Biopsych

Question 1

function of cerebellum

Answer 1

-controls motor skills, balance, coordination of muscles to allow precise movement

Question 1

function of cerebrum

Answer 1

-enables speech, judgement, thinking, problem solving, emotions

Question 2

function of diencephalon

Answer 2

-contains thalamus (relay for nerve impulses between senses and brain) and hypothalamus (temp reg, hunger, thirst, acts as link between endocrine system and nervous system)

Question 3

function of brain stem

Answer 3

-regulates automatic functions eg. breathing, heart rate, swallowing
-motor and sensory neurons travel through brain stem, allowing impulses to pass between brain and spinal cord

Question 4

what does the spinal cord do

Answer 4

-connects brain w peripheral nervous system to relay info between brain + body to allow regulation of breathing, digestion etc
-contains circuits of nerve cells to allow reflex actions

Question 5

2 parts of peripheral nervous system (brief)

Answer 5

-somatic nervous system
-autonomic nervous system

Question 6

function of somatic nervous system

Answer 6

-responsible for relay of sensory and motor info to and from CNS

Question 7

function of autonomic nervous system

Answer 7

-responsible for involuntary actions eg. heartrate, digestion

Question 8

2 parts of autonomic nervous system

Answer 8

-sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
-parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

Question 9

function of sympathetic nervous system (SNS)

Answer 9

-involved in emergency responses (fight or flight)
-increase heartrate, dilate pupils, slows digestion, dilate blood vessels in muscles. increase BP

Question 10

function of parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

Answer 10

-involved in calming down after emergencies
-decreases heartrate, decreases BP, restarts digestion

Question 11

structure and function (of parts) of neurons

Answer 11

-dendrites - receive signals from other neurons
-axon - carries action potential towards axon terminal, surrounded by myelin sheath
-axon terminal - has vesicles that contain neurotransmitters, connects neuron to others by synaptic transmission

Question 12

function of sensory neurons

Answer 12

-found in sensory receptors (eyes, ears, nose etc)
-carry impulses to spinal cord and brain
-impulses translated into sensations (vision, hearing)
-not all reach brain - some stop at spinal cord for reflex actions

Question 13

function of relay neurons

Answer 13

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

Question 14

function of motor neurons

Answer 14

-found in CNS
-control muscle movements
-when stimulated, they release neurotransmitters that bind to receptors on muscles and trigger a response which leads to movement

Question 15

process of synaptic transmission

Answer 15

1. action potential travels down axon and arrives at axon terminal
2. AP stimulates synaptic vesicles to release neurotransmitters
3. neurotransmitters diffuse across synapse and bind to receptor sites on dendrites of post-synaptic neuron
4. chemical message is converted to an electrical impulse to begin transmission again (if summation allows)
5. neurotransmitters ‘re-uptaken’ by pre-synaptic neuron

Question 16

what are excitatory neurotransmitters

Answer 16

-make post-synaptic neuron MORE likely to fire as they increase the pos charge
-this results in an excitatory post-synaptic potential (EPSP)

Question 17

what are inhibitory neurotransmitters

Answer 17

-make post-synaptic neuron LESS likely to fire as they cause a more neg charge
-this results in an inhibitory post-synaptic potential (IPSP)

Question 18

what is summation

Answer 18

-the net sum of adding up the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input
-this determines whether the neuron will fire or not

Question 19

what is the endocrine system

Answer 19

-network of glands that produce and secrete hormones via circulatory system to target organs
-system is regulated by feedback to ensure stable conc of hormones

Question 20

location and function of the pituitary gland

Answer 20

-‘master gland’
-located in brain
-stimulates all other glands to release hormones

Question 21

location and function of adrenal glands

Answer 21

-located above kidneys
-release adrenaline/cortisol

Question 22

function of testes

Answer 22

-produce testosterone which deepens voice, stimulates growth and sperm production

Question 23

function of ovaries

Answer 23

-produces progesterone which maintains uterine lining and oestrogen which stimulates egg production and release

Question 24

function of thyroid gland

Answer 24

-releases thyroxine which is responsible for regulating metabolism

Question 25

5 glands (brief)

Answer 25

-pituitary -adrenal -thyroid -testes -ovaries

Question 26

structure and function (of parts) of pituitary gland

Answer 26

1. anterior pituitary (front) - produces ACTH as response to stress - ACTH stimulates adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Also produces LH and FSH 2. posterior pituitary (back) - releases oxytocin which stimulates uterus contraction in childbirth and is important for bonding

Question 27

structure and function (of parts) of adrenal glands

Answer 27

1. adrenal cortex (outer) - produces cortisol 2. adrenal medulla (inner) - produces adrenaline and noradrenaline - prepare body for fight or flight

Question 28

what do low cortisol levels lead to

Answer 28

-low BP -poor immune functioning -inability to deal w stress

Question 29

what is the fight or flight response (brief)

Answer 29

-evolutionary survival mechanism that allows animals and humans to respond quickly to life-threatening situations

