Paper 2 - Biopsychology - Nervous Systems Flashcards
What does CNS stand for?
Central Nervous System
What are the 2 main parts of the human nervous system?
CNS (central nervous system)
Peripheral nervous system
What are the different parts of the Peripheral nervous system?
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Somatic nervous system (SNS)
Sympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system
What are the different parts of the CNS?
Spinal cord
Brain
What are all of the different parts of the human nervous systems?
Peripheral nervous system
CNS
Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
Somatic nervous system (SNS)
Sympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system
Spinal cord
Brain
Draw out the diagram of the human nervous systems?
Explain the brain as part of the CNS?
The brains main job is to ensure that life is maintained. The hypothalamus is involved in maintaining homeostasis.
(There are many parts of the brain, some are involved in in vital functioning whilst others are involved in processes such as problem solving)
Explain the spinal cord as part of the CNS
It facilitates the transferral of messages to and from the brain from other neurons
It also involves reflex actions
(All of this happens within the PNS)
Have a general idea of what the central nervous system look like?
Explain the role of the PNS?
It transmits messages via million of neuron’s (nerve cells), to and from the CNS
What is the PNS further sub divided into?
SNS (somatic nervous system)
ANS (autonomic nervous system)
Explain the SNS?
(The somatic nervous system)
This is the part of the PNS that is responsible for carrying sensory and motor information to and from the spinal cord. This will always be conscious behaviour.
Explain the ANS?
(The autonomic nervous system)
This governs vital functions in the body such as breathing, heart rate, digestion, sexual arousal and stress responses. This involves unconscious responses.
Explain the parasympathetic nervous system?
Rest and digest
Generally maintains and conserves body energy and functions
What two things can’t work at the same time?
What is the fancy phrase for this?
Parasympathetic and Sympathetic systems are antagonistic pairs
Compare the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems?
Quick phrases
Sympathetic nervous system controls flight or fight
Parasympathetic nervous systems control rest and digest
What are the different things in the endocrine system?
Pituitary gland
Pineal gland
Hypothalamus
Parathyroid glands
Thyroid gland
Adrenal glands
Pancreas
Kidneys
Testes/Ovaries
What are the different neurons you need to know?
Sensory
Relay
Motor
What are the main labels on the sensory neuron?
Receptor cell
Myelin sheath
Axon
Cell body
What are the main labels on the relay neuron?
Dendrites
Cell body
Axon
Pre synaptic terminal
What are the main labels on the motor neuron?
Dendrites
Cell body
Myelin sheath
Axon
Neurofibril node (node of Ranvier)
Draw a quick labeled diagram of a sensory cell
Draw a quick labeled diagram of a relay cell
Draw a quick labeled diagram of a motor cell
The buttons on the receptores are terminal buttons
What is the function of sensory neurons?
What type of neurones is there?
Unipolar neurons - only transmit messages
Carries messages from the PNS to the brain and spinal cord (CNS)
What is the function of relay neurons?
Multipolar neurons - send and receive messages
Transfers messages from sensory neurons to other relay neurones or motor neurones
What is the function of motor nurons?
What type of neuron is this?
Multipolar neurons - send and receive messages
Carries messages from the CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands
Describe the length of fibres in sensory neurons?
Long dendrites (To collect all valuable data)
Short axons (To transfer data quickly)
Describe the length of fibres in relay neurons?
Short dendrites
Short or long axons
Describe the length of fibres in motor neurons?
Short dendrites (No need for strong input)
Long axons (For high signal strength)
What is the nucleus?
The control centre of a cell which contains the cells chromosomes and DNA
What do dendrites do?
Dendrites facilitate the transfer of nerve impulses through the process of synaptic transmission. They are at the end of the nerve and are adjacent to the next neurone
What is the axon?
Where the electrical signals pass along in one direction, towards the next neurone, some are insulated by mylinated sheath
What does the myelin sheath do?
Insulates/protects the axon from external influences that might effect the transmission of the nerve impulses down the axon. Which leads to a faster transmission of electrical impulses.
What do nodes of ranvier do?
These speed up the transmission of the impulses by forcing it to jump across mylenated sheaths
What are terminal buttons?
They send signals to adjacent cells at the end of the neurone. When it is the last motor neurone the terminal buttons will connect to the effector
Explain the process of synaptic transmission
Nerve impulses travel down an axon in vesicles
Nerve impulse reaches synaptic terminal
The neurotransmitters are fired into the synaptic gap
Neurotransmitters bind with receptors on the adjacent neuron
If successfully transmitted the neurotransmitter is taken up by the post synaptic neuron
The message will continue to be passed in this way via electrical impulses
What is the endocrine system?
One of the bodys major information system that instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream. Which also regulates the hormone levels in the body
What is a gland?
