SAC 1a - nervous system

Question 1

What is the central nervous system?

Answer 1

• comprised of the brain and spinal cord
• receives information from the peripheral nervous system
• processes and than responds
• enables communication between the brain and rest of body

Question 2

What is the brain?

Answer 2

• regulates and guide all other parts of the nervous system e.g. regulating vital bodily functions and receiving information from the out side world
• responsible for high order functions
• origin of emotions, personality and humour and others

Question 3

What is the spinal cord?

Answer 3

• nerve fibres
• passes sensory information via afferent tracks from peripheral nervous system to the brain
• passes motor information via efferent tracks from brain to the peripheral nervous system
• two direction highway, designed this way because it helps increase the speed of transmission

Question 4

What is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 4

• comprised of everything outside of the central nervous system e.g. MOG
• carries information from sensory and internal organs to the central nervous system
• conveys information from the central nervous system to the MOG’s
• receives from sensory receptor sights, skin, sight, taste, hearing, internal muscles, organs and glands
• responds frim effector sights (muscles), movement, withdraw, pursue and pain
• two subdivisions: somatic and autonomic nervous system

Question 5

What is the somatic nervous system?

Answer 5

• is our conscious control
• e.g. im going to pick up that glass
• transmites information from receptor sites on the sense organs to the CNS
• carries information from the CNS to the muscles that control movement

Question 6

What is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 6

• not consciously controlled
• e.g. breathing, digestion, sweating
• two divisions, sympathetic and parasympathetic
• network of neutrons
• carries neural messages between the CNS and organs and glands
• system is about survival and maintaining regulation
• highly adaptable, can be done through bio feedback
• two subdivisions the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system

Question 7

What is biofeedback?

Answer 7

• process by which we can control our autonomic nervous system functions
• essentially learning some sort of technique e.g. mindfulness

Question 8

What us the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 8

• activates the internal MOG’s to prepare the body for vigorous activity activity or fir a stressful or life threatening situation
• activates the fight flight freeze response

Question 9

What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 9

• keeps the body functioning effectively
• counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system by returning the body to a state of calm once the stressor is no longer present
• maintains homeostasis in times of low stress

Question 10

What is a conscious response?

Answer 10

decisions made in our conscious awareness e.g. walking, talking (somatic nervous system functions)

Question 11

What is an unconscious response?

Answer 11

reactions that by pass the brain e.g. breathing, stomach contractions (autonomic nervous system functions)

Question 12

What is a spinal reflex?

Answer 12

• automatic response initiated by neutrons in the spinal cord instead of the brain
• known as inter neutrons
• whilst a spinal reflex is initiated sensory messages continue to the brain

Question 13

What is a interneuron?

Answer 13

communicates between the CNS and the PNS

Question 14

What is a motor neuron?

Answer 14

• transmites information from the brain to the body

- via efferent tracks

Question 15

What is a sensory neuron?

Answer 15

• transmits information from the body to the brain

- via afferent tracks

Question 16

What are the roles of efferent and afferent pathways?

Answer 16

• afferent tracks carry information from the body to the brain
• efferent tracks carry informations from the brain to the body
• designed as a two direction highway
• helps with the speed of transmission, all progressing the same speed of neural transmission

Question 17

What is a neurotransmitter interruption?

Answer 17

• occurs from an imbalance or deficiency in a particular type of neurotransmitter
• can occur from naturally occurring or self induced e.g. stress, genetics, drugs, diet
• side effects include mental health disorders, addiction, immobility and weight loss or gain

Question 18

How are neurotransmitter interruptions treated?

Answer 18

• can be treated through drugs and medication
• artificially replacing the lost neurotransmitters
• it does not help natural production, it can suppress it further

Question 19

Deficiency in serotonin

Answer 19

• serotonin is an neurotransmitter that involves stabilising mood
• without it individuals suffer emotional disturbances that can result in schizophrenia

Question 20

Deficiency in dopamine

Answer 20

• dopamine is a excitatory neuron involved in drive, motivation and motor movement
• transmission of impulses that. direct smooth and voluntary movement
• without it individuals can suffer from depression

Question 21

What is Parkinson’s disease?

Answer 21

• a progressive neuro degenerate disease, degeneration of the nervous system
  characterised by chronic and progressive changes in the brain due to malfunction and deterioration to neutrons

Question 22

Motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Answer 22

• tremors, shaking
• slowness of movement
• rigidity
• reduced coordination and balance
• difficulty initiating voluntary and spontaneous movement

Question 23

non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

Answer 23

psychological symptoms

• anxiety
• depression
• embarrassed
• slowness of thinking
• memory problems

social problems

• difficulties communicating
• social isolation due to feeling embarrassed

Question 24

What is the cause of Parkinson’s disease?

Answer 24

• cause is unknown but certain factors seem to play a role
• genes
• environmental triggers, being exposed to certain toxins or environmental factors

Question 25

What part of the brain is damaged when Parkinson’s disease occurs?

Answer 25

• malfunction and deterioration to neutrons in the substantia nigra
• the corpus stiatum

Question 26

What is the function of the substantia nigra

Answer 26

• composed of nerve cells

- produce and release dopamine

Question 27

What part of the brain is damaged when Parkinson’s disease damage? substantial nigra

Answer 27

• as neurons in the structure deteriorate, their ability to produce and release dopamine is impaired
• damaged dopamine producing neutrons gradually continue to generate less dopamine
• when damage continues symptoms appear

Question 28

What part of the brain is damaged when Parkinson’s disease damage? corpus stiatum

Answer 28

• also produces dopamine
• receives messages from the stubstantia nigra in order to produce purposeful muscle activity
• impaired in the case of Parkinson’s disease