Biopsychology Flashcards
What are the two components of the nervous system?
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
What is the human nervous system?
Complex network of nerve cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body to communicate with each other.
What is the CNS split into?
Brain
Spinal cord
What is the PNS split into?
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
What is the autonomic system then split into?
Sympathetic NS
Parasympathetic NS
What is the nervous system and what does it help do?
network of nerve cells carrying messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body.
What does the CNS do?
Receives information from the senses and controls the body’s responses
What is the Peripheral nervous system?
Part of the nervous system that is outside of the brain and spinal cord
What is the brain responsible for?
Coordinating sensation, intellectual and nervous activity
What is the spinal cord?
Bundle of enclosed nerve fibers which connect nearly all parts of the body with the brain through spinal nerves.
What is the voluntary and conscious control system?
Somatic nervous system
What does the somatic nervous system contain?
Contains sensory + motor nerves that control skeletal muscles like joints. Typically receive and act on external stimuli.
What is the autonomic nervous system and what does it contain?
Unconscious thought.
Contains nerves that control heartbeat.
Adjusts and maintains body’s internal environment
What is the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for?
Calms the body after an emergency state.
What is the parasympathetic nervous system involved in?
energy conservation and digestion
What is the sympathetic nervous system involved in?
Responses that help us deal with fight or flight
Where is the relay neuron found?
In the CNS
What does the relay neuron allow
Communication between motor and sensory neurons
What are sensory neurons? and what do they do?
They carry sensory receptors to spinal cord / brain. Sensory neurons convert info from receptors into nerve impulses. When impulses reach brain they are translated into sensations (eg: heat) so organism can react appropriately
What are motor neurons? and what do they do?
Form synapses with muscles and control their contractions. Motor carries relay neuron to allow the muscle to then contract.
What are the two types of neurotransmitters?
Excitatory and inhibitory
What is an exitatory neurotransmitter? and give an example.
Nor-adrenaline.
Excitatory neurotransmitters are the system’s ‘on switches’ which increase the likelihood of an excitatory signal being sent to the post synaptic cell which is then more likely to fire.
What is an inhibitory neurotransmitter? and give an example.
Serotonin.
Nervous system’s ‘off switches’ which decrease the likelihood of neurons firing. Generally responsible for calming mind, body and inducing sleep.
What is the name of a junction between two neurons?
A synapse.