Biopsychology Flashcards
What is the CNS?
Comprises of the rain & spinal cord. It receives info from senses & controls the body’s responses
What is the brain?
The part of the CNS responsible for coordinating sensation, intellectual & nervous activity
What is the spinal cord?
A bundle of nerve fibres enclosed within the spinal climb & connects nearly all parts of the body to the brain
It’s main job is to relay information from the brain to the rest of the body - allows the brain to regulate the bodies processes (breathing, digestion)
What is the PNS?
The part of the nervous system that is outside the brain & the spinal cord
It’s main job is to relay nerve impulses from CNS to the rest of the body
What is the ANS?
Governs the brains involuntary activities (breathing, HR)
1)sympathetic - primarily involved in responses that help us deal with emergencies such as increased HR & BP
neurons in the SNS travel to virtually every organ & gland to prepare for rapid action
2)parasympathetic - controls relaxed state & slows down HR/BP
Involves in conservation & digestion (digestion inhibited under SNS)
What is the SNS?
SNS is made up of 12 pairs of cranial nerves (emerge directly from brain) & 31 pairs of spinal nerves
Consist of sensory & motor neurons - sensory relay information to CNS & motor relay info to rest of body
What is the function & structure of a sensory neuron?
Function: carry nerve impulses from sensory receptors to spinal cord & brain
Structure: long dendrites, short axon
What is the function & structure of the relay neuron?
Function: allow sensory & motor neurons to connect with each other
(Most common type of neuron in CNS)
They lie wholly within the brain & spinal cord
Structure: short dendrites, long/short axon
What is the function & structure of motor neutrons?
Function: form synapses with muscles & control their contraction - releases neurotransmitters which bind onto receptors on muscle & trigger movement
Structure: short dendrites, long axon
What are the stages of synaptic transmission?
1) electrical impulse reaches end of presynaptic neuron which causes & release of neurotransmitters from the synaptic vesicle
Neurotransmitters diffuse across cleft to next neuron
2) once the neurotransmitters cross the gap it’s taken up by the post synaptic neuron receptor site.
Each neurotransmitter fits into a specific receptor site
3) remaining neurotransmitters are destroyed by enzymes in cleft or re-up taken into presynaptic neuron
What is the difference between inhibitory & excitatory neurotransmitters?
Inhibitory - make neuron more negatively charged therefore they are less likely to fire (serotonin)
Excitatory - make neuron positively charged therefor more likely to be fired (adrenaline)
What is the endocrine system?
Works alongside the nervous system to control vital bodily functions through the action of hormones
Works slower that NS but has widespread powerful effects
What are glands?
Glands are organs in the body that produce hormones
The major Endocrine gland is the pituitary gland located in the brain - controls the release of hormones from all other glands
What is a hormone?
Hormones are secreted into the bloodstream & affect any cell in the body that has the particular receptor site for that hormone
When receptor sites are stimulated it results in a physiological reaction in target cells
Timings & levels released a critical for normal functioning
Define fight or flight
A sequence of activity within the body that is triggered when the body prepares itself for defending/attacking or running away
