biopsychology Flashcards
(23 cards)
what do dendrites do
carry nerve impulses from neighbouring to cell body
what does the cell body do
produce protein for the cell
what does an axon do
carries impulses away from cell body
what does myelin sheath do
insulates the axon
what do terminal buttons do
communicate with next neuron in the chain
what does a sensory neuron do
carry messages from receptors in the PNS to the CNS
what does a sensory neuron look like
- axon branches into 2 extensions
- cell body in the middle
what does a relay neuron do
connect sensory neurons to the motor or other relay in CNS
what does a relay neuron look like
- short dendrites
- short axons
what do motor neurons do
connect CNS to muscles and glands
what do motor neurons look like
one axon
what is the somatic nervous system
communicates between CNS and outside world, carries out voluntary muscle movement
what is the autonomic nervous system
carries out involuntary movement
what does the autonomic nervous system divide into
- sympathetic NS
- parasympathetic NS
what does the sympathetic nervous system do
prepares body for fight or flight
what does the parasympathetic nervous system do
returns body back to normal after fight or flight
What is the process of synaptic transmission (8 steps)
- the action potential travels down the axon
- the action potential reaches the presynaptic terminal
- this triggers the release of neurotransmitters from the vesicles
- the neurotransmitters cross the synapse
- the postsynaptic receptor of the next neuron detects the neurotransmitters
- summation - next neuron in the chain adds up the excitatory and inhibitory signals and decides which is strongest
- mostly excitatory - next neuron more likely to fire, mostly inhibitory - next neuron less likely to fire
- re uptake channels in the presynaptic terminsl take in and recycle any leftover neurotransmitter
what is action potential
when neuron is activated and the inside becomes positively charged
what does the endocrine system do
communicates chemically by using glands to release hormones into the bloodstream
what is a gland
an organ that secretes hormones
what is a hormone
chemicals released by glands into the bloodstream
what order does the endocrine system work in
- hypothalamus releases stimulating hormone
- pituitary gland produces releasing hormone
- target gland releases relevant hormone
describe how the fight or flight response works
- stressor is perceived
- sympathetic branch of autonomic nervous system is activated
- causes hypothalamus to signal to the pituitary gland
- pituitary gland releases a hormone (ACTH) into the bloodstream
- ACTH activates the adrenal glands causing them to secrete adrenaline
- adrenaline creates the effects of increased breathing rate and heart rate
- when threat passes parasympathetic nervous system is activated which causes us to return to a calm state
