Mrs. Perl AP Psychology

Unit 3a:The Nervous System and Biological Psychologists

I. Work with the person sitting 3 people down from you (move to your left) to explain what happens in your nervous system in the following situations: a. You pull your hand away from a hot stove.

b. You walk from your room to the kitchen.

c. You are on a hike, hear a noise, and you think a bear is behind you. After two minutes you realize that it was just the wind.

II. The Nervous System A. CNS and PNS

1 B. Types of neurons: Neurons send “messages” through various types of neurons by releasing neurotransmitters:

a. Afferent Neurons: Sensory Neurons-bring sensations from the outside world into the body (PNS to CNS)

b. Efferent Neurons: Motor Neurons-bring messages from the brain to the muscles of the body (CNS to PNS)

c. Interneurons: Neurons that send messages within the central nervous system (Neurons within the CNS)

B. Reflex Arc

2 C. Breakdown of PNS and CNS

Fight of Flight Response:

III. Neurons and Neurotransmitters-Psychsim activity, Human Brain CD, Action potential video

A. Explain the function of the Cell body, axon, dendrite, myelin sheath, and nodes of Ranvier

3 B. Explain how the action potential works within a neuron. How is it both electrical and chemical? What is the threshhold at which it becomes excitatory? How is it an all-or-nothing response?

4 C. What happens at the synapse of the neuron? (Synaptic gap, reuptake)

D. Explain how agonists and antagonists are similar to neurotransmitters?

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E. Explain the impact the various neurotransmitters have on the neural system?

Neurotransmitte Function/Influence Diagram r

Dopamine pathway

Serotonin pathway

Acetylcholine (ACh) pathway

Norepinephrine pathway

6 GABA Pathway (Gamma- Aminobutyric acid)

Glutamate pathway

IV. The Endocrine System- 1. Compare and contrast the nervous system and the endocrine system.

2.Explain the following terms: a. Hormones b. Adrenal glands-Epinephrine/Norepinephrine or adrenaline/noradrenaline)

c. Pituitary gland (Hypothalamus, master gland. feedback system)

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