UNIT 3 AOS1 Flashcards
3 main roles of the Nervous System
Receives
Processing
Response
Receives
Receives sensory stimuli
Eg. Heart rate
Process
Processing information, making sense or interpretation
Respond
Responding back to stimuli, physical action
Eg. Using skeletal muscles - internal muscles
Central Nervous System
- Brain
- Spinal cord (spinal reflex)
Peripheral Nervous System
All nerves besides brain and spinal cord
- Somatic and Autonomic
Somatic
- Voluntary motor movements (conscious)
- Sensory and motor neurons
Sensory
Afferent, towards CNS
Motor
Efferent, away CNS
Autonomic
- Involuntary (unconscious)
- Controls visceral muscles
Sympathetic Nervous System
Activated in stress response, responding to threat. Fight / flight
Eg. Heart, breathing increases, pupils dilate, bladder releases
Parasympathetic Nervous System
Restores Homeostasis (balance)
Eg. Decreases heart rate, digestion continues at normal rate
Fight / Flight / Freeze
Response of survival when under threat
Spinal Reflex
Unconscious, immediate response to protect the body from harm
Spinal Reflex 1.
Receptors - cells that detect a stimulus
Spinal Reflex 2.
Sensory neurons - carry stimulus to CNS (afferent)
Spinal Reflex 3.
Interneurons - in the spinal cord intercepts the message and initiate a motor response
Spinal Reflex 4.
Motor response - carry message to skeletal muscles (efferent)
Spinal Reflex 5.
Response - message received muscles move
Neurochemicals
- Neurotransmitters
- Neuromodulators
Neurotransmitter
- Used from single pre-synaptic neuron to single post-synaptic neuron
- Glutamate + Gaba
Neuromodulators
- Used at more than one post-synaptic neuron
- Dopamine + Serotonin
Excitatory
Increased chance of action potential
Inhibitory
Decreased chance of action potential
Glutamate
Memory - neurotransmitter (excitatory)
GABA
Calming - neurotransmitter (inhibitory)
Dopamine
Pleasure - neuromodulator (excitatory)
- Reward system
- Repetition of certain behaviours (links behaviour with reward)
Serotonin
Mood - neuromodulator (inhibitory)
Chemical Transmission 1.
Electrical impulse reaches axon terminal of the pre-synaptic neuron