Biopsych

• What are the two main components of the human nervous system?

  Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
• What does the nervous system control in the body?

  Movement, reflexes, organs, and bodily responses
• What are the subsystems of the central nervous system?

  • Brain
  • Spinal cord
• What are the components of the peripheral nervous system?

  • Somatic nervous system
  • Autonomic nervous system
• What is the function of the somatic nervous system?

  Controls voluntary movements
• What is the role of the autonomic nervous system?

  Maintains homeostasis and internal systems
• What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?

  Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems
• What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

  Prepares the body for fight or flight
• What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?

  Restores the body to normal resting state
• What are the differences between the central and somatic nervous systems?

  • Somatic allows voluntary movement; central does not
  • Somatic contains motor and sensory neurons; central contains relay neurons
  • Somatic connects to skeletal muscles; central does not
• What are the differences between the central and autonomic nervous systems?

  • Autonomic controls internal organs; central does not
  • Autonomic contains only motor pathways; central contains motor and relay pathways
• What are the differences between the somatic and autonomic nervous systems?

  • Autonomic is further subdivided; somatic is not
  • Somatic controls voluntary movement; autonomic controls involuntary functions
• What is the primary function of the spinal cord?

  Transfers messages to and from the brain
• How do neurons transmit messages?

  Dendrites pick up signals and transmit them
• What are the steps of synaptic transmission?

  1. Dendrites pick up electrical signals
  2. Signals pass to the cell body
  3. Impulse travels down the axon
  4. Neurotransmitters are released at the axon terminal
  5. Neurotransmitters bind to receptors on neighboring neurons
• What is a neurotransmitter?

  Chemical messengers released from neurons
• What is the lock and key theory in neurotransmission?

  Each neurotransmitter has a specific receptor shape
• What do inhibitory neurotransmitters do?

  Generate a negative charge, making firing less likely
• What is summation in synaptic transmission?

  • The sum of excitatory and inhibitory potentials
  • Determines whether a neuron will fire
• What is the function of the endocrine system?

  Controls behavior through glands and hormones
• What are the main glands of the endocrine system?

  • Pineal gland
  • Pituitary gland
  • Thyroid gland
  • Hypothalamus
  • Adrenal glands
  • Ovaries
  • Testes
• What hormone does the adrenal gland produce?

  Adrenaline
• What is the fight or flight response?

  A physiological reaction to perceived danger
• What happens to heart rate during the fight or flight response?

  Heart rate increases
• Why do we have a fight or flight response?

  To respond to potential dangers for survival
• What is a chronic stressor?

  Long-term stressors lasting weeks or months
• What is the HPA axis in response to chronic stress?

  • Involves the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland
  • Regulates the body's response to chronic stress
• What does the amygdala do in a stressful situation?

  It sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus
• What role does the sympathetic nervous system play during stress?

  It activates the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline
• What physiological changes occur due to adrenaline release?

  Breathing quickens, mouth dries, heart rate increases
• What are some modern-day chronic stressors?

  Finances, relationships, health
• What does the HPA axis stand for?

  Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, Adrenal gland
• What does the hypothalamus release in response to chronic stress?

  Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)
• What hormone does the pituitary gland release after receiving CRH?

  Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
• What does ACTH stimulate in the adrenal gland?

  Release of stress-related hormones like cortisol
• What happens to blood flow during the fight or flight response?

  Blood flow is diverted from the skin
• How does digestion change during the fight or flight response?

  Digestion is inhibited
• Why might the fight or flight response be unhelpful during a driving test?

  It causes sweaty hands and trembles
• What is the 'freeze' response according to Gray (1988)?

  Avoiding confrontation while assessing danger
• What is the 'tend and befriend' response in females?

  Protecting offspring and forming alliances