Biopsychology Flashcards
Nervous system associated with activities considered to be voluntary and under conscious control
Somatic
Subdivision of the autonomic nervous system that is associated with returning the body to routine day to day operations
Parasympathetic nervous system
Spinal cord
Automatic reflex
Enables the body to react rapidly to stimuli
Organised into 30 segments
A reflex action
Stimulus is detected by a sensory receptor and a message travels along a sensory neuron.
The spinal cord starts and automatic reflex
The signal passes from the sensory nerve to a simple processing centre in the spinal cord which then starts a motor command.
A message is passed to an effector and the reflex reaction occurs.
Sympathetic nervous system
Fight or flight response such as increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Parasympathetic nervous system
Relaxes the individual when the emergency has passed.
Three characteristics of the brain
Complex organ
Lobed
Bilateral
Action potential transmission
Signal is received from another neuron at the dendrite input sites.
The signal is transmitted electrically across the soma.
Signal moves down the neuron’s axon.
Arrives at the terminal button that housed neurotransmitters.
Synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters into the synapse.
Features of a neuron’s membrane
Allows molecules without charge to pass through.
Stops large molecules.
Semipermeable membrane
Synapse
Small space between neurons where communication happens.
Synaptic gap
Space between neurons.
Synaptic knob
Bulb shaped end of a neuron.
Synaptic vesicles
In the synaptic knob and are where neurotransmitters are stored.
Neurotransmitter
Chemical messenger that carries information through neurons.
Receptors
Proteins on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach.
