Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > Biopsych > Flashcards

Biopsych Flashcards

Get an A star innit

1
Q

What is a neuron?

A

Cells that conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain to the rest of the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the PNS split into?

A

Somatic - Controls voluntary muscles and transmits sensory information from to CNS
Autonomic - Controls involuntary body functions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What does the autonomic nervous system contain?

A

Sympathetic - Aroused body to expend energy
Parasympathetic - Calms body to conserve and maintain energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Function of the brain stem

A

Regulates automatic functions which are necessary for life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Outline the role of the sensory neuron

A

To carry signals from receptors to the spinal cord and brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Outline the role of the relay neuron

A

To carry messages from one part of the CNS to another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Outline the role of the motor neuron

A

To carry signals from CNS to effectors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Outline the process of synaptic transmission

A

-Nerve impulse arrives
-Causes vesicles containing the neurotransmitters to be released to fuse with the surface of the pre-synaptic membrane
-The neurotransmitter gets released into the synapse and diffuse across the synapse
-neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the post synaptic neuron causing the cell to fire or inhibit its action potentials depending on what neurotransmitter binds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is an excitatory neurotransmitter?

A

Make it more likely that the next neuron will fire E.g. Glutamate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is an inhibitory neurotransmitter?

A

Make it less likely the next neuron will fire E.g. serotonin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Explain summation

A

An excitatory neurotransmitter will produce an EPSP (excitatory post synaptic potential) where as an inhibitory neurotransmitter will produce an IPSP (inhibitory post synaptic potential). Whether or not the post synaptic neuron is fired or not will depend on the balance of IPSP and EPSP. If the threshold is reached (EPSP>IPSP) the neuron will fire.
If IPSP>EPSP then no threshold is reached so the neuron doesn’t fire

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

A collection of glands which produce hormones

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Outline the role of the pituitary gland

A

-‘Master gland’
-Causes other glands to release hormones
-Made of 2 parts; anterior and posterior. They both release different hormones.
Anterior releases Luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
-Posterior pituitary gland releases oxytocin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Outline the role of the adrenal glands

A

Adrenal cortex - Outer part, produces hormones which are crucial for life. E.g. CORTISOL which promotes normal metabolism and maintains blood sugar levels.
Adrenal medulla - Inner part, Produces hormones which aren’t crucial for life. E.g. fight or flight. Adrenaline helps the body respond to stressful situations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Outline the role of the ovaries

A

Responsible for the production of eggs and for the production of estrogen an progesterone. Estrogen prevents action of FSH and is involved in puberty.
Progesterone is more important in maintenance of pregnancy. Prevents womb contracting before labour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Outline the role of the testes

A

Produces testosterone which is responsible for growth of facial hair, deepening of voice, growth spurts, sex drive, sperm production and maintenance of muscle mass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Explain the body’s response to acute stressors

A

-Amygdala signals to the hypothalamus when stress is detected
-The hypothalamus sends a stress signal to the sympathetic nervous system which is part of the autonomous nervous system
-SNS sends a signal to the adrenal medulla
-Adrenal medulla releases the hormone adrenaline into the blood stream
-Adrenaline causes a number of physiological responses ;Digestion suppression, sweating, increases heart rate, increased breathing rate and pupil dilation
-Once the threat has passed, the parasympathetic system brings the body back to normal again

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Outline features of the visual cortex

A

-Located in the occipital lobe
-Visual processing begins in the retina (light enters and strikes the photoreceptors (rods and cones))
-Nerve impulses from the retina travel t the brain via the optic nerve
-Visual cortex spans both hemispheres
-The right hemisphere receives input from the left hand side of visual field.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Outline features of the auditory centers

A

-Hearing
-Located in the temporal lobe
-Begins in the cochlea (inner ear), sound waves are converted into nerve impulses
-These travel via the auditory nerve to the auditory cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Outline features of the motor cortex

A

-Responsible for generation of voluntary motor movements
-located in frontal lobe along the bumpy region
-On both hemispheres motor cortex on the right hemisphere controlling muscles on the left hand side of the body
-Different parts of the motor cortex control different parts of the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Outline features of the somatosensory cortex

