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AS / A Level Psychology COPY > BP: The nervous system > Flashcards

BP: The nervous system Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system?

A

Governs the brain’s involuntary activities and is self-regulating/autonomous.

Eg. stress, heartbeat.

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2
Q

What are the two branches of the ANS?

A
  • Sympathetic branch (fight or flight)
  • Parasympathetic branch (rest and digest)
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3
Q

What is the brain?

A

The part of the central nervous system that is responsible for coordinating sensation, intellectual and nervous activity.

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4
Q

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

A

Comprises the brain and spinal cord.

It receives information from the senses and controls the body’s responses.

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5
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system?

A

The part of the nervous system that is outside the brain and spinal cord.

(All the nerves outside of the brain and the spinal cord).

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6
Q

What is the somatic nervous system?

A

The part of the peripheral nervous system responsible for carrying sensory and motor information to and from the central nervous system.

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7
Q

What is the spinal cord?

A

A bundle of nerve fibres enclosed within the spinal column and which connects nearly all parts of the body with the brain.

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8
Q

What is the human nervous system?

A

A complex network of nerve cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body.

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9
Q

What does the human nervous system help?

A

Helps all the parts of the body communicate with each other.

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10
Q

What controls the nervous system?

A

The brain.

It has billions of neural cross-connections.

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11
Q

Label this diagram, showing the divisions of the nervous system:

A
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12
Q

Name the two parts of the CNS:

A

The brain and the spinal cord.

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13
Q

What are the two main functions of the CNS?

A
  • The control of behaviour.
  • The regulation of the body’s physiological processes.
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14
Q

What is the main function of the spinal cord?

What does this allow the brain to do?

A

To relay information between the brain and the rest of the body.

This allows the brain to monitor and regulate bodily processes, such as digestion and breathing, and to coordinate voluntary movements.

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15
Q

What is the spinal cord connected to?

How is it connected to these areas?

A

It is connected to different parts of the body by pairs of spinal nerves, which connect with specific muscles and glands.

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16
Q

Apart from pairs of spinal nerves, what else does the spinal cord contain?

A

Circuits of nerve cells that enable us to perform some simple reflexes without the direct involvement of the brain.

Eg. pulling your hand away from something hot.

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17
Q

What happens if the spinal cord is damaged?

A

Areas supplied by nerves below the damaged site will be cut off from the brain and will stop functioning.

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18
Q

How many areas can the brain be divided into?

A

Four main areas.

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19
Q

List the four main areas of the brain:

A
  • Cerebrum
  • Cerebellum
  • Diencephalon
  • Brain stem
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20
Q

What is the cerebrum?

A
  • The largest part of the brain.
  • It is divided into four different lobes:
    • the frontal lobe
    • the occipital lobe
    • the parietal lobe
    • the temporal lobe.
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21
Q

In the cerebrum, what is the role of the frontal lobes?

A

Involved with functions such as speech, thought and learning.

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22
Q

In the cerebrum, what is the role of the temporal lobes?

A

Involved with hearing and memory.

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23
Q

In the cerebrum, what is the role of the parietal lobes?

A

Processing sensory information such as touch, temperature and pain.

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24
Q

In the cerebrum, what is the role of the occipital lobes?

A

Processing visual information.

