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Psychology > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the nervous system?

A

A specialised network of neurons in the human body which is our primary internal communication system i.e. allows brain, spinal cord and rest of body to communicate.

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2
Q

What are the two main functions of the nervous system?

A
  • To collect, process and respond to information in the environment.
  • To coordinate the workings of different organs and cells in the body.
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3
Q

What are the two sub-systems of the nervous system?

A
  • The central nervous system (CNS)
  • The peripheral nervous system (PNS)
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4
Q

What is the central nervous system made up of?

A
  • The brain
  • The spinal cord
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5
Q

What are the two main functions of the CNS?

A
  • control behaviour
  • regulate the bodies physiological processes
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6
Q

What are examples of sensory receptors?

A

eyes, ears, skin

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7
Q

How does the brain receive information from the sensory receptors?

A

Through the spinal cord

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8
Q

What is the spinal cord?

A

A collection of nerve cells that are attached to the brain and run the length of the spinal column.

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9
Q

What is the main function of the spinal cord?

A

To relay information between the brain and the rest of the body.

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10
Q

What is the distinguishing feature between human and animal brains?

A

The human brains cerebrum is highly developed.

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11
Q

How does the spinal cord allow us to perform simple reflexes?

A

Through circuits of nerve cells - no direct involvement from the brain.

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12
Q

What makes up the peripheral nervous system.

A

All of the neurons (nerves) outside the CNS.

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13
Q

What are the subdivisions of the PNS?

A

The autonomic and somatic nervous system

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14
Q

What is the function of the PNS?

A

To relay nerve impulses from the CNS to the rest of the body and back to the CNS.

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15
Q

What neurons is the somatic nervous system made up of?

A

Sensory and motor neurons.

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16
Q

What is the role of sensory neurons in the somatic nervous system?

A

To receive information from the sensory receptors and relay these messages to the CNS.

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17
Q

What is the role of motor neurons in the somatic nervous system?

A

To relay messages from the CNS to other areas of the body, and so control voluntary muscle movement

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18
Q

What does the autonomic nervous system govern?

A

The internal glands and functions of the body without our conscious awareness e.g. breathing, heart rate, digestion.

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19
Q

What neurons is the autonomic nervous system made up of?

A

Motor neurons only

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20
Q

What are the subdivisions of the autonomic nervous system?

A

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems.

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21
Q

What do the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work together?

A

Both tend to regulate the same organs but with opposite effects. They usually balance, but in certain circumstances one might become dominant.

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22
Q

What is the main focus of the sympathetic nervous system?

A

Responses that help us deal with emergencies, responding to a perceived threat.

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23
Q

What is the main focus of the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

Restoring normal physiological functions when the threat has passed.

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24
Q

What effects will the parasympathetic nervous system on the body?

A

Slow heart rate and breathing down, reduce blood pressure, resume digestion.

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25
Q

How does the sympathetic nervous system respond to a threat?

A

Neurons from SNS travel to virtually every organ and gland within the body to produce physiological changes that prepare the body for fight or flight.

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26
Q

What is a neuron?

A

nerve cells that process and transmit messages through electrical and chemical signals.

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27
Q

What are sensory neurons?

A

Carries messages from the PNS to the CNS. Long dendrites and short axons.

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28
Q

What are relay neurons?

A

Connects sensory neurons to motor or other relay neurons. Short dendrites and short axons.

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29
Q

What are motor neurons?

A

Connect the CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands. Short dendrites and long axons.

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30
Q

What is the role of the nucleus of a cell?

A

carries genetic information.

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31
Q

What is does the cell body carry?

A

The nucleus

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32
Q

What do dendrites do?

A

Carry impulses from neighbouring neurons towards the cell body.

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33
Q

What does the axon do?

A

Carries impulses away from the cell body and down the length of the neuron.

34
Q

What does the myelin sheath do?

A

Protects the axon and speeds up electrical transmission of impulse.

35
Q

What do the Nodes of Ranvier do?

A

Speeds up the transmission of the impulse by forcing it to ‘jump’ along the gaps across the neuron.

36
Q

What do terminal buttons do?

A

Communicate with the next neuron along the chain across a gap known as a ‘synapse’.

37
Q

What is the order of neurons?

A

Sensory neurone -> Relay Neurone -> Motor neurone

38
Q

What are action potentials?

A

electrical impulses which are moved to and from the CNS.

39
Q

When is the inside of a cell negative charged?

A

When a neuron is in a resting state.

40
Q

When will the inside of a cell be positively charged (for a split second) ?

A

When a neuron is activated by a stimulus.

41
Q

How does an electrical impulse happen?

