Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > nervous system > Flashcards

nervous system Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

what is sensation

A

The information you receive from your senses.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

cns

A

Central Nervous System (CNS)
Brain and spinal cord

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

pns

A

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
All nerves outside of the spinal cord.
The spinal cord connects the brain and PNS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

the brain
4 points

A
  • Responsible for all we think, feel and do
  • There are two almost symmetrical halves or hemispheres of the brain.
  • Brain is contralaterally organised. Left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and visa versa.

Allows for:
Higher mental (cognitive) processes - sensing and perceiving
Processing information - allows language, memory, problem solving etc.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

primary somatosensory cortex

A

Receives and processes sensory information from skin and body.
Touch, pressure, pain and temperature from sensory receptors in the skin travel to the somatosensory cortex.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

primary motor cortex

A

Controls voluntary bodily movements - controls skeletal muscles.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

association areas

A

Process and integrate the incoming sensory information.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

frontal lobe
3 points

A

Involved in:
Thinking and problem solving
Adapting and making decisions
Control of emotions and expression of emotions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

spinal cord
2 main functions

A

Cable-like column of nerves that sends sensory afferent messaged to the brain and sends motor efferent messages away from the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what does the pns do

A

peripheral nervous system

Links our brain to the rest of our body so messages can be carried to and from the brain via the spinal cord.
Communicated information to CNS from muscles, organs and glands (internal environment) and from sensory organs (external environment) to the CNS.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

interneurons

A

transmit information between sesnory and motor neurons
makes up the spinal cord and brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

somatic neuron system

A

Responsible for all voluntary skeletal muscle movements.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

Involuntary movements (breathing, heart rate etc.) are built in self-regulating mechanisms and function continuously unconsciously.
The ANS connects CNS to internal muscles and organs.
Controls automatic or involuntary functions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

Increases activity and prepares us for the activity.
Targets stimulated through release of the hormone adrenaline by adrenal glands which are just above the kidneys and is an extremely rapid response. They get stimulated to release adrenaline.
Increased heart rate and increased breathing rate takes in more O2 for muscles.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

Opposite of sympathetic nervous system. It is more dominant.
Responsible for homeostasis (balanced internal environment.)
Both SNS and PNS are active at the same time and there is a balance between the two when in a normal state.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

enteric nervous system

A

Embedded in the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and dedicated to its functioning (gut health).
Neural circuits connect ENS with other parts of the nervous system and organs of the digestive system
The main role of ENS is to control digestion, detect physiological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, provide outputs to control gut movement, manage nutrients and regulate gastric secretions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

how neurons function

A

Receive process and transmit information within the nervous system
Organised in networks called neural pathways/circuits.
Carry information in the form of an electrical impulse or “action potential”.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

dendrites

A

recieve Information from other neurons
Dendritic spines - receptor sites
Multiple kinds
Connect and receive information from other neurons
Can receive information from thousands of neurons

17
Q

axon

A

Action potential travels along the axon to other burns or cells/muscles/glands.

18
Q

myelin sheath

A

Speeds up neural transmission.
Avoids chemical and physical interference (protector)

19
Q

axon terminals

A

Deliver the information to the next neuron via action potential/electrical impulse.
Each axon terminal has a terminal button which stores and secrete neurotransmitters.
When the message/action potential reaches amazon termina neurotransmitters are released from terminal buttons.

20
Q

synapse

A

the site where the communication occurs between neurons, muscles, glands.
Junction between 2 nerves at the end of axon
When information teaches terminals, the terminal button is released.

21
Q

neurotransmitters
5 stages of neurotransmission

A

Neurotransmitters are the chemical substance released by the ternimal button of a neuron.

  1. Information comes from dendrite of pre synaptic neuron
  2. information runs through axon as a action potential
  3. action potantial reaches terminal button whcih contains neurotransmitters
  4. information is released into the synapse
  5. information is recieved by the recptor of the post synaptic neuron
22
Q

conscious responses

A

Conscious Responses
You will pay attention to the stimuli.
Response is voluntary and there is control over the response.

23
Q

unconscious response

A

We don’t have awareness and our response is involuntary, unintentional, automatic
Does not involve brain
Responses by ANS (autonomic nervous system)
They are innate (no need to learn)

24
Q

the spinal reflex

A

an unconscious response to sensory stimuli that is initiated by interneurons in the spinal cord

25
Q

glutamate
4 points

A

Main excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS.

It enhances information transmission by making postsynaptic neurons more likely to fire. (good for learning and memory)

Too much or too little can be harmful to brain neurons.
Glutamate can lead to over excitation.

26
Q

GABA
4

A

Main inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the CNS.

Makes postsynaptic neurons less likely to fire. It fine tunes neurotransmission in the brian.

If we didn’t have GABA, postsynaptic neurons might get out of control which could have detrimental effects on cognitive function.

Not enough GABA may cause seizures/epilepsy, anxiety issues and phobias.

27
Q

neuromodulators
2 types

A

neuromodulators are chemical messengers that enhance signal transmission an enhance the inhibitory and excitatory effects.
- dopamine
- serotonin

28
Q

dopamine
3 points

A

Dopamine is primarily excitatory but can have inhibitory effects

is is involved in drive, motivation and motor movement.

Behaviours perceived as rewarding due to the release of dopamine include both healthy behaviours and harmful behaviours that become addictive.

29
Q

serotonin
3 points

A
  • An inhibitory neuromodulator.
  • Plays a role in mood, emotional processing, sleep onset, appetite and pain perception.
  • Low levels of serotonin are linked with mood disorders and anxiety.
30
Q

learning + memory

A

Learning: acquiring skills or knowledge through experience. Conscious or unconscious
Memory: the expression of what you acquired.

31
Q

neural plasticity

A

ability of the brain to chage in resppnse to experience.

32
Q

changes to connections between neurons

A

Changes to connections between neurons.
Changes occur at the synapse (synaptic plasticity)
Brain modifies neural connections.
Changes are constantly occurring at the brain’s trillions of synapses
Some are strengthened, new ones are created and others are lost.

33
Q

sprouting, rerouting and pruning

A

Sprouting
Growth of axon sprouts and dendrite fibres at the synapse.
Changes the physical structure of the neuron to form more connections (synaptogenesis)
Learning = new neural connections
Practise = strengthening neural connections.
Rerouting
Occurs when new connections are made between neurons to create alternate neural pathways.
Pruning
The elimination of weak, ineffective or unused synapses. Experience determines which synapses will be retained and which will be pruned.

34
Q

long term potentiation

A

Long lasting strengthening of synaptic connections through experience. This allows for better transmission between pre and postsynaptic neurons. Achieved through sprouting and rerouting.

35
Q

long term depression

A

Long Lasting decrease in strength of synaptic transmission. Synaptic connections are weakened or pruned. It allows for modification of neural pathways to strengthen/learn techniques.
This occurs because of a lack of stimulation of pre and postsynaptic neurons

36
Q

excitatory
inhibitory

A

increase likelihood that neuron will fire an action potential
decrease liklihood

37
Q

inhibitory

A
38
Q

synaptic plasticity

A

the ability of synaptic connections to change over time in response to experience

39
Q

body’s response to parasympathetic domination compared to sympathetic domination

A
  • pupils
    para = contract
    sym= dilated
  • heart rate
    para = decreases
    sym = increases
  • digestion
    para = stimulated
    sym = inhibited
40
Q

afferent neurons (sensory)

A

transmits sensory info from body to the brain via afferent pathways

41
Q

efferent neurons (motor)

A

transmits info from brain to body via efferent pathways

Psychology (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions