B6 - Brain & Mind

Question 1

What are the two communication systems?

Answer 1

The nervous and the hormone (or endocrine) systems

Question 2

Describe the nervous system (impulses and organs) (2)

Answer 2

The nervous system sends quick short electrical impulses using neurones and contains specialised organs called the brain and spinal cord

Question 3

Describe the Hormone system (impulses and organs) (3)

Answer 3

The hormone or endocrine system produces slow and long lasting chemical messages in the form of hormones which is produced in glands

Question 4

What are the two parts of the nervous system?

Answer 4

The Central Nervous system and the Peripheral Nervous system

Question 5

What is the CNS made up of? (2)

Answer 5

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord

Question 6

What is the PNS made up of?

Answer 6

The neurones which connect the CNS to the rest of the body

Question 7

What are the two types of neurone?

Answer 7

Sensory neurones and Motor neurones

Question 8

What do sensory neurones do?

Answer 8

Connect receptors with the CNS

Question 9

What do motor neurones do?

Answer 9

Connect the CNS with effectors

Question 10

Give an example of a hormone and where it’s produced, its target organ/s and function:

Answer 10

Insulin is produced in the pancreas and acts on muscles, the liver and body cells to take up glucose from the blood

Question 11

What is a nerve?

Answer 11

A group of neurones

Question 12

What are the parts of a neurone? (6)

Answer 12

Cell body, nucleus, cytoplasm, dendrites, axon, myelin sheath

Question 13

The speed of a nerve impulse depends on what three things and why?

Answer 13

Temperature: the hotter the faster
Axon diameter: the wider the faster
Myelin sheath: it allows the impulse to jump between the gaps along the sheath and travel quickly

Question 14

What are Synapses?

Answer 14

Gaps between one neurone and the next

Question 15

What happens at a synapse? (5)

Answer 15

1. An electrical Impulse travels along an axon
2. This triggers the nerve ending to release neurotransmitters
3. These chemicals diffuse across the synapse and bind with receptor molecules on the membrane of the next neurone
4. The receptor molecules only bind to the specific neurotransmitters they are associated with. This stimulate the second neurone to transmit the impulse
5. After the impulse is transmitted, the transmitter is removed (either taken up or broken down) from the synapse

Question 16

What are the two types of neurotransmitter and what do they do?

Answer 16

Excitory: Stimulate the brain
Inhibitory: Calm the brain and create balanced mood

Question 17

What is serotonin? (Type of neurotransmitter, job, what can deplete it, how can low levels affect you?)

Answer 17

Serotonin: Inhibitory neurotransmitter
It balances mood, regulates cravings, sleep cycle, pain control and digestion
It can be depleted by regular usage of caffeine or stimulant medication
Low levels produce decreased immune function, anxiety, paranoia and depression

Question 18

What is dopamine? (Type of neurotransmitter, job, what can deplete it)

Answer 18

Dopamine: an excitory and inhibitory neurotransmitter
It helps with depression, focus and motivation
ADD/ADHD medication and caffeine can cause depletion in excess

Question 19

Reflex

Answer 19

Simple response to a stimulus

Question 20

Reflex arc

Answer 20

The pathway of a reflex action

Question 21

What is the pathway of a reflex? (7)

Answer 21

Stimulus, receptor, sensory neurone, CNS relay neurone, motor neurone, effector, response

Question 22

What are the four newborn reflexes?

Answer 22

Stepping, breathing, sucking and grasping

Question 23

What are some reflexes? (3)

Answer 23

dropping a hot object, the knee jerk, the pupil reflex

Question 24

What do relay neurones do when -a reflex occurs?

Answer 24

They connect with other neurones so we know what happened after a reflex occurred or can override and action

Question 25

Instinctive behaviour

Answer 25

Behaviour controlled by reflex responses

Question 26

What are simple organisms?

Answer 26

Organisms that have simple nervous systems and cannot learn behaviour

Question 27

Conditioning

Answer 27

Learning a reflex response by introducing an unrelated stimulus in association with the first

Question 28

Describe Pavlov's Experiment with dogs

Answer 28

Dogs salivate in response to the smell, sight and taste of food Pavlov rang a bell immediately before giving the dogs food He repeated the process and soon, the dogs would salivate at the sound of the bell even if not given food; they learnt to associate the bell with food

Question 29

Associative learning

Answer 29

When the primary and secondary's stimulus have no direct connection

Question 30

Explain the experiment by John B. Watson:

Answer 30

John B. Watson experimented on 8 month old Albert who showed I fear towards rats He scared with loud noises Albert making him cry every time he was shown a rat Eventually Albert began to associate the rat with fear even once the loud noise was removed after repeatedly scaring him

Question 31

What are the three main parts of the brain?

Answer 31

The cerebral cortex, the cerebellum and the medulla

Question 32

What is the cerebral cortex? (5)

Answer 32

The thin folded outer layer of the brain which is in charge of intelligence, memory, language and consciousness

Question 33

What is the cerebellum in charge of? (2)

Answer 33

Posture and movement

Question 34

What is the medulla in charge of? (2)

Answer 34

Breathing and heart rate

Question 35

What are two invasive methods of mapping regions of the brain?

Answer 35

Studying how a person is affected when a certain part of the brain is damaged During brain surgery, using electrodes to stimulate parts of the brain electrically and seeing how patients are affected

Question 36

What is a non-invasive method of mapping regions of the brain?

Answer 36

Producing images and mapping activity with scanning methods like MRI

Question 37

What does MRI stand for?

Answer 37

Magnetic resonance imaging

Question 38

Neuron pathway

Answer 38

A link between neurones

Question 39

Feral children

Answer 39

Children isolated from humanity at a very young age that develop weak language skills when reintroduced to civilisation

Question 40

Memory

Answer 40

The storage and retrieval of information

Question 41

What are the three types of memory

Answer 41

Sensory, short term and long term memory

Question 42

You're more likely to remember information if: (3)

Answer 42

There is a pattern to it Repetition is used, especially over a long period of time There is a strong stimulus associated with it

Question 43

In the multi store model, how long does each type of memory last for?

Answer 43

Sensory: 1-3 seconds Short term: 15-30 seconds Long term: 1 second to a lifetime

Question 44

Why are models limited when explaining memory? (4)

Answer 44

Memory is more complicated than models show No models exactly explain how long-term memory works The multi story model is to linear and don't provide subdivisions or short and long term memory The model doesn't differentiate between different types of stimulus and the difference in performance of individuals

Question 45

What does Prozac do?

Answer 45

Slows down the reabsorption of serotonin so feelings of well-being are prolonged

Question 46

Depressants

Answer 46

Chemicals that slow down or reduce the rate of something. They block and/ or slow nerve transmissions

Question 47

Stimulants

Answer 47

Chemicals that speed up or increase the rate of something

Question 48

Beta blockers

Answer 48

Prescription drugs that block that transmitter adrenaline and reduce heart rate. They are used to treat anxiety and heart rhythm conditions

Question 49

What does cocaine do?

Answer 49

It blocks the removal of dopamine from the synapse and results in the accumulation of dopamine and an amplified signal to the neurones

Question 50

What does ecstasy do?

Answer 50

Works on serotonin, after a nerve impulse is transmitted, the transmitter molecules should be removed from the synapse. MDMA blocks the sites on the neurones where serotonin is reabsorbed but after taking it, the serotonin is depleted

Question 51

Why do multicellular organisms need communication systems?

Answer 51

So that they work as a whole and not as individual cells or organs