A

When a neuron is activated by a stimulus, the inside of the cell becomes positively charged for a split second, causing an action potential to occur. This triggers an electrical impulse which travels down the axon towards the end of the neuron.

42
Q

Where are relay neurons found?

A

CNS only

43
Q

Where are motor neurons found?

A

CNS but project their axons outside.

44
Q

Where are sensory neurons found?

A

PNS and CNS

45
Q

How does neurons communicate with each other?

A

Neural networks

46
Q

What is a synapse?

A

A tiny gap separating neurons

47
Q

How are signals within neurons transmitted?

A

electrically

48
Q

What does it mean if a neurotransmitter is excitatory?

A

means that the post-synaptic neuron is more likely to fire an electrical impulse.

49
Q

What does it mean in a neurotransmitter is inhibitory?

A

makes the post synaptic neurone less likely to fire an electrical impulse.

50
Q

What are three differences between the nervous system and the endocrine system?

A
  • The nervous system is carried by neurons, and the endocrine system is carried by the bloodstream.
  • The nervous system has a very rapid response, whereas the endocrine system works slowly with powerful effects.
  • The nervous system signal is electrical, whereas the endocrine signal is chemical.
51
Q

What are hormones?

A

Biochemical substances that circulate in the blood but only affect target organs.

52
Q

What are glands?

A

Organs in the body that synthesise substances such as hormones.

53
Q

What hormones does the pituitary gland release?

A

FSH, LH, oxytocin

54
Q

What hormones do the adrenal glands release?

A

cortisol, adrenaline

55
Q

What hormones do the testes release?

A

Testosterone

56
Q

What hormones do the ovaries release?

A

oestrogen and progesterone

57
Q

What are the key roles of the testes?

A

Produces sperm and male sex hormones

58
Q

What are the key roles of the ovaries?

A

Produces eggs and female sex hormones

59
Q

What are the key roles of the adrenal glands?

A

Supports bodily functions such as cardiovascular.

60
Q

What are the key roles of the pituitary gland?

A

Master gland - produces hormones that control the release of hormones from other glands.

61
Q

What happens when we perceive a threat or stressor?

A

The hypothalamus prepares the body for action by triggering activity in the sympathetic nervous system. Body switches from resting parasympathetic state to physiologically aroused sympathetic state.

62
Q

What happens when the sympathetic nervous system is triggered?

A

It sends a signal to the adrenal medulla, which responds by producing adrenaline.

63
Q

How does adrenaline prepare the body for fight or flight?

A
  • Increases heart rate, sweat production and respiration.
  • Constricts blood vessels, increasing the rate of blood flow and raising blood pressure.
  • Triggers the release of glucose and fats, which flood into the bloodstream
64
Q

What happens in fight or flight once the threat has passed?

A
  • The parasympathetic nervous system is activated and the body returns to its resting state.
  • Rest and digest response.
  • heart rate and blood pressure reduce digestion resumes.
65
Q

What is a weakness of the fight or flight response? (confrontation)

A

It has been suggested that the first phase is actually to avoid confrontation, where we ‘freeze’. Grey suggested that most animals typically display this, and therefore fight or flight is not a full explanation.

66
Q

What is a weakness of the fight or flight response (modern)

A

The stressors of modern life may not require the fight or flight response, as fleeing something stressful such as a public speech is not a good response.

67
Q

What is localisation of function theory?

A

different areas of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours.

68
Q

What is the motor area responsible for?

A

regulating movement

69
Q

What is the visual area responsible for?

A

processing visual information

70
Q

What is the auditory area responsible for?

A

Analysis of speech-based information

71
Q

What is Broca’s area responsible for?

A

speech-based production

72
Q

What is Broca’s aphasia?

A

Slow, laboured speech which lacks fluency following damage to Broca’s area.

73
Q

What is Wernicke’s area?

A

An area of the temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension

74
Q

What is Wernicke’s aphasia?

A

When Wernicke’s area is damaged, resulting in neologisms as part of speech content.

75
Q

What is hemispheric lateralisation?

A

When some of our physical functions are controlled by a particular hemisphere.

76
Q

What is the somatosensory area?

A

processes sensory information such as touch.

77
Q

What is the frontal lobe responsible for?

A

Personality

78
Q

What is the temporal lobe responsible for?

A

Speech

79
Q

What is the occipital lobe responsible for?

A

Vision

80
Q

What is the parietal lobe responsible for?

A

sense of touch and body position.

81
Q

What does it mean that the body is contralateral?

A

Activity of the left side of the body is controlled by the right hemisphere and vice-versa.

Psychology (10 decks)

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