(part 2) PSYCH 103

the Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System

The Nervous system is primarily composed of two systems. What are they?

Complexity

Characteristics of the Nervous System:

the brain and nervous system being complex allows the individual to do activities of different kinds

Integration

Characteristics of the Nervous System:

refers to the ability of the brain to pull information together

Adaptability

Characteristics of the Nervous System:

the ability to constantly adapt to the changes in the body and the environment

Electrochemical Transmission

Characteristics of the Nervous System:

the brain being the information processing system, powered by electrical impulses and chemical messages, allows the individual to perceive and respond to stimuli

plasticity

A term that denotes the brain's special capacity for modification and change

Afferent Nerves

Sensory Nerves that transport information to the brain.

Efferent Nerves

Motor Nerves that carry the brain's output or response

Peripheral Nervous System

A primary composition of the Nervous System which is the network of nerves that connect the brain and the spinal cord to other parts of the body.

the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system

Peripheral Nervous System is divided into two different nervous systems. What are they?

Somatic Nervous System

A division of PNS consisting of sensory nerves and motor nerves.

Somatic Nervous System

A voluntary division of the PNS.

Autonomic Nervous System

The division of the PNS that communicates with the body's internal organs

Autonomic Nervous System

The involuntary division of the PNS.

the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems

Autonomic Nervous System consists of two divisions which are ______ and _______.

Sympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body

Parasympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body

Soma or the cell body

A part of a neuron that contains the cell's nucleus and is responsible for the cell's health and well-being

Dendrites

A part of a neuron that receives messages from other neurons

Axon

A part of a neuron that transmits information on additional neurons

Myelin Sheath

A part of a neuron that is the layer of fat cells that encases and insulates most axons which helps speed up the transmission of nerve impulse

Synaptic Cleft

Refers to the gap between the axon and the dendrite/cell body across which neural transmission occurs.

Neurotransmitters

A chemical that sends signals from one neuron to another over the synaptic cleft

only one kind of transmitter

How many kinds of transmitter can a receptor bind with?

vesicles

Neurotransmitters are stored in _______ in the terminal buttons.

reuptake

A special chemical reaction to reabsorb the neurotransmitters.

Acetylcholine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

enables muscle action, learning, & memory

Dopamine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

influences voluntary movement, learning, attention, and emotion

Dopamine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

affects sleep, mood, attention, and learning

Serotonin

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

regulates sleep and wakefulness, mood, attention, and learning

Norepinephrine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

helps control alertness and arousal

Glutamate

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory

Acetylcholine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

Low level of chemical produced by this transmitter results to Alzheimer's disease

Dopamine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

Low level of chemical produced by this transmitter results to Parkinson's disease

Serotonin

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

Low level of chemical produced by this transmitter results to depression

Glutamate

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

High level of chemical produced by this transmitter results to overstimulation of brain and seizures

Norepinephrine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

Low level of chemical produced by this transmitter results to depressed mood

Dopamine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

High level of chemical produced by this transmitter results to schizophrenia

Acetylcholine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

stimulates the firing of neurons and is involved in the action of muscles, learning, and memory

Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

helps control the preciseness of the signal being carried from one neuron to the next

Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

low level of this is linked to anxiety

Norepinephrine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

too much is linked with agitated and manic states

Norepinephrine

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

excites the heart muscle, intestine, and urogenital tract

Endorphins

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

natural opiates that mainly stimulate the firing of neurons

Endorphins

NEUROTRANSMITTER:

shields the body from pain and elevates the feeling of pleasure

Glial Cells (neuroglia)

Cells that provide chemicals that serve as the clean-up crew by removing dead neurons and excess neurotransmitter substances

Sensory Neuron, Interneurons, Motor Neurons

What are the three kinds of neuron?

Resting Potential

A neural impulse wherein there is a stable negative charge of an inactive neuron

Action Potential

A neural impulse wherein there is a brief wave of electrical charge that sweeps down the axon during the transmission of a nerve impulse

All-or-none Principle

A neural impulse wherein once the electrical impulse reaches a certain level of intensity, it fires and over all the way down to the axon without losing any of its intensity

hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain

What are the three major components of a human brain?

