Biopsychology

Question 1

what is the nervous system?

Answer 1

the nervous system is a specialised network of cells in the human body and is our primary internal communication system. It is based on electrical and chemical signals

Question 2

what are the two main functions?

Answer 2

• to collect process and respond to information in the environment
• to co-ordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body

Question 3

what are the two sub-systems?

Answer 3

• central nervous system
• peripheral nervous system

Question 4

what does the CNS consist of?

Answer 4

brain and spinal cord

Question 5

what is the brain role?

Answer 5

provides conscious awareness and is involved in all psychological behaviour.

Question 6

which part of the brain distinguishes our higher mental function from those of animals

Answer 6

Cerebal cortex - the outer layer of the brain (3mm thick)

Question 7

what are the few living creatures that do not have a brain?

Answer 7

sponges, sea squirts, jellyfish

Question 8

what is the spinal cord?

Answer 8

the spinal cord is an extension of the brain. it is responsible for reflex actions.
It passages messages to and from the brain and connects nerves to the PNS

Question 9

wat are the four main lobes in the brain and describe their roles?

Answer 9

Frontal lobes – Decision making, planning, inhibitory role over impulses, problem solving.

Parietal – Sensory information such as touch and pressure therefore plays an important role in the spatial navigation.

Temporal – Auditory processing, verbal memory,

Occipital – Visual centre of the brain, processes visual
information from the eyes.

Question 10

what is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 10

the PNS transmits signals via millions of neurons to and from the CNS

Question 11

what is the peripheral nervous system further sub-divided into?

Answer 11

Autonomic nervous system

Somatic nervous system

Question 12

what is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 12

ANS governs Involuntary vital functions in the body such as breathing, hear rate, digestion, sexual arousal and stress responses. plays an important role in homeostasis

Question 13

what is the Somatic nervous system?

Answer 13

SNS controls Voluntary muscle movement and is made up of sensory receptors and carry’s information to the spinal cord and brain

Question 14

what does the autonomic nervous system further sub-divided into?

Answer 14

sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

Question 15

what is responsible for your body’s fight or flight response?

Answer 15

the sympathetic nervous system

Question 16

what is the role of the Parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 16

involved in maintaining homeostasis and also permits the rest and digest response

Question 17

what are the biological differences between the the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses

Answer 17

Sympathetic
- involved in flight or flight
- prepares body for potential danger
- shorter neutron pathways - faster responses
- increases heart beat, muscles tense up
- airways constricted
- pupils dilate to let more light in
- saliva secretion is inhibited
- adrenaline is released and more glycogen is converted into energy for storage

Parasympathetic
- involved in maintaining homeostasis, permits digest and rest responses
- aims to bring the body a sense of calm
- longer neurone pathways so slower response
- reduces heartbeat, muscle relax
- airways relax
- the pupil contracts
- saliva secretion increases, digestion increases
- no such functions exist in flight or fight

Question 18

the endocrine system

Question 19

what is the endocrine system?

Answer 19

The endocrine system is a collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood, among other things.
the system uses blood vessels

Question 20

what are glands?
what are hormones?

Answer 20

• organs in the body that produce hormones
• hormones are secreted in the bloodstream and affect any cell in the body that has a receptor for that particular hormone

Question 21

why is the Endocrine system more slower than the nervous system?

Answer 21

• more slower because hormones hove to travel through the bloodstream about (2/3seconds) but last longer
• nervous system acts more rapidly with an average response of 0.25 seconds but may be as quick as 100 milliseconds

Question 22

what is the hypothalamus?

Answer 22

is connected to the pituitary gland and is responsible for stimulating or controlling the release of hormones from the pituitatry gland

Question 23

what is the pituitary gland and what’s it’s role?

Answer 23

the pituitary also known as the master gland because the hormones released by the pituitary gland control and stimulate the release of hormones from other glands in the endocrine system

Question 24

how is the pituitary gland divided?

Answer 24

divided into anterior (front) and posterior (rear) lobes which release different hormones

Question 25

which hormone does the posterior release and what is this hormone responsible for?

Answer 25

releases oxytocin often referred to as the love hormone, which is responsible for uterus contractions during childbirth.

Question 26

what is a key hormone the anterior lobe releases and its role?

