Biopsychology Flashcards
what is the peripheral nervous system
made up of neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body. it has 2 separate systems (autonomic and somatic)
what is the autonomic nervous system
controls unconscious activities eg digestion and has 2 divisions with opposite effects on the body (sympathetic and parasympathetic
what is the somatic nervous system
controls conscious activities eg running and playing video games
what is the sympathetic nervous system
gets the body ready for action (fight or flight system)
what is the parasympathetic nervous system
calms the body down (rest and digest system)
what is the function of the myelin sheath
insulates the axon to speed up nervous transmission
what is the order of the transmission of information to and from the CNS
stimulus- receptors- CNS (sensory/ relay/ motor) - effectors - response
how are reflexes so fast and automatic
they bypass the conscious brain and go through the spinal cord or the unconscious part of the brain
what happens when an electrical impulse reaches the end of a neuron
neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic cleft which diffuse across the postsynaptic membrane and bind to specific receptors
what is done to ensure neurotransmitters don’t continually diffuse and cause responses
they’re taken back into the presynaptic neuron or broken down by enzymes
what is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters
excitatory increase the likelihood of an electrical impulse being triggered in the postsynaptic neuron but inhibitory decreases the likelihood
what is the role of acetylcholine
(excitatory) involved in voluntary movement, memory, learning and sleep. too much = depression, too little = dementia
what is the role of noradrenaline
associated with fight or flight response. too much = schizophrenia, too little = depression
what is the role of dopamine
helps with movement, attention and learning. too much = schizophrenia, too little = depression and parkinsons
what is the role or serotonin
involved in emotion, mood, sleeping and eating. too little =depression
what is the role of GABA
(inhibitory) too much = anxiety
define synpase
the junction between a neuron and another neuron or between a neuron and an effector cell
hypothalamus
produces hormones to control pituitary gland
pituitary gland
known as the master gland as it releases hormones to control other glands in the endocrine system
pineal gland
responsible for the production of melatonin which plays a role in controlling sleep patterns
thyroid gland
produces thyroxine and controls body’s metabolic rate as well as regulating growth and maturation
parathyroid gland
produces the parathyroid hormone helps control levels of minerals eg calcium in the body
thymus gland
regulates immune system
adrenal gland
produces adrenaline. responsible for fight or flight
pancreas
releases hormones insulin and glucagon which regulate blood sugar levels
gonads (ovaries and testes)
produces testosterone and oestrogen- important in reproduction and development of sex organs and secondary sexual characteristics
how is the fight / flight response activated
hypothalamus triggers activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system this stimulates the adrenal medulla within the adrenal glands which releases adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream
how does the fight or flight impact the body
1) blood pressure and heart rate increase to get blood to areas of the body its needed for
2) digestion decreases
3) muscles tense so body is more physically responsive
4) perspiration increases so body can cool down
5) breathing rate increases
6) pupil size increases- allows more light in
7) salivation decreases
what does the motor cortex control
voluntary movement
what does broca’s area control
responsible for the production of speech
auditory cortex
processes information from our ears
wernicke’s area
responsible for the understanding of language
visual cortex
processes info from our ears
somatosensory cortex
processes info about touch, pain, temperature and proprioception (body position)
how are the 2 hemispheres of the brain connected
by the corpus callosum