Question 30

acute stress response

Answer 30

1. Sympathetic NS (SNS) triggered by hypothalamus (after amygdala sends distress signal) 2. SNS sends signal to adrenal medulla to release adrenaline 3.adrenaline causes increased heartrate/BP, vasoconstriction etc 4.when threat has passed, parasympathetic NS (PNS) calms the body down again

Question 31

chronic stress response

Answer 31

-HPA axis 1.Hypothalamus activates HPA axis by releasing CRH 2. CRH causes pituitary gland to release ACTH 3. ACTH stimulates adrenal cortex to release cortisol, which causes glucose to be continually released from liver to provide energy

Question 32

what does continual release of cortisol lead to

Answer 32

-increased risk of heart attack -weakened immune system -increased blood sugar

Question 33

limitations of fight or flight response

Answer 33

-gender differences - women have less 'flight' response due to being primary caregiver, not wanting to leave children -not generally needed in modern society and can cause health risks - high BP can cause damage to blood vessels, weakened immune system -also a 'freeze' reaction - Gray - 1st phase of reaction is to avoid confrontation and freeze. allows us to become aware of surroundings and prepare

Question 34

location and function of motor cortex

Answer 34

-located in posterior region of (both) frontal lobes on PREcentral gyrus -responsible for voluntary movement -works contralaterally

Question 35

location and function of somatosensory cortex

Answer 35

-located in (both) parietal lobes on POSTcentral gyrus -responsible for processing sensory input and locating them to specific parts of body -works contralaterally

Question 36

location and function of visual cortex

Answer 36

-located in (both) occipital lobes -responsible for processing visual info -works contralaterally

Question 37

location and function of auditory cortex

Answer 37

-located in (both) temporal lobes -responsible for processing auditory information and speech

Question 38

2 language centres (brief)

Answer 38

-brocas area -wernickes area

Question 39

location and function of brocas area

Answer 39

-located in LEFT hemisphere -posterior region of frontal lobe -responsible for speech production

Question 40

location and function of wernickes area

Answer 40

-located in LEFT hemisphere -posterior region of temporal lobe -responsible for understanding language

Question 41

type of aphasia damage to brocas area causes

Answer 41

-expressive aphasia -inability to produce speech

Question 42

type of aphasia damage to wernickes area causes

Answer 42

-receptive aphasia -inability to understand language

Question 43

strengths of localisation of function

Answer 43

-Aphasia studies - ppl w damage to brocas had expressive aphasia, ppl w damage to wernickes had receptive aphasia -Case study - Phineas Gage - personality change after damage to frontal lobe

Question 44

limitations of localisation of function

Answer 44

-individual differences - bavelier - diff patterns in activation and gender differences in size of lang centres -equipotentiality - Lashley - intact areas can take over function for damaged areas -communication - Dejerine -some behaviours move through diff areas of brain - case study of loss of ability to read = damaged connection between visual cor and wernickes

Question 45

what is meant by hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 45

-each hemisphere of the brain is specialised for certain functions

Question 46

what is the left hemisphere specialised for

Answer 46

-language

Question 47

what is the right hemisphere specialised for

Answer 47

-visual motor tasks

Question 48

what connects the 2 hemispheres

Answer 48

-corpus callosum

Question 49

split brain research method

Answer 49

-Sperry and Gazzaniga -11 patients w severe epilepsy who had procedure to sever corpus callosum -flashed word/image for 1/10 of a second to right or left visual field (means eye wouldnt have time to move)

Question 50

split brain research findings

Answer 50

-found that images flashed to left visual field couldnt be talked abt by ppts -could draw images shown to left visual field w left hand

Question 51

definition of plasticity

Answer 51

the brains ability to change and adapt as a result of experience

Question 52

definition of functional recovery

Answer 52

the brains ability to transfer the functions of damaged areas to healthy areas, allowing normal function to continue

Question 53

plasticity research - boyke et al

Answer 53

-evidence of plasticity in 60yr olds by teaching them to juggle -found increased grey matter in visual cortex -changes reversed when practice stopped

Question 54

plasticity research - kuhn et al

Answer 54

-compared a control group w a video game training group (trained for 2 months for at least 30 mins a day) and found sig increase in grey matter in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. -researchers concluded new synaptic connections had been created in areas involved in spatial nav, strategic planning, working mem and motor function

Question 55

plasticity research - davidson et al

Answer 55

-compared 8 practitioners of tibetan meditation with 10 students w no meditation experience -found much greater activity of gamma waves (coordinate neuron activity associated w intense focus) in the monks, students showed slight increase

Question 56

how does plasticity work

Answer 56

-brain continues to create new neural pathways and alter existing ones to adapt to new experience as a result of learning -nerve pathways that are frequently used gain stronger connections, whereas ones that are rarely/never used eventually die

Question 57

2 mechanisms for functional recovery (brief)

Answer 57

1. neuronal unmasking 2. stem cells

Question 58

how does neuronal unmasking work

Answer 58

-increasing rate of neural input to 'dormant synapses', as would happen when a surrounding brain area becomes damaged, can unmask these synapses and open connections to regions of the brain that are not normally activated.

