unit 3 aos 1

• Autonomic nervous system


  a self-regulating sub-division of the peripheral nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body's visceral muscles (internal organs and glands) to regulate function and provide feedback to the brain about their activities
• Axon


  a single, tubelike, extension that carries neural information away from the neuron
• Axon terminal


  the end part of an axon collateral where terminal buttons that store and secrete neurotransmitter are located
• Central nervous system


  the brain and spinal cord; receives, processes and transmits messages to and from the peripheral nervous system/body to control human functioning
• Conscious response

  a reaction to a sensory stimulus that involves awareness; usually voluntary, goal-directed and with some degree of control over it
• Dendrite


  an extension of a neuron that detects and receives information from other neurons
• Excitatory effect


  when a neurotransmitter stimulates or activates a postsynaptic neuron to perform its functions; compare with inhibitory effect
• Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)


  the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, making postsynaptic neurons less likely to fire
• Glutamate (Glu)


  the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, thereby enhancing information transmission by making postsynaptic neurons more likely to fire
• Inhibitory effect


  when a neurotransmitter blocks or prevents a postsynaptic neuron from firing and therefore performing its functions; compare withexcitatory effect
• Interneuron


  carries messages between sensory and motor neurons within the central nervous system
• Motor neuron


  carries messages from the central nervous system to cells in skeletal muscles, organs and glands to stimulate activity
• Myelin

  white, fatty substance covering and insulating an axon
• Neural pathway


  a route based on interconnected neurons that form a communication network within the brain and between the brain and other parts of the nervous system and body
• Neuron


  individual nerve cell
• Neurotransmitter


  a chemical substance produced by a neuron that carries a message to other neurons or cells in muscles, glands or other tissue; compare withneuromodulator
• Parasympathetic nervous system

  a sub-division of the autonomic nervous system that decreases the activity ofmostvisceral muscles (internal organs and glands) to lower bodily arousal back to a relaxed homeostatic state after a threat has passed
• Peripheral nervous system


  an outlying network of neurons that carries information to and from the CNS and body
• Sensory neuron


  receives and carries sensory information from both the external and internal environments and transmits to the central nervous system
• Somatic nervous system


  a sub-division of the peripheral nervous system that carries sensory information from the body to the CNS and motor information from the CNS to the body
• Spinal cord


  the long, thin bundle of nerve tissue that extends from the base of the brain to the lower back; carries information to and from the brain and PNS. enables the spinal reflex
• Spinal reflex


  an unconscious, involuntary response to certain stimuli, initiated within the spinal cord and controlled solely by neural circuits; also calledreflex arc
• Sympathetic nervous system

  a sub-division of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for action by increasing the activity ofmostvisceral muscles (internal organs and glands) at times of vigorous activity, stress or threat
• Synapse


  the site where adjacent neurons communicate by transmitting neural signals to one another
• Synaptic gap


  the tiny space between the axon terminal of a presynaptic neuron and the dendrite of a postsynaptic neuron
• Unconscious response

  a reaction to a sensory stimulus that does not involve awareness; involuntary, unintentional, automatic and we cannot ordinarily control its occurrence; compare withconscious response
• Adrenaline


  a hormone secreted during stress; also calledepinephrine
• Alarm reaction

  the first stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome in which the body goes into a temporary state of shock, then rebounds (counter shock), following initial exposure to a stressor
• Approach coping strategy


  an effort to cope with stress by confronting the stressor and dealing directly with it and its effects; compare withavoidance coping strategy
• Avoidance coping strategy


  an effort to cope with stress by evading the stressor and dealing indirectly with it and its effects; compare withapproach coping strategy
• Context-specific effectiveness

  in relation to coping, when there is a match or 'good fit' between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation
• Coping


  in relation to stress management, attempting to manage the demands of a stressor in some effective way
• Coping flexibility


  the ability to effectively modify or adjust one's coping strategies according to the demands of different stressors
• Coping strategy


  a specific method used to manage or reduce the stress produced by a stressor
• Cortisol


  a hormone secreted from the adrenal glands in response to a stressor
• Exhaustion stage

  the third stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome when the body can no longer sustain resistance
• Fight-or-flight-or-freeze response


  an involuntary, bodily response to a sudden and immediate threat (or stressor) in readiness for fight (confront), flight (escape) or freeze (be silent and unseen)
• General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)


  a three-stage physiological response to a stressor involving alarm reaction (shock/countershock), resistance and exhaustion
• Primary appraisal

  in the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, an individual's evaluation of the significance of a potential stressor and whether anything is at stake in the encounter, resulting in a decision that it is either irrelevant, benign-positive or stressful
• Resistance stage


  the second stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, when the body's resistance to the particular stressor rises above normal