AS biopsychology Flashcards
(59 cards)
what are the two parts of the nervous system
central nervous system
peripheral nervous system
what are the two parts of the central nervous system
brain
spinal cord
what are the two parts of the peripheral nervous system
somatic nervous system
autonomic nervous system
what are the two parts of the autonomic nervous system
sympathetic nervous system
parasympathetic. nervous system
what are the two main functions of the nervous system
collect, process and respond to information in the environment
coordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body
what does the connection between the brain and spinal cord allow for
messages to be sent from brain to body for the body to respond
what is the spinal cord responsible for
reflex actions
what does the SNS do
controls muscle movement and receives information from sensory receptors
what does the ANS do
Governs vital functions in the body such as breathing, digestion, stress responses etc
what does the sympathetic nervous system do
controls ‘fight or flight’ phenomenon, kicks in instantly preparing for fight or escape
what does the parasympathetic nervous system do
slow acting response, tries to reverse the effects of fight or flight response after the scare
what does the endocrine system do
work with nervous system tomaintain homeostasis
how does the endocrine system work
the PNS collects info regarding state of the body
if anything abnormal picked up it is sent to the CNS to make a decision
a signal is then sent to major endocrine glands to secrete the right hormones to maintain homeostasis
what is the master gland
pituitary gland
what does the thyroid gland do
produces thyroxine which effects metabolic rates and in turn affects growth rates
what does the pituitary gland do
controls release of hormones from all other glands- affects growth and many other things
what do the ovaries do
secrete oestrogen and progesterone which control the development of female sex characteristics, puberty and the menstrual cycle
what do the testes do
secrete testosterone- aids development of testes and penis, regulates libido
what does the pancreas do
secretes insulin and glucagon- allows body to use sugar from food for energy, regulates blood sugar levels
what is stress
a physical and psychological response when a person feels like they cannot cope with a stressor
what systems does the stress response use
endocrine and nervous
how is the stress response ‘adaptive’
aids survival
how does the sympathetic nervous system prepare your body for fight or flight
sets down body actions that aren’t essential for fight or flight (digestion etc) and enhances functions necessary (heart rate etc)
what happens when stress subsides
the PNS restores body to resting levels, this is slow-acting and may take several minutes