Question 59

how do stem cells aid functional recovery

Answer 59

-unspecialised cells can be either directly implanted to replace dead or dying cells, secrete growth factors that 'rescue' damaged cells, or form new neural networks that link uninjured sites to the damaged site

Question 60

4 ways of studying the brain (brief)

Answer 60

1. fMRI 2. EEG 3. ERP 4. post-mortem examination

Question 61

how does fMRI work

Answer 61

-measures changes in brain activity while a person performs a task by measuring blood flow to specific areas of the brain -increased blood flow suggests increased neural activity as it is needed to supply a higher demand for oxygen

Question 62

uses of fMRI

Answer 62

-mapping location of function -preparing for brain surgeries -assessing effect of strokes or degenerative diseases eg. Alzheimers

Question 63

eval of fMRI

Answer 63

-high spatial resolution -non invasive -expensive -poor temporal resolution - 5 sec lag time

Question 64

how does post-mortem examination work

Answer 64

-examination of the physical structures and neurobiology of a brain after a person has died

Question 65

uses of post-mortem examination

Answer 65

-determine whether behaviours a person showed in life are linked to structural abnormalities in brain -establishing links between psychiatric disorders and abnormalities eg. reduced no of glial cells in patients w depression

Question 66

eval of post mortem exam

Answer 66

-foundation of early understanding -Broca + Wernicke research -causation is difficult to establish -ethical issues - informed consent

Question 67

how does EEG work

Answer 67

-measures all electrical activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp

Question 68

uses of EEG

Answer 68

-detect and diagnose disorders eg. epilepsy and Alzheimers

Question 69

eval of EEGs

Answer 69

-prac applications - diagnosis -high temporal resolution -generalised info recieved

Question 70

how does ERP work

Answer 70

-measures small voltage changes in the brain triggered by specific stimuli. 1. Sensory ERP - first 100 milliseconds, initial response 2. Cognitive ERP - after first 100 milliseconds, cognitive processing of info

Question 71

uses of ERP

Answer 71

study working memory and cognitive processing

Question 72

eval of ERPs

Answer 72

-high temporal resolution - 1 millisecond -lack of standardisation between studies makes comparison difficult, so cant confirm findings -all background noise/extraneous material must be eliminated

Question 73

how long do circadian rhythms last

Answer 73

24hrs

Question 74

how long do ultradian rhythms last

Answer 74

less than 24hrs

Question 75

how long do infradian rhythms last

Answer 75

more than 24hrs

Question 76

2 main Endogenous Pacemakers (EPs)

Answer 76

-SCN -Pineal gland

Question 77

2 main Exogenous Zeitgebers (EZs)

Answer 77

-Light -Social Cues

Question 78

examples of circadian rhythms

Answer 78

-sleep-wake cycle -core body temp -hormone production

Question 79

explain sleep-wake cycle as a circadian rhythm

Answer 79

-controlled by EZ of light as when light is dim, retinal cells containing melanopsin send message to SCN (via optic nerve), which determines light level and then instructs pineal gland to release melatonin. When light is bright, pineal gland is told to stop producing melatonin. -also controlled by homeostasis - energy used up when awake.

Question 80

explain core body temp as a circadian rhythm

Answer 80

-core body temp increases during evening until its highest at 6pm, then begins to drop and sleep occurs when body temp begins to drop. -lowest temp occurs at around 4am, and then begins to rise during last hours of sleep, promoting feeling of alertness in morning

Question 81

explain hormone production as a circadian rhythm

Answer 81

-production and release of melatonin from pineal gland occurs when it is dark, which encourages feelings of sleep -melatonin release then drops during daylight hours, promoting feelings of wakefulness

Question 82

strengths of circadian rhythms

Answer 82

-practical applications - chronotherapies - drugs timed for hours of most use due to understanding -research support for importance of light - Hughes -highest cortisol levels at noon instead of early morning due to continuous darkness at Antarctic station

Question 83

limitations of circadian rhythms

Answer 83

-Individual differences - cycle lengths (13-65 hours) and cycle onset (morning/night people) -temperature more important than light - Buhr et a - small changes in body temp send powerful messages to body clocks, causing tissues and organs to become active or inactive

Question 84

research evidence for free-running circadian rhythm (brief)

Answer 84

-Michel Siffre - cave -Aschoff and Wever - ww2 bunker -Folkard - changing clock

Question 85

Michel Siffre - free running circ rhythm

Answer 85

-1st study: spent 61 days in cave and thought it was 17th september when it was actually 20th august -2nd study: spent 6 months in a cave and found circ rhythm had settled to 24hrs (BUT w dramatic variations) -3rd study: 60yrs old - found circ rhythm had extended to 48hrs.