Biopsychology Flashcards
What is the human nervous system?
Body wide system of nerve cells that collects information from the world, processes this info and then takes action by directing body organs and muscles via the transmission of electro chemical messages.
What is the central nervous system?
Involves complex processing. Includes the Brain for all conscious and most unconscious processing. And the spinal cord which receives and transmits information and some reflex processing.
What is the peripheral nervous system?
Body wide network of messenger neurones. Sensory neurones take info to the CNS, and motor neurone take information away from the CNS
What is the automatic nervous system?
The part of the PNS that controls actions of internal glands is a involuntary system (not under conscious control)
What is the somatic nervous system?
The part of the PNS that controls skeletal muscles. It is a voluntary system (under conscious control)
What is the Sympathetic system?
Part of the ANS. Increases bodily activities. Releases noradrenaline, activated in fight/flight response. Increased heart/sweat/breathing rate, dilates pupils.
What is the parasympathetic nervous system
Part of the ANS. Decreases bodily activities. Releases acetylcholine. Activated in rest. (Rest and digest) decreased heart/sweat/breathing rates, constricts pupils
What is homeostasis?
Our internal environment is regulated by a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
What is the endocrine system?
Collection of glands around the body that regulate bodily functions, growth, and psychological factors. It acts by releasing chemical messengers called hormones into the blood
What does the pituitary gland do?
Master gland: hormone (ACTH), controls the release of hormones from other glands.
What does the hypothalamus do?
Hormone (CRH) links the nervous system to the endocrine system
What does the pineal gland do?
Hormone (Melatonin) modulates sleep pattern, keeping the body to a day/night rhythm
What does the thyroid gland do?
Hormone: (thyroxine) modulates metabolism (rate of energy use in the body)
What does the thymus gland do?
Hormone (thymosine) stimulates the development of T cells in the immune system
What does the pancreas do?
Hormone (insulin) regulates blood sugar levels
What do the adrenal glands do?
Hormone (adrenaline) Regulate the effects of the fight or flight response
What do the ovaries do?
(Female): hormone (oestrogen) develops secondary sexual characteristics in females
What do the testicles do?
(Male): hormone (testosterone) leads to the development of secondary sexual characteristics in males
Function of the sensory neurone?
Detect sensations at the sensory receptors. Action potential travels across the nerve passing along the myelinated axon then the electrical signal is converted into a chemical signal to cross the synapse
Function of the relay neurone?
After synaptic transmission, a new action potential forms in the dendrites, this neurone is in the spine, and sends a signal along its axon to the motor neurone
Function of the motor neurone?
Detects signal from the relay neurone via synaptic transmission and passes this signal along its own myelinated axon to stimulate an effector.
What is the synapse?
Also called axon terminal. This structure is found at the end of a nerve cell and allows neurones to communicate by passing on chemical signals this process is called synaptic transmission
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers released by neurones. These are either excitatory (stimulate/ make more likely) or inhibitory (male less likely) the development of an action potential (electric message) in other (post synaptic neurones)
What is the process of synaptic transmission?
The action potential travels down the axon of the presynaptic neurone. This forces vesicles containing neurotransmitters to merge with the cell membrane and release neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. Receptors on the postsynaptic neurones dendrite membrane detects the presence of neurotransmitters, changing the chemistry within the postsynaptic neurone. If the charge inside the post synaptic neurone passes a threshold a new action potential forms and the message is passed on. The neurotransmitters detach from the receptors and return to the presynaptic cell via transport proteins, this process is called reuptake.