A

-Detects sensory events from different regions of the body
-Located in the parietal lobe
-Dedicated to the processing of sensory information, related to touch
-Uses sensory information from skin to produce sensations such as touch, pressure, pain, temperature which is localizes to specific body regions
-Both hemispheres have a somatosensory cortex
-Cortex on one side receives information from the opposite side of the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Outline the features of the Broca’s region

A

-Patients with damage to Broca’s region had trouble with speech
-People with damage to their right frontal hemisphere didn’t have this problem
-This lead to the identification of a language cortex in the back portion of the frontal lobe on left hemisphere
-Critical for speech production
-HOWEVER, NEUROSCIENTISTS HAVE FOUND THAT WHEN PEOPLE FERFORM COGNITIVE TASKS, THEIR BROCA IS ACTIVE

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Outline the features of the Wernicke’s area

A

-Located in the back portion of the temporal lobe
-Patients with lesions on their Wernicke’s area could speak but were unable to understand language
-Proposed that language involved separate motor and sensory regions
-The motor region is close to the area that controls the mouth, tongue and vocal cords
-The sensory region, located in Wernicke’s area is close to the regions of the brain responsible for auditory and visual input

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

AO3
Outline one strength of localization of brain function
(Real life application, brocas region)

A

One strength of localization of brain function is that it has real life application.
For example, women are better than men at speaking, science has proven that women have a larger Broca’s area than men.
This means localization of brain function has real life applications thus strengthening our acceptance of localization of brain function as it has proven to have real life application and been proven by science

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

AO3
Outline one weakness of localization of brain function
(Lashley’s research)

A

-One weakness of localization of brain function is that it has contradicting research from Lashley.
-Lashley removed areas of the cortex in rats that were learning a maze, he found that no area was proven to be more important than any other area in terms of the rats ability to learn the maze. Processing learning appeared to require every part of the cortex rather than being confined to a particular region.
-This suggests higher cognitive functions such as learning are not localized but distributed in a more holistic way in the brain.
-This weakens our acceptance of localization of brain function as it has been contradicted by research from Lashley

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

AO3
Outline one weakness of localization of brain function
(Plasticity)

A

-One weakness of localization of brain function is that there is the concept of plasticity.
-When some of the brain has been damaged and a particular function has been lost, other parts of the brain can take over the function. For example, several stroke victims have been able to recover these abilities that were seemingly lost as a result of illness
-The law of equipotentiality suggests that surviving brain circuits ‘chip in’ so the same neurological action can be achieved.
This suggests learning is too complex to be localized and this weakens our acceptance of the theory .

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is the right side of the brain responsible for?

A

Visual motor tasks - Creativity, art and music

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is the left side of the brain responsible for?

A

Dominant for language - Science, maths and language

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What condition needs to be met for a nerve impulse to occur, once the post-synaptic potential travels down to the cell body?

A

A nerve impulse occurs if multiple excitatory post-synaptic potentials summate in the post-synaptic neuron.

30
Q

Sensory neurons carry information…
A) away from the brain.
B) both to and from the brain.
C) towards the brain.
D) within the brain.

A

C

31
Q

The somatic nervous system…
A) comprises of two sub-systems.
B) connects the central nervous system and the senses.
C) consists of the brain and spinal cord.
D) controls involuntary responses.

A

B

32
Q

What does the CNS consist of?

What does the PNS consist of?

A

Brain and spinal cord

All neurons outside the brain and spinal cord

33
Q

Which one of the following responses results from the action of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system?
A) Decreased pupil size
B) Increased digestion
C) Increased heart rate
D) Increased salivation

A

C

34
Q

Function of the cerebellum

A

Controls posture and balance

35
Q

Role of the sympathetic nervous system

A

-Involved in fight or flight response
-Prepares the body for stressful or emergency situations
- Increased heart rate, vasodilation, increased strength

36
Q

Briefly explain one function of the endocrine system (2)

A

-To secrete the hormones which are required to regulate many bodily functions.
-To provide a chemical system of communication via the bloodstream.

37
Q

Identify two glands that form part of the endocrine system and outline their functions.
(Total 4 marks)

A

-Adrenal glands: secretes adrenaline / controls the sympathetic division in the fight or
flight response
-Thyroid gland: secretes thyroxine/increases metabolic rates and affects growth

38
Q

Outline the role of adrenaline in the fight or flight response.
(Total 4 marks)

A

-Adrenaline is released from the adrenal medulla
-Helps the body respond to stressful situations
-Adrenaline has a range of effects on the body
-Increase heart rate
-Constricts blood vessels

39
Q

Explain the two differences between the endocrine system and the nervous system

A

-The cells in the endocrine system group into clusters called glands, whereas the cells in the nervous system are called neurons.

