biopsychology Flashcards
what is the nervous system divided into
the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
what does the PNS contain
the autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system
what is the CNS
where all the important information is done and where decisions are made
what is the PNS
brings information from the senses to the CNS and transmits information from the CNS to muscle and glands
what does the spinal cord do
responsible for reflex actions
what is the job of the brain
its the centre of all conscious awareness and it receives information from sensory receptors and sends messages to muscle glands
how are messages between the PNS and CNS sent
via motor neurons
what does the sympathetic nervous system do
gets us ready for emergencies and is involved in fight or flight response
what does the parasympathetic response do
restores natural order relaxing us after an emergency and is sometimes called ‘rest and digest’
What is the endocrine system
Main chemical messenger system of the body, where hormones are secreted into the bloodstream from glands then are transported to target cells in the blood with complementary receptors
What is the pituitary gland
It is considered to be the ‘master’ gland because it controls the release of hormones from all other glands in the body
Describe the synaptic transmission
This refers to the process by which a nerve impulse passes across the synaptic cleft from one neuron to another ( from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron )
What are hormones
The body’s chemical messengers. They travel through the bloodstream, influencing many different processes including mood
Describe the fight or flight response
A sequence of activity within the body that is triggered when the body prepares itself for defending or attacking. This involves changes in the nervous system and the secretion of hormones
What are axons
Axons carry the electrical impulse down the length of a neuron, these are covered in a fatty layer called a myelin sheath
What do dendrites do
Relieve messages from other cells