Biopsychology Flashcards
What is the endocrine system?
It is a system within the body that works with the nervous system. The endocrine system’s job is to release long lasting hormones into the bloodstream. Compared to the instant responses the nervous system releases, the endocrine system is slightly more delayed and long lasting.
What are hormones?
Hormones are chemicals that circulate in the blood stream and are carried to target sites throughout the body.
What are target cells?
The area that a given hormone affects.
How do hormones work?
There has to be particular receptors for particular hormones. When enough receptor sites are stimulated, this results in a physiological reaction in the target cell.
What is the nervous system?
A complex network of nerve cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body.
What does the Central Nervous System (CNS) consist of?
The brain and spinal cord,
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
Brings information from the senses to the CNS and transmits information from the CNS to the muscles and glands.
What makes humans more developed than other species?
The brain is the centre of awareness. The cortex (outer layer) is more developed in humans than other species.
What is the spinal cord responsible for?
Reflexes.
What is the somatic nervous system? Voluntary or involuntary?
- It is voluntary.
- Controls skeletal muscles to ‘talk’ to the outside world.
- Picks up external information (from our five senses).
- Contains sensory and motor pathways.
What is the autonomic nervous system? Voluntary or involuntary?
- It is involuntary.
- Just deals with internal information by controlling smooth muscles like the heart.
- Only contains motor pathways.
- Maintains homeostasis.
What does the sympathetic nervous system do?
This gets us ready for emergencies and is involved in the fight or flight response.
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
Restores natural order, relaxing us after an emergency, and is sometimes called ‘rest and digest’.
What three internal processes are involved in the SAM pathway?
- Hypothalamus
- Sympathetic ganglio
- Adrenal medulla
How does the fight or flight response work?
The amygdala sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus (which is in charge of the stress response). Then when a stress response is triggered, hypothalamus sends signals to two other structures, the pituitary gland and the sympathetic ganglia.