-The endocrine system communicates via glands through hormones released into the bloodstream. On the other hand, the nervous system communicates through electrical signals sent from one neuron to the next

40
Q

Differences between adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex

A

-The adrenal medulla releases adrenaline in response to stress but the adrenal cortex produces cortisol

-The adrenal medulla is the inside part but the adrenal cortex is the outer layer

41
Q

Outline how communication occurs in the endocrine system

A

A stimulus causes the pituitary gland to release a hormone into the bloodstream, hormones travel around the bloodstream until they reach target cells and they bind to the receptors on the target cells, causing a response in the target cell

42
Q

Outline Sperry’s split brain experiment

A

-Quasi experiment
-11 ppts
-Ppts were epileptics who could not be treated with drugs. Already had corpus callosums split. No ethical issues
-Ppts gazes at fixation point on a translucent screen
-Slides projected either side of fixation point at a rate of one image per 1/10 seconds

43
Q

Findings of Sperry’s split brain experiment

A

When a picture of an object was shown to participants right visual field they could describe what was seen, when a picture was projected into the ppts left visual field they could not describe it. (Often report there was nothing there)

44
Q

AO3
Weakness of lateralisation and split brain
(Language not restricted to one hemisphere)

A

One weakness of lateralisation and split brain theory is that language may not be restricted to the left hemisphere only as the theory suggests.
For example, research has suggested that damage to the left hemisphere is more detrimental to damage to the right hemisphere
However, one patient known as J.W developed the capacity to speak out of the RIGHT HEMISPHERE with the result that he can now speal about information presented to the left hemisphere or right side of the brain

45
Q

AO3
Weakness of lateralisation and split brain
(Problem of case studies)

A

One weakness of split brain research is that the case studies used in research use a very small sample
Split brain studies are rarely done today and those that have been done previously have as few as one or two ppts making up the study
Therefore this means we cant properly generalise the findings from one or two ppts to the wider population
Therefore this weakens our acceptance of this research as it can

46
Q

AO3
Weakness of lateralisation
(Health implications)

A

-Creative people such as architects and mathematics have superior right hemispheric skills but are also much more likely to be left handed and have a weekend immune system

-Tonnesson found a link between handiness and immune system disorders suggesting that the same genetic process that lead to lateralisation may also affect the immune system

47
Q

Outline the theory of brain plasticity

A

-Suggests the brain can change and adapt overtime
-In infancy the brain experiences growth in the number of synaptic connections it has peaking t around 15000 at age 2-3 years
-As we age, rarely used connections are strengthened in a process known as synaptic pruning
-Brain is more plastic when its younger meaning it is more capable to forming new synaptic connections.

48
Q

AO1
Outline research into plasticity

A

Maguire et al (2000) studied the brains of London taxi drivers and found that they had significantly more volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus then a matched control group

The hippocampus is associated with navigational skills in humans and animals

49
Q

AO1
Outline video game research into conformity

A

-Kuhn (2014) got ppts to play super Mario for 30 minutes a day for 2 months and then compared brain development to a control group not playing video games
-Found ppts differences in grey matter of the video gaming ppts, particularly in the cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum

50
Q

What are the 3 functional recoveries the brain does after trauma

A

Neural unmasking
Axon sprouting
Recruitment of homologous areas

51
Q

Outline neural unmasking

A

The brain rewires and reorganises itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the damage

Secondary neural pathways that would not typically be used to carry out certain functions are activated or ‘unmasked’ to enable functioning to continue

52
Q

Outline axon sprouting

A

Growth of nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neural pathways

53
Q

Outline recruitment of homologous areas

A

When the same/similar area of the brain on the opposite side is used to perform a specific task
E.g. Jody miller - Right hemisphere was removed from her brain but she was still able to walk

54
Q

AO3
Outline the 1st strength of the theory of plasticity
(Research support from animals)

A

Researchers found an increased number of new neurons in the brains of rats who were in a maze comparted to rats in a cage

