Biopsychology

• What is the nervous system?

  A specialised network of cells and our primary communication system
• What two types of signals is the nervous system based on?

  Electrical and chemical
• What are the two main functions of the nervous system?

  1. To collect, process and respond to information in the environment
  2. To co-ordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body
• What is the central nervous system made up of?

  The brain and the spinal cord
• What is the brain?

  • The centre of conscious awareness
  • The cerebral cortex (3mm thick outer layer) is higher developed than other animals
  • It is divided into two hemispheres
• What is the spinal cord?

  • Extension of the brain
  • Responsible for reflex actions
  • Passes messages to and from the brain
  • Connects nerves to the peripheral nervous system
• What is the peripheral nervous system made from?

  The autonomous and somatic nervous system
• What does the autonomous nervous system do?

  Governs vital functions in the body like breathing and heart rate
• What does the somatic nervous system do?

  Governs muscle movement and recieves information from sensory receptors
• What makes up the autonomous nervous system?

  The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
• What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

  Arouses the body to expend energy
• What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

  Calms the body to conserve and maintain energy
• What does the endocrine system do?

  • Controls vital functions through the use of hormones
  • Works more slowly than the nervous system (seconds not milliseconds)
  • Has widespread and powerful effects
• What is a gland?

  Organs in the body that produce hormones
• What is the key endocrine gland?

  The pituitary gland in the brain
• What does the pituitary gland do?

  The pituitary gland, also known as the master gland, controls release of hormones from other endocrine glands in the body
• Where are hormones secreted from glands into?

  The bloodstream
• What do hormones affect?

  Any cell in the body that has receptors for that particular hormone
• What does thyroxine from the thyroid gland affect?

  Cells in the heart and cells throughout the body which increase metabolic rates, increasing growth rates
• Do hormones only affect one organ?


  They can affect cells in more than one organ, leading to diverse and powerful responses
• What is the first step in fight or flight, where the endocrine and autonomous nervous system work together?

  • A stressor is perceived and the hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland, triggering activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomous nervous system
  • Thus, the autonomous nervous system changes from its normal resting parasympathetic state to the physiologically aroused sympathetic state
• What is the second step in fight or flight?

  • The stress hormone adrenaline is released from the adrenal medulla, a part of the adrenal gland lying near the kidneys, into the bloodstream
  • Adrenaline triggers physiological changes in the body like increased heart rate, creating the arousal necessary for the fight or flight response
• How quickly does the fight or flight response occur?

  In an instant as soon as the threat is perceived - it is an acute and automatic reaction in the body
• What are some physiological changes associated with a sympathetic state?


  Increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, dilated pupils, inhibited digestion
• What are some physiological changes associated with a parasympathetic state?

  Decreased heart rate, decreased breathing rate, constricted pupils, stimulated digestion
• What is the third step in the fight or flight response?

  • Once the threat has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to its resting state
  • The parasympathetic branch of the autonomous nervous system is antagonistic to the sympathetic nervous system
  • It acts as a ‘brake’ and reduces the activities increased by the sympathetic branch
  • This is some times referred to as the rest and digest response
• What % of the 100 billion neurons are in the brain?

  80%
• How do neurons transmit signals?

  Electrically and chemically
• What are neurons the primary means of communication of?

  The nervous system
• What are the three types of neurons?

  Sensory, relay and motor
• Which type of neuron is blue?

  Sensory neuron

  
• Which type of neuron is orange?

  Relay neuron

  
• Which type of neuron is green?

  Motor neuron

  
• What feature is A?

  Dendrites

  
• What does B represent?

  Direction of conduction

  
• What feature is C?

  Myelin sheath

  
• What feature is D?

  Cell body

  
• What feature is E?

  Nodes of Ranvier

  
• What feature is F?

  Axon

  
• What feature is at the end of G’s dendrites?

  Terminal buttons