Psychology biopsychology

• neurons can measure anywhere from less than a millimetre to around a meter long
• action terminals 


  terminals at the end of the axon which sends signals to adjacent neurons across the synapses
• axon

  where the electrical signals pass along / through
• myelin sheath


  made up of individual schwann cells
• myelin sheath is a fatty substance which insulates and protects the axon from external influences that might effect the transmission of the nerve impulses down the axon
• dendrite 


  receives signals from adjacent neurons
• nucleus

  controls center of the cell which contains the cells chromosomal DNA
• action potential 


  explosion of electrical activity
• the action potential always passes from the dendrites along the axon to the axon terminals
• node of ranvier


  speeds up the transmission of the impulse by forcing it to jump
• sensory neuron sends signals from your sense organs
• sensory neuron is made up of: dendrites, an axon, axon terminals and a cell body in the middle containing the nucleus
• relay neuron connects the sensory and motor neuron together
• relay neuron contain: dendrites, an axon, axon terminals and a cell body in the middle containing the nucleus
• motor neurons send signals to your muscles and organs
• motor neurons are made up of: a cell body at the top covered in dendrites, an axon and axon terminals.
• the direction of electrical signals is from the dendrites to the axon terminals
• 2 main functions of the nervous system

  • collects, processes and responds to information in the environment.
  • to co-ordinate the working of different organs and cells
• the nervous system is a specialized network of cells in the human body and is our primary internal communication system.
• the human nervous system is split up into the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system
• the somatic nervous system receives information from the sensory receptors and is responsible for voluntary muscle movement directed from the motor cortex (and reflex actions)
• what systems are within the autonomic nervous system?


  the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system
• the autonomic nervous system governs vital functions of the body such as breathing, digestion and stress. This is from the control centres in the brain stem
• the parasympathetic nervous system slows down the activity of the other organs so that they can return to their normal state once the fight or flight response has ended
• the sympathetic nervous system prepares us for action by increasing heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rates. It also increases energy levels and decreases non essential bodily function like digestion and urination
• the parasympathetic nervous system is involved in rest and digest
• the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the flight or fight response
• the central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord
• the brain is divided into 2 halves with each being called the hemisphere. It is the centre of all conscious awareness
• the spinal cord is an extension of the brain and is responsible for reflex actions as well
• sensory neuron


  carries messages from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system.

  has long dendrites and short exons and contain myelin sheaths
• relay neurons


  connects the sensory neurons to the motor or other relay neurons.

  has short dendrites and short axons. these do not have myelin sheaths.
• motor neurons 


  connects the central nervous system to effects like muscles and glands.

  has short dendrites and long axons and contain myelin sheaths
• Biopsychology assumes that behaviour and experiences are (at least partly) caused by activity in the nervous system
• the nervous system is a specialised network of cells in the human body and is our primary internal communication system.
• the nervous system communicates via billions of neurons
• nerve cells communicate with each other through electrical (within neurons) and chemical impulses (between neurons) within the body and the brain
• the things people think and feel, say and do are caused by events occurring within and between the neurons which make up the nervous system-> 80% in the brain
• the reflex arc doesn't go to the brain just to the spinal cord to get a responce
• a stimulus such as a hammer hitting a knee is detected by sense organs in the peripheral nervous system which conveys a message along a sensory organ. the message reaches the central nervous system where it connected with a relay neuron. This transfers the message to a motor neuron which carries the message to an effector such as a muscle which contracts causing the knee to jerk