topic 4 - the role of the central nervous system Flashcards
what is the central nervous system? what is it made up, how does it help etc?
the central nervous stem is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The central nervous stem (CNS) helps the brain and body communicate with one another by sending messages between them.
given an example of how the central nervous system works?
the sensory nerves in our body such as those located in our skin send messages via the spinal cord. the brain processes the information and then sends the messages to the body down the spinal cord to have a reaction.
what is the peripheral nervous system? how is it activated etc
the peripheral nervous system can be activated by the spinal cord. The PNS is the system of nerves that connect the central nervous system (mainly the spinal cord) to the skin, muscles and organs in the body.
what are neurotransmitters? what are their functions?
neurotransmitters are chemicals found within the nervous system that pass messages from one neuron to another across the synapse.
what is a neuron?
a neuron is a nerve cell which transmits information
what are different types of neurotransmitters?
dopamine, serotonin, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
dopamine is a neurotransmitter, what is it’s function?
dopamine plays a role in attention and learning. Not enough dopamine can make it difficult to concentrate on tasks.
serotonin is a neurotransmitter, what is it’s function?
serotonin plays a role in mood. To little serotonin can make people feel depressed.
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter, what is it’s function?
GABA plays a role in calming us down. When we feel stressed we produce GABA to relax us.
when are neurotransmitters released?
they are released when a nerve impulse reaches the end of a nerve fibre. The neurotransmitter is then picked up by another neuron to receive the message and possibly continue the nerve impulse.
what is ‘synaptic transmission’?
the synaptic transmission is the process by which neurotransmitters are released by a neuron, move across the synaptic gap and are then taken up by another neuron
what is a synapse?
it is the gap between the two neurons that allows messages in the form of neurotransmitters to pass from one cell to another.
how does the neuron travel to the axon?
an electrical impulse is triggered inside the cell body of a neuron; the neuron then passes a small impulse axon the axon towards the end of the nerve fibre.
what is an axon?
an axon is a long structure that connects the cell body of a neuron to the terminal button at the end of the cell
what is at the end of the cell?
the terminal button
