Introduction To Biopscyhology Flashcards
Define Nervous System
Responsible for controlling all biological processes and movement
Define Central Nervous System
Consists of brain and spine –receive and sent out information
Define Peripheral Nervous System
The peripheral nervous system controls all voluntary and involuntary muscles and glands. Essentially, the peripheral nervous system contains all your nerves and nerve bundles excluding the brain and spinal cord.
Define Somatic Nervous System
The part of the nervous system which connects the brain and spinal cord to the voluntary muscle system. The somatic nervous system is part of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is also made up of the autonomic nervous system, which connects the brain and spinal cord to involuntary muscles and glands.
Define Autonomic Nervous System
The Autonomic Nervous System is made up of three parts: the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system, and the enteric nervous system. It controls the muscles that move involuntarily, like the eyes, the heart, and the intestines. It contributes to the “fight or flight” response, causing your heart to race and your blood pressure to go up when you face danger. This is the system affected by caffeine, which is why caffeine can cause increased heart rate and alertness beyond your control.
Define Neuron
A specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell.
Define Sensory Neurons
Sensory neurons are nerve cells within the nervous system responsible for converting external stimuli from the organism’s environment into internal electrical impulses.
Define Relay Neurons
Neurones are nerve cells. They carry information as tiny electrical signals. … Sensory neurones carry signals from receptors to the spinal cord and brain.
Define Motor Neuron
a nerve cell forming part of a pathway along which impulses pass from the brain or spinal cord to a muscle or gland.
Define Synaptic Transmission
Synaptic Transmission is a term that refers to how the nervous system transmits information across a “synaptic gap” (the physical gap between nerve cells) from one neuron to another. This is accomplished by the body’s production of chemicals called neurotransmitters.
Define Neurotransmitter
a chemical substance which is released at the end of a nerve fibre by the arrival of a nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse or junction, effects the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fibre, a muscle fibre, or some other structure.
Define Excitation
Increase positive charge of the positive synaptic neuron. Speeding up process
Define Inhibition
Increase negative charge of the negative synaptic neuron. slowing down process
Define Endocrine System
The endocrine system is the collection of glands of an organism that secrete hormones directly into the circulatory system to be carried towards distant target organs.
Define Gland
an organ in the human or animal body which secretes particular chemical substances for use in the body or for discharge into the surroundings.
Define Hormones
a regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.
Define Fight or Flight Response
a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival.
Define Adrenaline
a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that increases rates of blood circulation, breathing, and carbohydrate metabolism and prepares muscles for exertion.
Explain The Nervous System
The nervous system is essentially a biological information highway, and is responsible for controlling all the biological processes and movement in the body, and can also receive information and interpret it Via electrical signals, which are used in this nervous system.
It consists of the central nervous system (CNS) essentially the processing area and the peripheral nervous system, which detects and sends electrical impulses that are used in the nervous system.
Explain The Central Nervous System
The central nervous system is effectively the centre of the nervous system. The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. It is responsible for receiving and interpreting signals from the peripheral nervous system and sends out signals to it, via nerves, either consciously or unconsciously.
In total, there are 43 main nerves that branch of the CNS to the peripheral nervous system. (The Peripheral system is the nervous system outside the CNS) Theses are the motor neurones that carry signals away from the CNS to the peripheral system.
Explain The Peripheral Nervous System
The PNS consists mainly of neurons (nerve cells) which are bundles of the long fibres or Axons that connect to one another and connect the CNS to every other part of the body. Nerves that transmit signals from the brain are called motor neurons and are responsible for stimulating muscle contraction. Nerves that carry messages from the PNS to the CNS are called sensory neurons. Relay Neurons connect the sensory neurons to the motor neurons. The PNS is divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous system
Explain The Somatic Nervous System
The somatic nervous system (SoNS) is the part of the peripheral nervous system. The somatic fibres are responsible for the voluntary movement of our body. Ie movement that you consciously think about doing. The SoNS receives messages from the sensory receptors.
Define The Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system incorporates all the impulses that are done involuntarily; they govern all vital bodily functions. Eg breathing, heart rate, digestion, sexual arousal, stress response. This type of system can further be broken down into the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems which keep one another in check In a form of negative feedback such as the release of insulin and glucagon in sugar control of the blood.
The sympathetic nervous system is activated in cases of emergencies to mobilise energy and is often considered the “Fight or flight” system, while the parasympathetic nervous system is often considered the “rest and digest” or “feed and breed” system and is activated when organisms are in a relaxed state. In many cases, both of these systems have “Opposite” actions where one system activates a physiological response and the other inhibits it.
Division of the Nevous System
Nervous System Splits into two divisions, Central Nervous System which is the Brain or Spinal Cord.
and the Peripheral Nervous System which splits into the Sensory Pathways and Motor Pathways
Motor Pathways split into Somatic Nervous System (Voluntary) and Autonomic Nervous System ( Involuntary )
The Autonomic Nervous System is Sympathetic Division and Parasympathetic Division.
