Studied by 16 people
three main roles of the nervous system
receive, process and coordinate a response to information
central nervous system (CNS)
consists of the brain and spinal cord; receives, processes and co-ordinates a response to sensory information
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
the network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body, carrying information to and from the CNS
somatic nervous system (SNS)
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles, and carries sensory/motor information to and from the CNS
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart), providing feedback to the brain about their activities
parasympathetic nervous system
helps maintain the internal body environment in a steady, balanced state of normal functioning (homeostasis)
sympathetic nervous system
activates internal muscles, organs and glands to prepare the body for vigorous activity/to respond to stress
enteric nervous system (ENS)
embedded in the walls of the GI tract, dedicated to its functioning
connected by the vagus nerve
detects the physiological condition of the GI tract
integrates information about its state
provides outputs to control gut movement
ganglia
small clusters of neurons and nerve fibres
SAME
sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent)
conscious response
a voluntary and intentional reaction to a sensory stimulus that involves awareness
unconscious response
an involuntary, unintentional reaction to a sensory stimulus that does not involve awareness
perception
the interpretation of sensory information so meaning can be assigned
neural pathway
one or more circuits of interconnected neurons that forms a communication network
major functions of the spinal cord
receive sensory information from the body and send the messages to the brain for processing
receive motor information from the brain and send it to relevant parts of the body to control muscles, glands and organs
neurotransmitter
a chemical substance produced by a neuron that carries a message to other neurons or cells in muscles, organs or other tissue
neurotransmission
the process of transferring information between neurons
involves neurochemicals binding to complementary receptor sites of postsynaptic neurons
neural synapse
the site where communication typically occurs between two adjacent neurons
includes the terminal buttons of a pre-synaptic neuron, the space between the pre- and post-synaptic neurons (synaptic gap), and the receptor sites/dendrites of the other
reuptake
neurotransmitters that do not bind to receptor sites are absorbed back into the terminal buttons of the presynaptic neuron
excitatory effect
stimulate/activate postsynaptic neurons to perform their functions/make them likely to fire
inhibitory effect
block/prevent postsynaptic neurons from firing
glutamate
primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, involved in learning, memory, perception, thinking and movement
excessive glutamate can lead to neural damage/death
GABA
primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, involved in fine-tuning neurotransmission to maintain its optimal level
lack of GABA can lead to seizures, phobia or anxiety
neuromodulators
a subdivision of neurotransmitters that influence/enhance the effects of other neurotransmitters
dopamine
primarily an excitatory (could be inhibitory) neurotransmitter that is also a neuromodulator
roles in voluntary movements, pleasure, motivation, appetite, reward-based learning and memory
serotonin
an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is also a neuromodulator
roles in mood, emotional processing, sleep onset, appetite and pain perception
synaptic plasticity
the ability of the synapse to change in response to experience
sprouting
the creation of new extensions (bushier axon fibres) on a neuron to allow it to make new connections with other neurons
rerouting
new connections are made between active neurons to create alternate neural pathways (usually due to damage)
pruning
elimination of weak, ineffective or unused synapses to fine-tune information
long-term potentiation (LTP)
activity-dependent, long-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission due to repeated strong stimulation
long-term depression (LTD)
long-lasting decrease in the strength of synaptic transmission and neuronal response as a result of lack of stimulation
similarities between LTP and LTD
activity-dependent
involve glutamate
changes in excitability
long-lasting effects
forms of long-lasting neural plasticity
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