An organ in the body that synthesises and secretes substances such as hormones
What is a hormone?
Chemical substances that circulate in the bloodstream to a target organ or cell
What is homeostasis?
The maintenance of a constant internal environment within the body in response to an external dynamic environment.
What is the pituitary gland?
Aka the master gland because it controls the release of hormones from all the other endocrine glands in the body
How: by secreting hormones
Where is the pituitary gland found and how big is it?
In the brain (underneath the hypothalamus) and is really small
What does the adrenal gland do?
They release adrenalin directly into the bloodstream which prepares the body for flight or fight by constricting blood vessels to the stomach
This inhibits digestion and increases your heart rate
What does the pineal gland do?
Produces and secretes the hormone melatonin which regulates biological rhythms such as sleep and wake cycles
What does the thyroid gland do?
Produces hormones that regulates: (eg thyroxine)
The body’s metabolic rates
Heart and digestive function
Muscle control
Brain development
Mood
What do testes do?
Secretes testosterone
What do ovaries do?
Secretes oestrogen and progesterone
Explain the reflex arc?
What is it also known as?
A stimulus is detected by sensory organs in the peripheral nervous system
Which convoys a message along a sensory neuron
The message reaches the nervous system where is connects with a relay neurone.
The relay neuron then transfers the messages to a motor neuron
The motor neuron the carries the message to an effector such as a muscle, which causes the muscle to contract
Reflex reaction
When does an action potential occur?
When a neuron sends information down an axon, away from the cell body
What is an action potential?
What does this mean?
When a nerve cell becomes aroused/stimulated the electrical charge changes to become positive outside of the cell. This causes the neurone fire (because it has become aroused).
Label this diagram
What are the 2 ways to represent post synaptic receptors in a diagram?
What is reuptake?
The reabsorption of a neurotransmitter by a neurotransmitter transporter located along the plasma membrane of an axon terminal
What 2 classifications can neurotransmitters be organised into?
Excitatory or inhibitory
State some neurotransmitters which are excitation only?
ACh (Acelylcholne)
Adrenaline
State some neurotransmitters which are inhibitory only?
Serotonin
GABA
What controls the pituitary gland?
The hypothalamus
What are the 2 parts of the pituitary gland
This is rubbish, ignore.
What chemical may the pituitary gland release in response to stress?
What does this lead to?
ACTH, this hormone leads to the production of cortisol
Which part of the pituitary gland reacts to stress?
Anterior
What does the posterior pituitary release which is important in childbirth
Why?
Oxytocin because it helps with pain management
Where are the adrenal glands?
Above the kidneys
What is the outer part of the adrenal gland called?
Adrenal cortex
What is the inner part of the adrenal gland called?
Adrenal Medulla
Which hormones does the adrenal cortex produce and state their purpose
Adrenaline - fight or flight
Cortisol - response to long term stress
What does low levels of cortisol lead to?
Poor imune syst
What 2 hormones does the adrenal medulla produce?
Adrenaline
Noradrenaline
What do the 2 hormones do in response to stress?
Adrenaline
Noradrenaline
Adrenaline and noradrenaline are involved in the fight or flight response.
Noradrenaline is released when the body needs more energy to be released. This means more oxygen and glucose are needed for respiration. (Short term stress)
Adrenaline increases heart rate and breathing rate to increase inhalation of oxygen
What is an interconnecting neurone?
Relay neurones
In terms of action potential explain: the resting state
This is when the inside is negatively (below +70 according to Nickol) compared to the outside
In terms of action potential explain: the activating state
This is when the inside is positively charged (above 70mj according to Nickol) and as a result an action potential is formed
What does excitatory mean?
This means that it is more likely to make the neurone fire
When the neurone becomes aroused it is more likely to fire as the change in charge causes an action potential
What does inhibitory mean?
This makes the neurone less likely to fire
What i sthe sympathetic nervous system in charge of?
Fight or flight
Why may we have developed strong sympathetic nervous systems?
Because if we hadn’t we wouldn’t have had the anxiety and fear to run away from lions leading to an evolutionary disadvantage
What is the difference between pre synaptic terminals synaptic terminals and post synaptic terminals?
Synaptic terminals can be used to refer to either
Pre is the one at the bottom (if axon direction is down)
Post is the one on the top
The pre will always precede the post
What is the main difference between a relay neurone and a motor and sensory neurone?
Mylean sheaths
Wha tis summation the process of?
Deciding ow frequently a neurone fires
How does summation work?
When the average of inhibitory and exhibitory influences are above a threshold (70mj) the net effect on the post synaptic neurone is exhibitory so the neurone is more likely to fire
What does the hypothalamus do?
Controls homeostasis
Where are the adrenal glands?
Above the kidneys
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