Biopsychology

Question 1

What is the nervous system ?

Answer 1

Consisting of CNS and PNS, communicating through electrical signals.

Question 2

What is involved in the CNS ?

Answer 2

Brain and spinal cord.

Question 3

What is involved in the PNS ?

Answer 3

Autonomic and somatic. Sends information from outside world to the PNS.

Autonomic - governs vital functions in the body like breathing, heart rate and digestion.

Somatic - governs muscle movement and receives info from sensory receptors.

Question 4

What is the endocrine system ?

Answer 4

Instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream, communicating through chemicals.

Question 5

What is a neuron ?

Answer 5

Makes up the nervous system. Nerve cells that process and transmit messages through electrical and chemical signals.

Question 5

What is a sensory neuron ?

Answer 5

Carry messages form PNS to CNS. Long dendrites short axon.

Question 6

What is a relay neuron ?

Answer 6

Connect motor neurons to other relay neurons. Short dendrites and short axons.

Question 7

What is a motor neuron ?

Answer 7

Connect CNS to effectors like muscles and glands. Short dendrites long axons.

Question 8

What is excitation ?

Answer 8

When neurotransmitter like adrenaline increases the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron. Increases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will pass on electrical impulse.

Question 9

What is inhibition ?

Answer 9

When neurotransmitter like serotonin increases negative charge of postsynaptic neuron. Decreases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will pass on electrical impulse.

Question 10

Explain the process of summation.

Answer 10

Excitatory and inhibitory influences are summed if net is inhibitory then postsynaptic neuron is less likely to fire. Once electrical impulse is created it travels down the neuron

Question 11

What is localisation of function ?

Answer 11

Idea that different parts of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes and activities.

Question 12

What is the motor area in the frontal lobe involved in regulating ?

Answer 12

Movement.

Question 13

Where is the motor area located ?

Answer 13

In the frontal lobe.

Question 14

What does the somatosensory area process ?

Answer 14

Sensory info like touch.

Question 15

Where is the somatosensory area ?

Answer 15

Parietal lobe

Question 16

What information does the visual area receive ?

Answer 16

Visual info.

Question 16

Where is the visual area ?

Answer 16

Occipital lobe.

Question 17

Where is the auditory area located ?

Answer 17

Temporal lobe

Question 18

Where is the Broca’s area located ?

Answer 18

Frontal lobe in left hemisphere

Question 19

What is Broca’s area for ?

Answer 19

Speech production

Question 20

Where is the Wernicke’s area ?

Answer 20

Temporal lobe in left hemisphere.

Question 21

What is the Wernicke’s area for ?

Answer 21

Language comprehension.

Question 22

What are strengths of localisation of function ?

Answer 22

1) Damage to areas of brain associated with some mental disorders. eg. cingulotomy = isolating cingulate gyrus implicated in OCD. Darin Dougherty 44 people undergone surgery, 32 weeks later, 30% successful 14% partial response.

2) Brain scans, Peterson et al - Wernicke’s area active in listening task, Broca’s area during reading task. Objective methods.

Question 23

What is a limitation of localisation of function ?

Answer 23

1) Lang might not just be Broca’s area and Wernicke’s. eg, Dick and Tremblay - only 2% of modern researchers believe this. Cortex and subcortical regions can be seen as linked to lang in brain scans. (may be more holistic than found ).

Question 24

What is the left hemisphere associated with ?

Answer 24

Language functions like producing lang. (Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas)

Question 25

What is the right hemisphere associated with ?

Answer 25

Visuospatial functions such as visualisation, depth perception, and spatial navigation.

Question 26

What side of the body does the right hemisphere control ?

Answer 26

Left side

Question 27

Who was Tan ?

Answer 27

One of Broca’s patients, only word they could say was tan, damage to frontal lobe. (now Broca’s area). So had Broca’s aphasia.