Answer 26

adrenocortical trophic hormone (ACTH) which stimulates the adrenal cortex and the release of cortisol during the stress response

Question 27

what hormone is released from the pineal gland?

Answer 27

- located at the back of brain - releases melatonin which is responsible for important biological rhythms, including the sleep-wake cycle

Question 28

what hormone is released from the thyroid gland? What is metabolism?

Answer 28

releases thyroxine which is responsible for regulating metabolism. Involved in the chemical reaction of converting food into energy

Question 29

what two parts is the adrenal gland divided into?

Answer 29

adrenal medulla - responsible for releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline which plays a key role in fight or flight adrenal cortex - releases cortisol which stimulates the release of glucose to provide the body with energy while supressing the immune system

Question 30

males have testes which release ...? for..?

Answer 30

Androgens which include -testosterone for development of male sex characteristics during puberty while also promoting muscle growth

Question 31

females have..? whcih release..? for..?

Answer 31

females have ovaries which release oestrogen which controls the regulation of the female reproductive system, including the menstrual cycle and pregnancy

Question 32

when someone enters a stressful situation what is activated?

Answer 32

the Amygdala (part of the limbic system)

Question 33

what does the Amygdala respond do?

Answer 33

sensory input (which is what we see, hear, smaell etc) with emotions associated with the fight or flight response (e.g fear or anger)

Question 34

if the situation is deemed as stressful/dangerous, what type of signal does the Amygdala send?

Answer 34

- sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus, which communicates with the body through the sympathetic nervous system

Question 35

if the situation requires a short term process, what signal is sent from the Amygdala?

Answer 35

- the (SAM) sympathmedullary pathway is activated

Question 36

explain how the endocrine and the ANS work together during a stressful event

Answer 36

During a stressful event, the endocrine system and autonomic nervous system work in parallel. When a stressor is perceived, the Amygdala is activated and sends a stress signal to the hypothalamus The hypothalamus activates the sympathomedullary pathway (the pathway running to the adrenal medulla and the SNS. the SNS stimulates adrenal medulla to release Adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream. Adrenaline causes increased heart rate and preparation for fight or flight. Adrenaline lead to the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system and reduced activity in the parasympathetic nervous system. Adrenaline creates changes in the body such as decreases (in digestion) and increases (pulse and blood pressure). Once the ‘threat’ is over the parasympathetic branch takes control and brings the body back into a balanced state.

Question 37

AO3: explain how in fight or flight there is usually another response? Gray (1988) suggests..?

Answer 37

when faced with a dangerous situation, our reaction is not just limited to a fight or flight response but we engage in a 'Freeze' response. Gray (1988) suggests that the first response to danger is to avoid confrontation altogether, which is demonstrated by a freeze response. During the freeze response , humans are hyper-vigilant, so freeze is done when trying to apprehend the next course of action for the threat

Question 38

Limitation of Fight or Flight 1- Gender bias in the research

Answer 38

fight or flight is typically a male response. as supported by research done by Taylor et al (2000) found that women are more likely to 'tend and befriend' in situations which are seen as needing a fight or flight response. this is because females are more likely to protect their offspring by forming an alliances rather than fight or flight. Taylor et al (2000) further quoted that women chose this method as flight may be seen as a sign of weakness and putting her child at risk.

Question 39

Explain how the flight or flight shows Beta bias?

Answer 39

research was usually conducted onto males (androcentrism) then generalised to women. this shows beta bias as many researchers tend to ignore the individual differences between males and females and how they would react in a stressful situation

Question 40

Neurons and Neurotransmission

Question 41

what is a neuron? what are their roles?

Answer 41

Neurons (also known as nerve cells) have a responsibility for sending, receiving, and transmitting electrochemical (electric & chemical) signals throughout the body.

Question 42

how many neurons are there?

Answer 42

around 86 million in the brain alone

Question 43

what are the 3 types of neurons?

Answer 43

- sensory - relay - motor

Question 44

what do sensory neurons do? Where are they found? What happens when these impulse reach the brain?

Answer 44

Sensory neurons carry messages from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system. Sensory neurone are found in receptors such as the eyes, ears tongue, and skin which carry nerve impulses to the brain. When these nerve impulses reach the brain, they are translated into ‘sensations’ (vision, hearing, taste, touch).

Question 45

what properties do sensory neurons posses? draw a diagram

Answer 45

They have long dendrites and short axons.

Question 46

why do not all sensory neurons reach the brains?

Answer 46

Not all sensory neurons reach the brain, as some stop at the spinal cord allowing quick reflex actions.

Question 47

what are relay neurons? what do they do? what do they look like, draw?

Answer 47

These connect the sensory neurons to the motor, or other relay neurons They are found in the brain and spinal cord, also between motor and sensory, allowing sensory and motor neurons to communicate. They have short dendrites and short axons.

Question 48

what are motor neurons? what do they do? what do they look like, draw?

Answer 48

These connect the central nervous system to effectors such as muscles and glands. When motor neurons are stimulated they release neurotransmitters that bind to the receptors on muscles to trigger a response, leading to movement. They have short dendrites and long axons.

Question 49

what is the nucleus and its role?

Answer 49

Located within the cell body. Contains the genetic material of the cell.

Question 50

what are the dendrites and its role of?

Answer 50

Branch-like structures that receive a signal from other neurons or sensory receptor cells. This part of the neuron is typically connected to the cell body.

Question 51

what is the axon and it's role?

Answer 51

A long slender fiber that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body down the length of the neuron. This is in the form of an electrical signal known as action potential.

Question 52

what is the myelin sheath and its role?

Answer 52

A fatty layer that protects the axon and speeds up electrical transmission of the impulse.

Question 53

what are nodes of Ranvier and its's role?

Answer 53

The myelin sheath is segmented by gaps of this component. (Gaps in the axon). They speed up the transmission of the impulse by forcing it to ‘jump’ across the gaps along the axon.

Question 54

Synaptic Transmission

Question 55

what is the axon terminal?

Answer 55

Connects the neuron to other neurons (or directly to organs), using a process called synaptic transmission.

Question 56

what is the action potential?

Answer 56

Information which is passed down the axon of the neuron as an electrical impulse.

Question 57

how in information passed down the axon of a neutron

Answer 57

as an electrical impulse (action potential). Signals within neurons are transmitted electrically.

Question 58

when a neuron is in it's resting state the inside of the cell is?

Answer 58

negatively charged compared to the outside.

Question 59

when the neuron is activated by a stimulus, the inside of the cell becomes...? this creates an...?

Answer 59

positively charged for a split second causing an action potential to occur. This creates the electrical impulse that travels down the axon towards the end of the neuron for transmission.

Question 60

what is synaptic transmission?

Answer 60

Synaptic transmission is the process by which one neuron communicates with another. Information is passed down the axon of the neuron as an electrical impulse known as action potential.

Question 61

explain the process of synaptic transmission?

Answer 61

When the action potential reaches the axon terminal here there are synaptic vesicles,which contain chemical messages -neurotransmitters. They release their contents of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters then carry the signal across the synaptic gap. They bind to post-synaptic receptor sites on the dendrites of the next neuron. once the receptors have been activated, they either produce a excitatory or Inhibitory effect on the post-synaptic cell.

Question 62

why can the direction of neurotransmitters only be one way?

Answer 62

neurotransmitters are released from the presynaptic neuron terminal, and received by the postsynaptic neuron (at the receptor sites), the direction of travel can only be one-way.

Question 63

explain how each transmitter is specific?

Answer 63

has its own specific molecular structure and specialist function.

Question 64

what is excitation?

Answer 64

When a neurotransmitter increases the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron. This increases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will pass on the electrical impulse.

Question 65

what is inhibition

Answer 65

When a neurotransmitter increases the negative charge of the postsynaptic neuron. This decreases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will pass on the electrical impulse.

Question 66

what is summation?

Answer 66

Whether a postsynaptic neuron fires is decided by the process of summation.

Question 67

describe the process of summation?

Answer 67

The neurotransmitters either have an excitatory and inhibitory influence on a neighbouring neuron (these are summed - all taken into account). If the net effect on the postsynaptic neuron is inhibitory then the postsynaptic neuron is less likely to fire an action potential (electrical impulse) If the net effect is excitatory it is more likely to fire an impulse. (e.g. adrenaline causes excitatory effect. Adrenaline is a hormone and a neurotransmitter) Therefore, the action potential of the postsynaptic (receiving) neuron is only triggered if the sum of the E + I influences leads to a net effect which is excitatory.

Question 68

DONEE!!