psych paper 2 - biopsych + biopsych keywords

how is the nervous system split

consists of CNS + PNS

main functions of nervous system

• collect, process + respons to info in the environment

• co-ordinate the working of diff organs + cells in body

how is the peripheral nervous system divided

autonomic nervous system (ANS)

somatic nervous system (SNS)

how is autonomic nervous system divided

sympathetic nervous system

parasympathetic nervous system

what is purpose of autonomic nervous system

governs vital bodily functions e.g. breathing, HR, digestion

transmits info to and from internal bodily organs

operates involuntarily

how do the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work

• antagonistically

• para reduces bodily activities that sympathetic increased (can b refferred to as rest and digest response)

which takes longer to kick in and why - para or sympathetic

para incase the threat returns

general role of para

maintain + conserve body energy and functions

general role of sympathetic

general prepares body to expend energy for flight or sight

general role of somatic nervous system

recieves + transmits info from CNS to sensory organs

and vice versa

+governs muscle movement

what does the CNS consist of

• brain

• spinal chord

describe the brain

• divided into 2 hemispheres

• highly developed in humans (so we have higher mental functions that othera animals)

functions of brain

• centre of consciousness

• where all desicions are made

describe spinal cord

extension of the brain

functions of spinal cord

• passes messages to and from the brain

• connects nerves to PNS

• responsible for reflex actions

endocrine v nervous system - speed

Endocrine is slower (2 or 3 sec)

Nervous is faster (0.25 sec)

endocrine v nervous system - effects

endocrine:

• widespread + powerful - most hormones affect cells in more than 1 body organ

• slower - hormones have to trave thru blood stream

nervous:

• faster

endocrine v nervous system - communicates via

endocrine communicates with chemicals

nervous with electrical + chemical signals

what does endocrine system consist of

endocrine glands

endocrine v nervous system - how do they work

endocrine

glands secrete hormones into bloodstream

this affects any cell in body with a receptor for that particular hormone

nervous system

mainly thru synaptic transmission

endocrine v nervous system - function

endocrine

in charge of slower body processes like cell growth

nervous

in charge of faster processes like breathing + body movement

thyroid gland

• located in neck

• produces hormone thyrpxine

• this affects cells in the heart (inc HR,) affects cells throughout body inc metabollic rates (chemical reactions taking place in cells,) affecting growth rates

pituitary gland

located in brain

controls release of hormones from most other endocrine glands in body

testes

located in scrotum

produces testosterone

helps penis and testes develop, deepening of voice during puberty + inc muscle size

what are biological changes in flight or fight caused by

interaction between nervous and endocrine systems

basic fight or flight outline

threat perceived

hypothalamus activates sympathetic NS

(release of adrenaline)

these inc physiological arousal (inc HR, reathing rate, dilates pupils redirects blood flow to muscles)

this enables rapid physical response (confront/run away) + prepares body for action

This produces fight or flight response

evaluate fight or flight

• all of OG research based on men

• women respond differently to men - more likely to go into tend and befriend rather than fight or flight

• there are more responses than fight or flight - freeze and faun (be friendly to aggressor so less likely to hurt you)

motor - dendrites, axon, location

short dendrites

long axon

cell bodies are in CNS and axons form part of PNS

relay

short dendrites

short axon

most found within spinal cord, brain and visual system

sensory

long dendrites

short axon

found in PNS, found in clusters called ganglia

axons extend from PNS into spinal cord and create synapses with relay neurones

cell body (or soma)

- contains nucleus (contains genetic material of cell)​

dendrites

branch-like structures at beginning of a neuron.

receiveschemical messages from neighbouring neurons

+ carry signal toward cellbody (may turn into electrical signals in cell body)​

axon

carries electrical signal away from cell body down the neuron

myelin sheath

fatty later (manufactured by Schwann cells) thatsurrounds + protects axon + speeds up transmission of signal​

nodes of ranvier

gaps between myelin sheath that speed uptransmission of impulse by forcing it to 'jump' across gaps along axon​

axon terminal/ terminal boutons

communicate with dendrites ofother neurons, across the synapse. Is where signal has to cross asynapse to the next neuron​

neuron diagrams

3 types neurons

M otor

R elay

S ensory

transmission of signals within neurons v between neurons

WITHIN - transmitted electrically

BETWEEN - transmitted chemically

pathway of synaptic transmission

• Electrical impulse (action potential) travels to end of the pre-synaptic neurone's terminal bouton​

• Vesicles move to end of pre-synaptic neurone​

• Action potential causes release of neurotransmitters from synaptic vesicles (tiny sacs)​

• Neurotransmitter crosses synapse​

• It binds to receptor site on dendrite of postsynaptic neuron ​

• Chemical message converted back into an electrical impulse (if there are more excitatory than inhibitory signals)​

• Process of electrical transmission begins again

what is the direction of travel in synaptic transmission usually like

one-way (neurotransmitters relased from PREsynaptic terminal bouton and receivedby POSTsynaptic neuron)

what does each neurotransmitter have

each neurotransmitter has its own specific molecular structure that fits into a postsynaptic receptor site

they also have specialist functions e.g. acetylcholine (ACh) isfound at each point where a motor neuron meets a muscle + itwill cause muscles to contract (upon it's release

neurotransmitters can have a … effect on postsynaptic neuron

inhibitory e.g. GABA

excitatory e.g. glumate

describe inhibitory effect

neuron becomes more negatively charged

less likely to ‘fire’ (transmit an electrical signal)

describe excitatory effect

• increases positive charge

• more likely to ‘fire’

what can have an excitatory or inhibitory effect

dopamine

what is summation

the process that determines whther a postsynaptic neuron fires

describe summation

• different neurotransmitters released together at a synpase

• excitatory and inhibitory signals are summed across all the dendrites of the postsynaptic neurone

what happens if more excitatory

more likely to create an action potential

what happens if more inhibitory

less likely to create an action potential

synaptic transmission diagram