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25
How is the **cerebrum split?**
It is split down the middle into two halves.
26
What are the **two halves** of the **cerebrum** called?
Cerebral hemispheres.
27
What does each **hemisphere** of the **cerebrum** do?
Each hemisphere is specialised for particular behaviours, and the two halves communicate with each other through the **corpus callosum (bundles of nerve fibres).**
28
Label this diagram of the **brain:**
29
Where is the **cerebellum located?**
Beneath the back of the cerebrum.
30
What is the **cerebellum** involved in?
Controlling a person's motor skills and balance, coordinating the muscles to allow precise movements.
31
What can **abnormalities** in the **cerebellum** result in?
A number of problems, including speech and motor problems and epilepsy.
32
Where is the **diencephalon located?**
Beneath the cerebrum and on top of the brain stem.
33
What two **important structures** are within the diencephalon?
* The thalamus * The hypothalamus
34
What is the **thalamus**? ## Footnote *What does it do?*
A part of the brain found within the diencephalon. ## Footnote *It acts as a relay station for nerve impulses coming from the senses, routing them to the appropriate part of the brain where they can be processed.*
35
What is the **role of the hypothalamus?**
* Homeostasis: * Regulating body temperature, hunger and thirst. * Also acts as a link between the endocrine system and the nervous system, **controlling the release of hormones from the pituitary gland.**
36
What is the **brain stem** responsible for? ## Footnote *Give examples.*
Regulating the automatic functions that are essential for life. ## Footnote *Eg. breathing, heartbeat and swallowing.*
37
What travels through **the brain stem** and what does this allow?
Motor and sensory neurons travel through the brain stem, allowing impulses to pass between the brain and the spinal cord.
38
All the **nerves outside** the **CNS**, make up what?
The peripheral nervous system.
39
What is the **function** of the **peripheral nervous system?**
To relay nerve impulses from the CNS to the rest of the body and from the body back to the CNS.
40
What are the **two main divisions** of the peripheral nervous system?
* Somatic nervous system * Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
41
What is the **somatic nervous system** made up of?
* 12 pairs of cranial nerves * 31 pairs of spinal nerves
42
What are **cranial nerves?**
Nerves that emerge directly from the underside of the brain.
43
What are **spinal nerves?**
Nerves that emerge from the spinal cord.
44
What do both the nerves in the **somatic nervous system have?**
Sensory neurons and motor neurons.
45
What are **sensory neurons?**
Neurons in the **somatic nervous system** that relay messages to the CNS.
46
What are **motor neurons?**
Neurons in the somatic nervous system that relay information from the CNS to other areas of the body.
47
What is the **somatic system** responsible for?
Reflex actions without the involvement of the CNS. ## Footnote *This allows reflexes to happen very quickly.*
48
What is **regulated** by the **autonomic nervous system?**
Involuntary actions that do not require concious awareness.
49
Give examples of **involuntary actions** the **ANS regulates:**
* Heartbeat * Digestion of food in the intestines
50
Why is the **autonomic nervous system** necessary?
It is necessary because vital bodily functions such as heartbeat and digestion would not work so efficiently if you had to think about them.
51
What are the **two parts** of the **autonomic nervous system​?**
Sympathetic *and* Parasympathetic ***Both of these divisions tend to regulate the same organs but have opposite affects.***
52
Why do the **two divisions** of the **ANS** have **opposite effects?**
They have opposite effects because of the **neurotransmitters** associated with each division. *The two divisions are sympathetic and parasympathetic.*
53
What **neurotransmitter** does the **sympathetic division** of the ANS use? ## Footnote *What effects does this have?*
Noradrenaline. ## Footnote *This has stimulating effects.*
54
What **neurotransmitter** does the **parasympathetic division** of the ANS use? ## Footnote *What effects does this have?*
Acetylcholine. ## Footnote *This has inhibiting effects.*
55
What is the **sympathetic nervous system** involved with?
In responses that help us deal with emergencies (fight or flight), such as increasing heart rate and blood pressure and dilating blood vessels in the muscles.
56
Where do **neurons** from the **sympathetic nervous system** travel?
To virtually every organ and gland within the body. ## Footnote *This prepares the body for rapid action when the individual is under threat.*
57
Give examples of the effects of **sympathetic nervous system activation** on the body:
* **Increased pupil size** lets in more light for better vision. * **Digestion** is inhibited. * **Increase in heart rate** allows for greater blood flow to skeletal muscles. * **Bronchial tubes in lungs dilate** for greater oxygen intake. * **Sweat glands stimulate** to produce more sweat. * **Glycogen stored in the liver** is converted to glucose for energy. * **Adrenal medulla stimulated** to release adrenaline.
58
How can we **think** of the **sympathetic** and **parasympathetic** nervous system?
We can think of the SNS as pushing an individual into an action when faced with danger, and the PNS as relaxing them again once the emergency has passed.
59
What is the **parasympathetic nervous system** involved with?
Energy conservation and digestion. ## Footnote *Sometimes referred to as the 'rest and digest' system.*
60
List **effects** of the **parasympathetic nervous system activation** on the body:
* Slows heartbeat down. * Reduces blood pressure. * Digestion begins again.
61
The **sympathetic** and **parasympathetic** nervous systems are...
... antagonistic and cannot work at the same time.
62
# Define **antagonistic.** *Give an example.*
The action of one nervous system inhibits and counteracts that of another. ## Footnote *An example would be the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.*
63

AS / A Level Psychology COPY (65 decks)

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