The Midbrain

A major component of the brain that is composed of the reticular formation and the brainstem

The Hindbrain

A major component of the brain that is made up of several smaller structures, such as the medulla, the pons, and the cerebellum

The Forebrain

A major component of the brain that is mainly consists the Cerebral Cortex, Limbic System, Thalamus, Hypothalamus, Hippocampus, Amygdala

OLDER

OLDER or NEWER part of the brain:

lower level structures, responsible for basic survival mechanisms

NEWER

OLDER or NEWER part of the brain:

higher level structures, responsible for more advanced human faculties

brainstem

The set of neural structures at the base of the brain, including the medulla, the reticular formation, and the pons

medulla

controls heartbeat, breathing, and swallowing

reticular formation

regulates alertness and autonomic nervous system activity

pons

controls a variety of functions, including sleep and control of facial muscles

cerebellum

the "little brain" extending from the rear of the brainstem

cerebellum

This particular structure of the brain occurs without conscious effort

thalamus

the brain's sensory switchboard

limbic system

doughnut-shaped system of neural structures

limbic system

involved in the basics of emotion and motivation: fighting, fleeing, feeding, and reproduction

hypothalamus

plays a center role in controlling eating and drinking, and in regulating the body's temperature,

hypothalamus

"pleasure center" of the brain

hippocampus

doesn't contain memories itself but does trigger processes that store memories elsewhere in the brain

amygdala

almond-shaped structure that plays a critical role in anger and fear

cerebral cortex

the convoluted pinkish-gray surface of the brain where most mental processes take place

left brain

RIGHT or LEFT brain:

written language, spoken language, number skills, reasoning (analytic and verbal)

right brain

RIGHT or LEFT brain:

insight, art awareness, imagination/creativity, music awareness (intuitive and perceptual)

left brain

RIGHT or LEFT brain:

controls the right side of our body

right brain

RIGHT or LEFT brain:

controls the left side of our body

Frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal lobes

What are the 4 lobes of the brain?

Frontal Lobe

LOBES OF THE BRAIN:

is largely responsible for a wide variety of human activities

Parietal Lobes

LOBES OF THE BRAIN:

the brain lobe at the top and center/rear of the head

Parietal Lobes

LOBES OF THE BRAIN:

involve in registering spatial location, attention, and motor control

Occipital Lobes

LOBES OF THE BRAIN:

the brain lobe at the back of the head and primarily responsible for vision

Temporal Lobes

LOBES OF THE BRAIN:

the brain lobe under the temples, in front of the ears

somatosensory strip

Other name of sensory cortex

Sensory Cortex

a cortex that registers sensation on the body and is organized by body part

Motor Cortex

A cortex that controls fine movements and is organized by body part (just like the sensory cortex)

Plasticity

The brain's capacity for modification, as evident in brain reorganization following damage.

Left-handed or lefties

Handedness that is likely to experience reading disabilities, allergies, and migraine headaches.

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

a set of glands that regulate the activities of certain organs by secreting hormones to the bloodstream

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the glands in the system

Pituitary Gland

ENDOCRINE GLAND:

known as the master gland

Pineal Gland

ENDOCRINE GLAND:

secretes the hormone melatonin which regulates the sleep and wake cycle

Thyroid Gland

ENDOCRINE GLAND:

secretes a hormone called thyroxin that regulates metabolism (how fast the body burns its available energy)

Pancreas

ENDOCRINE GLAND:

controls the blood sugar level by secreting the insulin and glucagon

Adrenal Glands

ENDOCRINE GLAND:

produces the main hormone cortisol (steroid) and regulate moods, energy, and the ability to cope with stress.

Gonads

ENDOCRINE GLAND:

produces sex hormones responsible for primary and secondary sex characteristics

Excitatory Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters that "excite" the neuron and cause it to "fire off the message," meaning, the message continues to be passed along to the next cell.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters that block or prevent the chemical message from being passed along any farther.

Modulatory neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters that influence the effects of other chemical messengers. They "tweak" or adjust how cells communicate at the synapse

1.) diffusion - They fade away

2.) reuptake - They are reabsorbed and reused by the nerve cell that released it

3.) degradation - They are broken down by enzymes within the synapse so it can't be recognized or bind to the receptor cell

What happens to neurotransmitters after they deliver their message?

State the three specific processes.

Amino Acids Neurotransmitters, Monoamines Neurotransmitters, and Inhibitory Neurotransmitter

What are the three different types of Neurotransmitters?

Adaptability

Plasticity occurs in this characteristic of the nervous system.

Thalamus

This neural structure is found in the brainstem.