRESSORS
What helps monitor blood sugar levels?
The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What is the endocrine system?
A network of glands that make and secrete hormones
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What is this system in charge of?
Body processes that happen slowly, such as cell growth
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What does this system often work with?
The nervous system
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What do endocrine glands do?
Release adrenaline directly into the bloodstream, which prepares the body for fight or flight by constricting blood vessels in the stomach.
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What does secretion of adrenalin mean?
Inhibited digestion, sick feeling and an increasing heart rate
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What does the pituitary gland do?
Controls the release of hormones from all endocrine glands
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Describe role of the ovaries
Facilitate the release of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Describe roll of the testes
Facilitate the release of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What is produced from the thyroid?
Thyroxine (regulates metabolism)
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What is produced in the adrenal cortex?
Cortisol (stimulates fight or flight in the body)
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What is the pituitary gland often referred to as?
The master gland, because it controls several of the other hormome glands
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What does the pituitary gland consist of?
Two parts: the posterior pituitary and the anterior pituitary
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What is the purpose of the hormones the pituitary gland produces?
To influence the release of hormones from other glands
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What controls the pituitary gland?
The hypothalamus which is able to maintain homeostasis by monitoring information about the basic functions of the body.
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What causes the adrenal gland to release cortisol?
The adrenocorticotropic hormone
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Where are the adrenal glands and what do they do?
The top of each kidney, produce vital hormones
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What does the adrenal cortex do?
Secrete hormones that have an effect on the body’s metabolism, eg cortisol
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
What does the adrenal medulla do?
Help a person cope with physical and emotional stress; also secretes adrenaline and noradrenaline
NEURONS
What is a neuron?
A nerve cell
NEURONS
Role of the axon terminal
Leads messages to synapse
NEURONS
Role of myelin sheath
Insulates the axon to increase rate of reaction
NEURONS
Role of axon
Electrical messages travel down
NEURONS
Role of cell body
Contains the nucleus
NEURONS
Role of nucleus
Electrical message starte here
NEURONS
Role of dendrites
Receives message from the dendrite
TYPES OF NEURONS
Define sensory neuron
Receptors to CNS
TYPES OF NEURONS
Describe relay neuron
CNS to CNS
TYPES OF NEURONS
Describe motor neuron?
CNS to effectors
SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
Where are neurotransmitters?
In vesticles in the pre synaptic neuron and then release into the synapse
SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
What do neurotransmitters bind to?
Receptors on the post synaptic neuron, causing the electrical impulse to be triggered in the next neuron
SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
What is an inhibitory neurotransmitter?
One which calms down the brain and nervous system, make the post synaptic cell less likely to fire
SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION
What is an exhibitory neurotransmitter?
One which stimulates activity in areas of the brain, for example the neurotransmitter noradrenaline. They make a person feel more alert and the post synaptic cell more likely to fire