Biopsychology Flashcards
what are the two subunits of the nervous system
- Central Nervous System (CNS)
- Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
what are the components of the CNS
brain and spinal cord
what does the central nervous system control and how
- behaviour
- regulation of body’s physiological processes
- receives sensory input, produces motor responses
what is the function of the brain in the CNS
take info, process it and act on the information
what is the function of the spinal cord in the CNS
- receives and transmits info to and form the brain to the peripheral nervous system
- responsible for reflex actions
What are the components of the peripheral nervous system
- somatic
- automatic (sympathetic and parasympathetic)
what does the peripheral nervous system do
- relays info from the outside world, muscles and organs via neurones
- send messages from CNS to the muscles and glands
What is the function of the somatic nervous system
- receives information from sensory receptors and sends this info to the CNS
- then relays info to the motor neurones
- controls muscle movement
what is the function of the Automatic nervous system
- connects CNS to internal organs
- divided into sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system
Function of the parasympathetic nervous system and characteristics of when it takes place
- rest and digest
- constricts pupils
- increases salivation
- decreases respiration rate
- decreases heart rate
- dilates blood vessels
Function of the sympathetic nervous system and characteristics of when it takes place
- fight or flight
- dilates pupils
- increases respiration rate
- increases heart rate
- constricts blood vessels
Structure of a neurone
- axon
- axon terminal button
- myelin sheath (protects and speeds up)
- dendrite
3 types of neurones
- sensory
- motor
- relay
Function of the sensory neurone
- carry messages from the receptors to the CNS
- convert info to neural impulses
- long dendrites and short axon
Function of the relay neurone
- connect sensory neurones to motor neurones
- allow the two neurones to communicate
- short dendrites and short axon
Function of the motor neurone
- connect CNS to muscles and glands
- Stimulate motor neurone to release neurotransmitters that bond to receptors on muscles and trigger a response that leads to muscle moves
- short dendrites long axon
Why does synaptic transmission happen
- in order for the action potential to reach the next neurone it has to cross the gap (synapse)
How does synaptic transmission occur
- presynaptic neurone release neurotransmitter from synaptic vessels into the gap
What is a neurotransmitter
- Chemicals that diffuse across the synapse to the next neurone
- once they cross the synapse they bind to receptors on the post synaptic neurone
What is Excitation
Neurotransmitter leads to neurone being positively charged and more likely to fire
- Noradrenaline
What is Inhibition
Neurotransmitter leads to a neurone being negatively charged and less likely to fire
seretonin
What is the function of the endocrine system
secrete hormones which are needed to regulate many bodily functions and to provide a chemical system of communication via the blood stream
What regulates the endocrine system
Hypothalamus
What hormones do the ovaries and the testes produce
ovaries produce oestrogen
testes produce testosterone
What hormone does the adrenal glands produce and what can it be used for
- adrenaline
- fight or flight response
What hormone does the pineal gland produce and what does it do
-melatonin (regulation of arousal)
