Biopsychology- The Nervous System

Question 1

What is biopsychology about?

Answer 1

How biology influences behaviour

Question 2

What does biopsychology study?

Answer 2

Nervous system, neurotransmitters and hormones

Question 3

What is the role of the nervous system?

Answer 3

Allows you to respond to changes in your environment and allows you to coordinate your actions

Question 4

What do receptors do?

Answer 4

Detect stimuli

Question 5

What do effectors do?

Answer 5

Brings about a response to a stimulus

Question 6

What are effectors?

Answer 6

Muscle cells and cells found in glands

Question 7

How do receptors communicate with effectors?

Answer 7

Via the nervous and/or endocrine systems

Question 8

What are the two parts to the nervous system?

Answer 8

Central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS)

Question 9

What is the central nervous system made up of?

Answer 9

The brain and the spinal cord

Question 10

What is the peripheral nervous system made up of?

Answer 10

The neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body

Question 11

What are the two parts to the PNS?

Answer 11

Autonomic (ANS) and somatic (SNS)

Question 12

What is the role of the somatic nervous system?

Answer 12

To control conscious activities

Question 13

What is the role of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 13

Controls unconscious activities

Question 14

What are the two parts to the ANS?

Answer 14

Sympathetic and parasympathetic

Question 15

What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 15

To get the body ready for action

Question 16

What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 16

To calm the body down

Question 17

What is the role of neurons?

Answer 17

To transmit information as electrical impulses around the body

Question 18

What does the cell body have?

Answer 18

Dendrites that receive information from other neurons

Question 19

How does information pass within the neuron?

Answer 19

Along the axon in the form of an electrical impulse that ends up at the synaptic knob

Question 20

What is the role of the myelin sheath?

Answer 20

Insulates the axon to speed up nervous transmission

Question 21

What is the synapse?

Answer 21

A small gap before the next neuron

Question 22

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 22

Chemicals released from the synaptic knob that pass across the synapse to pass on the signal to the dendrites of the next neuron

Question 23

What are the 3 types of neurons?

Answer 23

Sensory, relay and motor

Question 24

What are sensory neurons?

Answer 24

Transmit electrical impulses from receptors to the CNS

Question 25

What are relay neurons?

Answer 25

Transmit electrical impulses between sensory neurons and motor neurons

Question 26

What are motor neurons?

Answer 26

Transmit electrical impulses from CNS to effectors

Question 27

What are reflexes?

Answer 27

Fast, automatic responses to stimuli

Question 28

What is the advantage of reflexes?

Answer 28

They help us avoid damage

Question 29

What does the synaptic knob contain?

Answer 29

Synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitters

Question 30

What happens when an electrical impulse reaches the end of a neuron?

Answer 30

It causes neurotransmitters to be released into the synaptic cleft

Question 31

What happens to neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft?

Answer 31

They diffuse across to the postsynaptic membrane and bind to specific receptors

Question 32

What happens when neurotransmitters bind to receptors?

Answer 32

Trigger an electrical impulse, cause muscle contraction, or cause a hormone to be secreted

Question 33

Why are impulses unidirectional?

Answer 33

Because receptors are only on the postsynaptic membranes

Question 34

What do excitatory neurotransmitters do?

Answer 34

Increases the likelihood that an electrical impulse will be triggered in the postsynaptic neuron

Question 35

What do inhibitory neurotransmitters do?

Answer 35

Decrease the likelihood that an electrical impulse will be triggered in the postsynaptic neuron

Question 36

What is the structure of a sensory neuron?

Answer 36

Long dendrites, short axons

Question 37

What is the structure of a relay neuron?

Answer 37

Short dendrites, short axons

Question 38

What is the structure of a motor neuron?

Answer 38

Short dendrites, long axons