Overview of the Nervous System - AP Psychology

Acetylcholine. Promotes calming, restorative functions like digestion.

Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Work in opposition to maintain bodily balance.

To control involuntary bodily functions. Controls heart rate, breathing, and other automatic processes.

Norepinephrine. Activates fight-or-flight responses and arousal.

Acetylcholine. Promotes calming, restorative functions like digestion.

A selective permeability barrier protecting the brain. Filters harmful substances while allowing nutrients through.

To insulate axons and speed up impulse transmission. Fatty layer that increases signal speed up to 100x faster.

To control voluntary movement and cognitive functions. Houses personality, decision-making, and motor cortex.

Sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Work in opposition to maintain bodily balance.

To transmit information between the body and brain. Protected highway for neural signals traveling to/from brain.

To carry motor information from the CNS. Contains motor neuron axons exiting spinal cord.

To carry sensory information to the CNS. Contains sensory neuron cell bodies entering spinal cord.

To transmit information between the body and brain. Protected highway for neural signals traveling to/from brain.

To produce myelin in the peripheral nervous system. Wrap around axons to form protective myelin coating.

Glial cells. Provide structural support, nutrition, and immune protection.

To regulate basic life functions such as breathing. Includes medulla, pons, and midbrain; controls survival functions.

To process auditory information and memory. Houses auditory cortex and hippocampus for memory formation.

To carry motor information from the CNS. Contains motor neuron axons exiting spinal cord.

Oligodendrocytes. Specialized glial cells that myelinate central nervous system axons.

A rapid rise and fall in membrane potential. The electrical signal that travels down a neuron's axon.

A junction between two neurons. Where chemical communication occurs between neurons.

To transmit nerve impulses. Specialized cells that conduct electrical signals throughout the body.

Cranial nerves and spinal nerves. All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.

The brain and spinal cord. Brain controls thoughts and behavior; spinal cord relays signals.

Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System. CNS processes information; PNS connects CNS to body parts.

To coordinate body activities by transmitting signals. Acts as the body's control system, integrating and responding to stimuli.

The cerebellum. Located behind brainstem; coordinates smooth movements.

To promote 'rest and digest' activities. Conserves energy and promotes recovery after stress.

To prepare the body for 'fight or flight'. Increases heart rate, dilates pupils, releases stress hormones.