Topic 5 Synapses And Reflexes Flashcards
What are synapses
The connection between two neurones
What is the nerve signal transferred by across the synapse
Chemicals which diffuse across the gap
Neurotransmitter
What do the chemical signals set off in the next neurone
A new electrical signal
What are reflexes
Rapid automatic responses to certain stimuli that don’t involve the conscious part of the brain
What do the reflexes help prevent
The chances of being injured
What is the passage of information in a reflex (from receptor to effector) called
Reflex arc
Where do neurones in reflex arcs go
Through the spinal cord or through an unconscious part of the brain
When a stimulus is detected what happens
Impulses are sent along in a sensory neurone to a relay neurone in the CNS
What happens when there’s a synapse between the sensory neurone and relay neurone
They trigger chemical (neurotransmitters) to be released and cause impulses to be sent along with the relay neurone
What happens when the impulses reach the synapse between the relay and the motor neurone
Chemicals are released and causes an impulse to be sent along with the motor neurone
Where do the impulses travel along with the motor neurone
To the effector usually a muscle
What happens at the effector
The muscle contracts and moves away from stimulus
Why are reflex arcs quicker than normal responses
Batches you don’t have to think about the response
What is a reflex arc
The passage of information in a reflex from a receptor to an effector
