AP Psych Unit 1: 10-41

Central nervous system

consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Perhipheral nervous system

All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord

Somatic nervous system

Voluntary control of the skeletal muscles.

Efferent neurons (motor)

Carries messages from the CNS and delivers them to cells in other parts of the body. (actions)

Afferent neurons (sensory)

Carry messages from the body to the CNS (signals)

Autonomic nervous system

Functions operate without conscious effort. (Involuntary)

Sympathetic nervous system

Directs the body to spend energy; activated by a perceived threat in the environment.

Parasympathetic nervous system

Conserves energy and calms the body after an aroused state occurred.

Glial cells

support cells in the nervous system that nourish, protect, and insulate neurons.

Neurons

specialized to respond rapidly to signals and send signals (action potentials) over long distances.

Reflex arc

a simple neural pathway that controls automatic responses by bypassing the brain for a faster reaction.

Multiple Sclerosis

a disease where the myellin sheath disintegrates, causing slower/blocked neural communication.

Mysathenia Gravis

a disorder where the body’s immune system blocks acetylcholine receptor sites, causing muscle weakness.

Interneurons

• these relay messages between neurons in the central nervous system

• middlemen of neural communication

Neural Transmission

the process of sending signals between neurons through electrical impulses and neural transmitters.

Threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural response.

All or none response

a neuron will either fire at full strength or not at all.

Depolarization

the loss of the inside/outside charge difference.

Refractory Period

the brief time after firing where a neuron cannot fire again because it’s resetting it’s charge.

Reuptake

process where neurotransmitters are reabsorbed by the sending neuron after crossing the synapse.

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synapse to transmit signals between neurons.

Excitatory

promotes the generation of an action potential.

Inhibitory

Prevents the generation of an action potential.

Acetylocholine (ACh)

1. Learning: Enables muscle action and memory

2. with alzehmiers disease, ACh producing neurons deteriorate.

Dopamine (DA)

1. Reward: linked to the brain’s reward system; influencing emotion and movement.

2. Oversupply linked to Schizophrenia

3. Under supply linked to decreased mobility and tremors (Parkinson’s disease)

Seretonin

1. Mood: affects hunger, sleep, and arousal.

2. Under supply is linked to depression; some antidepressants raise Seretonin levels.

Norepinephrine (NE)

1. Concentration: helps control alertness and arousal

2. Under supply can suppress mood

Glutamate

1. Memory: major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory.

2. Oversupply can overstimulate the brain; leading to migraines and seizures

GABA

1. Calming: major inhibitory neurotransmitter; calms the brain

2. under supply can lead to seizures, tremors and insomnia.

Endorphins

1. Euphoria: neurotransmitters that influence the perception of pain or pleasure.

2. oversupply with opioid drugs can suppress body’s natural endorphin supply.

Substance P

1. Pain: involved in pain perception and immune response.

2. oversupply can lead to chronic pain