Nervous System AP Psych

Central NS (CNS)

Brain and Spinal Cord

Peripheral NS

Rest of the nervous system, relays to the central nervous system

Somatic NS

Voluntary movement, has sensory and motor neurons

Autonomic NS

Involuntary organs (heart, lungs, etc) contains the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system

Sympathetic NS

fight/flight (generally activates - except digestion)

Parasympathetic NS

rest/digest (generally inhibits - exception digestion)

Neuron

Basic cell of the NS

Dendrites

Receive incoming Neurotransmitters

Axon

Action potential travels down this

Myelin Sheath

speeds up AP down axons, protects axon

Synapse

gap between neurons

SENSORY neurons

receive sense signals from environment - send signal to brain

MOTOR neurons

signals to move - send signals from brain

Interneurons

cells in spinal cord'/brain responsible for reflex arc

Reflex arc

important stimuli skips the brain and routes through the spinal cord for immediate reactions (hand on a hot flame_

Glia

supports cells- give nutrients and clean up around neurons

Resting potential

neuron maintains a -70mv charge when not doing

Depolarization

charge of neuron briefly switches from neg to pos. - triggers the action potential

Threshold of depolarization

stimulus strength must reach this point to start the action potential

All or nothing principle

stimulus must trigger the AP past its threshold, but does not increase the intensity or speed of the response (flush the toilet)

Refractory period

neuron must rest and reset before it can send another AP( toilet resets)