These rats had more neurons in their hippocampus, part of their brain responsible for memory but also the ability to navigate from one area to another

This provides clear evidence that the brain can change

55
Q

AO3
Outline the 2nd strength of the theory of plasticity
(Schneider et al )

A

Schneider found that college graduates are 7x more likely to be disability-free after brain damage than those who didn’t finish high school and suffered with brain damage

Schneider argues that the ‘cognitive reserve’ is associated with educational attainment and is a crucial factor in functional recovery

Therefore this has useful applications - encouraging students to build up their ‘cognitive reserve’ through attending school

56
Q

What are the 4 ways of measuring the brain?

A

-fMRI
-EEG
-ERPIs
-Post mortem examinations

57
Q

AO1
Outline fMRIs

A

-Works by detecting changes in blood oxygenation and flow which occurs as a result of neural activity in specific parts of the brain

  • Active brain areas consume more oxygen

-fMRI produces 3D images that are activation maps showing which areas are consuming more oxygen

58
Q

AO3
Outline the strengths of using the fMRI

A

-Don’t use radiation like PET scans
-Non-invasive, risk-free and straight-forward to use
-Very high spatial resolution, giving very high detail

59
Q

AO3
Outline weaknesses of fMRI

A

-Most expensive technique
-Poor temporal resolution, there is a 5 second lag between the image on screen and firing of neurons

60
Q

AO3
Outline the EEG technique

A

-Measures electrical activity by fixing a skull cap on a head with electrodes
-The brain wave patterns are a representation of electrical activity/activity from neurons
-Used by clinicians to diagnose abnormalities
-Unusual arrhythmic patterns of activity can indicate neurological abnormalities

61
Q

AO3
Outline the strengths and weaknesses of using the EEG technique

A

Strengths:
-Only technique which can diagnose abnormalities
-High temporal resolution, measuring activity to the millisecond

Weakness:
-Tend to produce very generalised information so it is not useful for pinpointing the exact source of neural activity

62
Q

AO1
Outline the use of the ERPI technique

A

-Way of teasing out and isolating specific neural responses associated with sensory, cognitive and motor events
-Work by using a statistical averaging technique, that filters out extraneous brain activity from the original EEG

CERTAIN EVENTS OR THINGS PRODUCE CERTAIN BRAIN WAVES
(Louise Theroux’s Peedo documentary)

63
Q

AO3
Outline the strengths and weaknesses of using the ERPI technique

A

Strengths:
-Excellent temporal resolution, measures it to the millisecond
-Addresses limitations of EEGs

Weaknesses:
-Not easy to carry out. To establish pure data in ERP studies, background noise and extraneous material can all affect the brain wave produced

64
Q

AO1
Outline the Post-mortem examination technique

A

-Analysis of a person’s brain after death. E.g. HM had no hippocampus
-Those whose brains are subjected to a post mortem are likely to be those who have a rare disorder

65
Q

Outline the circadian rhythm

A

-A biological rhythm which operates on a 24 hour cycle
-Circadian rhythm is driven by our internal body clock
-Our body clock is constantly reset so that our bodies are in sync with the outside world
-Light provides the primary input, allowing our internal body clock to be set to the correct time

66
Q

Outline the role melatonin plays in the circadian rhythm

A

-Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland in the brain, which chemically causes drowsiness and lowers body temperature
-Melatonin is highest at 2am which is when we are in deepest sleep and body temp is lowest

67
Q

Where is the circadian ‘clock’ located?

A

SCN - Suprachiasmatic nucleus

68
Q

AO1
Aschoff and Wever’s research
Evidence FOR circadian rhythm

A

Put ppts in a ww2 bunker for 4 weeks and ppts were deprived of natural light
All but one of these ppts had a circadian rhythm between 24 and 25 hours
Both Siffre’s experience and bunker experiment suggest the ‘natural’ sleep wake cycle

69
Q

AO3
Outline one weakness of research into circadian rhythm

A

One weakness of research into circadian rhythms is that they are affected by confounding variables
Although ppts are deprived of natural light, TV, clocks and radios, meant they weren’t deprived of artificial light because at the time, researchers didn’t believe artificial light would have an effect on circadian rhythm
Later research suggested this may not be true

70
Q
A

Psychology (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions