Biopsychology - The nervous system Flashcards
What is the human nervous system?
A complex network of nerve cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body. Helps all body parts communicate with each other.
What is the function of the brain?
The brain oversees the workings of the body, while its more advanced functions provide us with consciousness and makes us who we are.
What is the nervous system divided into?
Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
What is the central nervous system divided into?
Spinal cord
Brain
What is the Peripheral nervous system divided into?
Somatic nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
What is the autonomic nervous system divided into?
Sympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system
What is the two main function of the CNS?
Controls behaviour
Controls the regulation of the body’s physiological processes
Where does the CNS receive info from in order to control behaviour?
From the sensory receptors eyes, ears, skin
What is the main function of the spinal cord?
To relay information between the brain and the rest of the body . Allows the brain to regulate bodily functions such as digestion, breathing and movement.
What is the spinal cord connected to?
Connected to different parts of the body by pairs of spinal nerves. These connect with specific muscles and glands.
What does the spinal cord contain which allows us to perform simple reflexes without involvement from the brain?
The spinal cord contains circuits of nerve cells. Simple reflexes could be pulling your hand away from something hot.
What happens if the spinal cord is damaged?
Areas supplied by spinal nerves below the damaged site will be cut off from the brain and will stop functioning.
What areas are the brain divided into?
The cerebrum
Cerebellum
Diencephalon
Brain stem
What is the largest part of the brain?
The cerebrum
What is the frontal lobe involved in?
Thought and production of speech
What is the occipital lobe involved in?
Processing of visual images
What is the cerebrum split into?
Straight down the middle into two halves called cerebral hemispheres. Each hemisphere has specialised functions and the two communicated through the corpus callosum
Where is the cerebellum
Sits beneath the back of the cerebrum
What is the cerebellum involved in?
Controlling a person’s motor skills and balance, coordinating the muscles to allow precise movements
What can abnormalities in the cerebellum cause?
Speech and motor problems and epilepsy
Where is the diencephalon?
Lies beneath the cerebrum and on top of the brain stem
What does the diencephalon contain?
The thalamus and hypothalumus
What is the function of the thalamus?
Acts as a relay station for nerve impulses coming from the senses, providing a route for them to follow to the part of the brain where they can be processed.
What is the function of the hypothalumus?
- Regulation of body temperature, hunger and thirst.
- Acts as a link between the endocrine system and the nervous system
- Controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland.
What is the brain stem responsible for?
Responsible for regulating the automatic functions that are essential for life. Breathing, heart beat, swallowing.
What travels through the brain stem?
Motor and sensory neurons travel through the brain stem. This allows impulses to pass between the brain and spinal cord.
What makes up the peripheral nervous system?
All the nerves outside the CNS
What is the main function of the peripheral nervous system?
To relay nerve impulses from the CNS to the rest of the body and from the body back to the CNS.
What is the somatic nervous system made up of?
Sensory and motor neurons
Where do sensory neurons relay messages to?
CNS
Where do motor neurons relay information from?
Relays information from the CNS and relays it to other areas of the body
What type of actions does the autonomic system regulate?
Involuntary action such as digestion and heart beat
What neurotransmitter does the sympathetic division use?
noradrenaline which has stimulating effects
What neurotransmitter does the parasympathetic division use?
acteylcholine, which has inhibiting effects
What is the sympathetic nervous system involved in?
Responses that help us to deal with emergencies such as increasing heart rate and blood pressure and dilating blood vessels in the muscles.
Where do neurons from the SNS travel to?
Virtually every organ and gland within the body, preparing the body for the rapid action necessary when the individual is under threat.
What function does the parasympathetic nervous system have?
The PNS slows the heatbeat down and reduces blood pressure. Digestion begins again under PNS influence . ‘Rest and digest’
KT= What is the autonomic nervous system?
Governs the brain’s involuntary activities and is self-regulating. It is divided into the sympathetic branch and the parasympathetic branch.
KT = Brain
The part of the CNS that is responsible for coordinating sensation, intellectual and nervous activity
KT - Central nervous system
Made up of the brain and spinal cord, it receives information from the senses and controls the body’s responses
KT = Peripheral nervous system
The part of the nervous system that is outside the brain and spinal cord
KT = Somatic nervous system
The part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for carrying sensory and motor information to and from the central nervous system
KT = Spinal cord
A bundle of nerve fibres enclosed within the spinal column which connects nearly all parts of the body with the brain.
