Unit 3 Flashcards
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
The nervous system is divided into the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
What types of neurons are found in the somatic nervous system?
The somatic nervous system contains sensory neurons, Which carry information to the CNS,
And motor neurons, Which transmit signals from the CNS to muscles.
What are the two components of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?
The autonomic Nervous system (ANS) Consists of the sympathetic parasympathetic systems.
How do the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems work?
The Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems work antagonistically:
- Sympathetic increases heart rate and breathing rate, Decreases peristalsis, And reduces intestinal secretions.
- Parasympathetic decreases heart rate and breathing rate, Increases peristalsis, And stimulates intestinal secretions.
What are the functions of converging diverging and reverberating neural pathways?
Converging: Signals from multiple neurons come together to one neuron, Increasing sensitivity to weak stimuli.
Diverging: One neuron sends signals to multiple neurons to allow widespread effects.
Reverberating: Neuron stimulate each other in a loop, Ensuring continued signal transmission.
What are the main functions of the cerebral cortex?
The cerebral cortex is the centre of conscious thought, Memory recall, And behaviour modification.
How does a cerebral cortex contribute to memory and behaviour?
It allows the brain to recall past experiences and behaviour accordingly.
What are the different types of areas found in the cerebral cortex and what are their functions?
The cortex contains:
- Sensory areas (Processes sensory information)
- Motor areas (Control movement)
- Association areas (Involved in personality, Language, Intelligence, And imagination).
Why does the information from one side of the body get processed on the opposite side of the Cerebrum?
Each hemisphere processes information from the opposite side of the body.
What is the function of the corpus Callosum in the brain?
The Corpus Callosum transfers information between the two cerebral hemispheres.
What are the three main processes involved in memory?
Memory involves; Encoding, Storage, And retrieval of information.
How does information pass from sensory memory to short-term Memory (STM) and then a long-term memory (LTM)?
Information passes through sensory memory to short-term memory and is either transferred to long-term memory or discarded.
What is the function of the sensory memory, And how long does it take to retain information?
Sensory memory retains all visual and auditory input for a few seconds.
How can the capacity of the STM be improved?
By Chunking (Grouping information into meaningful units)
How does working memory differ from STM?
Walking memory allows STM to process data while storing it, Enabling Simple cognitive tasks.
What strategies can help transfer information from STM to LTM?
Information transfers through STM to LTM through rehearsal, Organisation, And elaboration.
How do you contextual clue aid memory retrieval?
By associating information with surroundings or emotions.
What are the three main parts of a neuron and what are their functions?
Neurons have:
- Dendrites (Receive signals)
- Cell body (Contains nucleus and processes information)
- Axon (Transmit signals)
What is the function of the myelin sheath and what happens when it is damaged?
The Myelin chief insulate axons, Increasing signal speed. Diseases that destroy myelin causes loss of coordination.
What are glial cells and what role do they play in the nervous system?
Glial cell support neurons and produce the myelin sheath.
How do neurotransmitters transmit signals across a synapse?
Neurotransmitters are released from vesicles, Cross the synaptic cleft, And bind to receptors on the next neuron.
Why must neurotransmitters be removed from the synapse after transmission?
Neurotransmitters must be removed by enzymes or re-uptake to prevent continuous stimulation.
What determines whether a neurotransmitter signal is excitatory or inhibitory?
Receptors determine if a signal is excitatory (Stimulates next neuron) Or inhibitory (Prevents signal).
What is summation and how does it affect impulse transmission?
Summation occurs when multiple weak stimuli combined to trigger an impulse.
