Summary psychology science H3
Nervous system= responsible for everything we think, feel or do
1. Central nervous system (CNS)= consists of the brain and the spinal cord
2. Peripheral nervous system (PNS)= nerve cells in body and somatic and
automatic nervous system
Somatic component= voluntary behaviour (reaching object)
Autonomic component= less voluntary actions (controlling heart rate and other
bodily functions)
3.1 Neurons are the basic units of the nervous system
Neurons= nerve cells receive, integrate and transmit information
- Sensory neurons= detect information from the physical world and pass
information along to the brain (somatosensory nerves)
- Motor neurons= direct muscles to contract or relax
- Interneurons= relay stations facilitating communication between sensory
and motor neurons
Reflexes= automatic motor responses
Neuron structure
Dendrites Short branchlike appendages
Detect chemical signals from neigh
boring neurons
Cell body (soma) Information received via the dendrites
from thousands of other neurons is
collected and integrated
Axon Electrical impulses are transmitted
along axons
- Terminal buttons= at the ends
of axons, small nodules that
release chemical signals from
the neuron into the synapse
Synapse Chemical communication occurs
between neurons
Terminal buttons= sending neurons
Dendrites= receiving neurons
Membrane= outer surface of a neuron
- Selectively permeable
Nervous system= responsible for everything we think, feel or do
1. Central nervous system (CNS)= consists of the brain and the spinal cord
2. Peripheral nervous system (PNS)= nerve cells in body and somatic and
automatic nervous system
Somatic component= voluntary behaviour (reaching object)
Autonomic component= less voluntary actions (controlling heart rate and other
bodily functions)
3.1 Neurons are the basic units of the nervous system
Neurons= nerve cells receive, integrate and transmit information
- Sensory neurons= detect information from the physical world and pass
information along to the brain (somatosensory nerves)
- Motor neurons= direct muscles to contract or relax
- Interneurons= relay stations facilitating communication between sensory
and motor neurons
Reflexes= automatic motor responses
Neuron structure
Dendrites Short branchlike appendages
Detect chemical signals from neigh
boring neurons
Cell body (soma) Information received via the dendrites
from thousands of other neurons is
collected and integrated
Axon Electrical impulses are transmitted
along axons
- Terminal buttons= at the ends
of axons, small nodules that
release chemical signals from
the neuron into the synapse
Synapse Chemical communication occurs
between neurons
Terminal buttons= sending neurons
Dendrites= receiving neurons
Membrane= outer surface of a neuron
- Selectively permeable
