Biopsych 1

Question 1

What is the nervous system?
How is it split up?

Answer 1

Network of nerve cells carry messages to and from brain and spinal cord
Cns- brain, spinal cord
Pns- somatic, autonomic (sympathetic, parasympathetic)

Question 2

What does the CNS do

Answer 2

Controls behaviour
Regulates body’s physiological processes

Question 3

whatis the spinal cord/ what is its role?

Answer 3

relays info between brain and body
connects to diff parts of body via pairs of spinal nerves
contains nerve cells allowing us to do reflexes wo brain

Question 4

what happens if spinal cord is damaged?

Answer 4

area below damage is cut off from brain and cant function

Question 5

Cerebrum

Answer 5

largest part of brain
split down middle into cerebral hemispheres which communicate through corpus collosum
divided into 4 lobes

Question 6

frontal lobe

Answer 6

speaking, planning, making judgements, abstract thinking, personality

Question 7

parietal lobe

Answer 7

sense of touch, body position

Question 8

occipital lobe

Answer 8

vision/ info related to sight

Question 9

temporal lobe

Answer 9

comprehension, sound, speech

Question 10

whatis the cerebellum?
what do abnormalities with it lead to?

Answer 10

controls motor skills, balance, coordination
abnormalities lead to speech problems, motor problems, epilepsy

Question 11

Brain stem

Answer 11

regulates automatic functions like breathing

Question 12

Diencephalon

Answer 12

beneath cerebrum and above brain stem
contains:
hypothalamus- regulates body temp, hunger, thirst, release of hormones from pituitary
thalamus- relay station for nerve impulses from senses

Question 13

what is the PNS?
what does it do?

Answer 13

all nerves outside cns
relay impulses from cns to rest of body and back to cns

Question 14

what is the somatic nervous system? what is it made up of?

Answer 14

connects senses to brain
controls voluntary movement
involved in reflex actions
made of 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves

Question 15

what is the autonomic nervous system?
what is it split into?

Answer 15

carries out processes that arent under our conscious control like heart rate and digestion
sympathetic and parasympathetic

Question 16

Autonomic- sympathetic

Answer 16

involved in responses helping us deal with emergencies (fight flight)
increases hr, bp, dilates blood vessels, stops salivation, digestion, lacrimation, urination, defecation

Question 17

Autonomic- parasympathetic

Answer 17

relaxes body after emergency has passed
decreases hr, bp, processes start back up etc

Question 18

Neurone
Structure function

Answer 18

specialised cells whose function is to move impulses to and from cns.
dendrites- receive signal
cell body and nucleus- impulse travels through cell body
axon
myelin sheath- insulates so travels faster
axon terminal
action potential(electrical signal)

Question 19

what are sensory neurons?

Answer 19

carry impulses from sensory receptors to spinal cord and towards the brain
some terminate in spinal cord for reflexes

Question 20

what is a relay neuron

Answer 20

found in brain and spinal cord and allow motor and sensory neurons to communicate

Question 21

where are motor neurons found?

Answer 21

found in cns but project axons outside to control muscles

Question 22

describe synaptic transmission

Answer 22

action potential reaches terminal of presynaptic neuron
causes vesicles to purge and release neurotransmitters which diffuse across the synapse
bind to specific receptor sites
excitatory- + charges post synaptic neuron so more likely to fire
inhibitory- opposite
summation- sees if fires or not
reuptake- neurotransmitters pop back into pre synaptic neuron to be used again

Question 23

Endocrines system

Answer 23

network of glands that manufacture and release hormones into the blood stream. hormones go to target organs

Question 24

Negative feedback

Answer 24

hypothalamus releases releasing hormone causing pituitary to release stimulating hormone to target gland. levels too high, hypothalamus stops secretion so does everything else

Question 25

what is the pituitary gland? what is it made up of?

Answer 25

produces hormones which influence release of other hormones. controlled by hypothalamus Anterior: front. ACTH-response to stress-stimulates glands to produce cortisol, LH and FSH Posterior:back. oxytocin-stimulates uterus contractions, important for bonding

Question 26

what are the adrenal glands made up of?

Answer 26

on top of kidneys Adrenal cortex(inner)- hormones necessary for life. Cortisol-cardiovascular and antiinflam functions. aldosterone- maintains blood pressure and vol Adrenal medulla- adrenaline- increase hr,bp etc. noradrenaline- constricts blood vessels so increases bp

Question 27

Ovaries

Answer 27

production of eggs and oestrogen (males produce in adrenal glands) and progesterone progesterone is important in post ovulation phase

Question 28

Testes

Answer 28

produce testosterone- development of facial hair, deep voice, growth controlled by hypothalamus and pituitary plays role in sex drive,sperm production, maintaining strength women have it but in smaller amounts

Question 29

Fight/ flight response

Answer 29

- body responding to stressful situations for survival. - **amygdala** mobilised- associates sensory signals with emotions associated with fight flight - sends distress signal to **hypothalamus** which communicates w rest of body through **sympathetic nervous system** - bodys response has 2 systems one for acute one for chronic

Question 30

Acute stress response

Answer 30

SNS triggered sends signal to adrenal medulla which releases adrenaline this increases heart rate (blood round bod), breathing (oxygen) and triggers release of sugar (energy) parasympathetic when stress passed AMYGDALA TO HYPOTHALAMUS TO SNS TO ADRENAL MEDULLA TO ADRENALINE

Question 31

what is chronic stress? what is the HPA axis?

Answer 31

starts when brain continues to perceive something as threatening adrenaline decreases and hypothalamus activate HPA axis H hypothalamus releases CRH P this causes pituitary gland to release ACTH to target organ A this stimulates adrenal cortex to release stress based hormones like cortisol

Question 32

effects of cortisol

Answer 32

+ burst of energy,less sensitive to pain - decrease immune system, impaired cognitive function

Question 33

Too much or little cortisol problems Reduce it by

Answer 33

too much- high bp leads to stroke and heart attack, less able to fight infections, can lead to diabetes, fat build up especially round abdomen too little-low bp, poor immune system, cant deal w stress reduce levels- exercise and meditation

Question 34

Evaluation of fight/ flight

Answer 34

- different responses to stress (tend and befriend in women)- alpha(?) bias - stressors today dont need physical reaction, frequently activated causes high cortisol - reductionist-1st stage is freeze which is useful as makes you vigilant and aware - may cause positive not fight flight behavior eg cooperative behavior - SRY gene in men causes aggression so fight flight but women dont have (Y chromosome)