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Psychology Paper 2 > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

(85 cards)

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1
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system?

A

sends information to the CNS from the outside world, and transmits messages form the CNS to muscles and glands in the body

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2
Q

What are the 2 divisions of the PNS?

A

Autonomic and Somatic

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3
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system?

A

transmits information to and from internal bodily organs, the system operates involuntarily and has two main divisions, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems

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4
Q

What is the somatic nervous system?

A

transmits information from receptor cells in the sense organs to the CNS, it also receives information form the CNS that directs muscles to act

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5
Q

What are the 2 divisions of the ANS?

A

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic

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6
Q

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

A

increases bodily functions to prepare for action; fight or flight

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7
Q

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

A

decreases bodily functions to conserve energy; rest and digest

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8
Q

What is the function of the sensory neuron?

A

carries information from sensory receptor to spinal cord and brain (CNS)

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9
Q

What is the function of the relay neuron?

A

located in the brain and spinal cord (CNS) allows motor and sensory neurons to communicate

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10
Q

What is the function of the motor neuron?

A

located in the PNS, it directly or indirectly controls muscles

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11
Q

What is the structure of the sensory neuron?

A

looks like an alien; long dendrites and short axon

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12
Q

What is the structure of the relay neuron?

A

looks like a spider web; short dendrites and short axon

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13
Q

What is the structure of the motor neuron?

A

looks a spider web with a long body; short dendrites and long axon

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14
Q

What is the structure of a neuron?

A
  • the DENDRITE (receptor) receive a signal
  • the signal is carried towards a CELL BODY (which contains the nucleus)
  • the signal travels along an AXON (which is protected by MYLEIN SHEATHS) towards the AXON TERMINAL
  • TERMINAL BUTTONS at the end of the axon pass the electrical signal to the next neuron in the chain
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15
Q

What is the process of synaptic transmission? there are 6 steps

A

1) electrical impulses travels down the pre-synaptic neuron to the terminal button and reaches the vesicles
2) it stimulates the release of neurotransmitters from the vesicles
3) these bind to receptors, depending on shape
4) receptors are then stimulated
5) the electrical impulse is then reformed in the post-synaptic neuron
6) all neurotransmitters are re-up-taken by the re-up-taker

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16
Q

What is excitation?

A

when a neurotransmitter increases the positive charge of the post-synaptic neuron. this increases the likelihood that the neurone will fire and pass on the electrical impulse

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17
Q

What is inhibition

A

when a neurotransmitter increases the negative charge of the post-synaptic neuron. this decreases the likelihood that the neurone will fire and pass on the electrical impulse

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18
Q

What is an example of a neurotransmitter that goes through excitation?

A

adrenaline

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19
Q

What is an example of a neurotransmitter that goes through excitation?

A

serotonin

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20
Q

What is the function of the endocrine system?

A

one of the body’s major information systems that instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream, then the hormones are carries towards the target organs in the body and communicates via chemicals

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21
Q

What are glands?

A

An organ of the body that produces and releases hormones

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22
Q

What are hormones?

A

A chemical produced in a gland of the body that communicates information and has an effect in the body

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23
Q

What is an example of a gland?

A

Pancreas, Pituitary, Adrenal

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24
Q

What is an example of a hormone?

A

ADH, Insulin, Adrenaline

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25
What is the fight or flight response?
the way an animal responds when stressed, the body becomes physiologically aroused in readiness to fight an aggressor or in some cases flee
26
What is the process of the fight or flight response? there are 7 steps
1) the amygdala sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus 2) the hypothalamus triggers the autonomic nervous system 3) this triggers the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline form the adrenal gland into the bloodstream 4) the hormone causes numerous physical changes like pupils dilating 5) once the threat has passed the hypothalamus re-signals the autonomic nervous system 6) the ANS signals the parasympathetic nervous system to initiate control of the body 7) as a result the body returns back to rest and digest, undoing any of the previously made physical changes
27
What is the role of adrenaline in the fight or flight response?
it triggers physiological changes in the body which creates the physiological arousal necessary for the fight or flight response
28
What is the Pituitary gland?
'master gland' and controls the release of hormones from all other endocrine systems
29
What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?
Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS).
30
What does the CNS consist of?
The brain and spinal cord.
31
What does the PNS consist of?
All other neurons outside the CNS.
32
What are the two subdivisions of the PNS?
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and Somatic Nervous System (SNS).
33
What is the main function of the ANS?
Controls involuntary bodily functions.
34
What is the main function of the SNS?
Controls voluntary movements.
35
What are the two parts of the ANS?
Sympathetic Nervous System and Parasympathetic Nervous System.
36
What does the Parasympathetic Nervous System do?
"Rest and digest": pupils constrict, heart and breathing rate decrease, digestion is stimulated.
37
What does the Sympathetic Nervous System do?
"Fight or flight": pupils dilate, heart and breathing rate increase, digestion is inhibited.
38
What triggers the fight or flight response?
Perception of a threat.
39
What role does the adrenal gland play?
Produces adrenaline, which increases heart rate and oxygen distribution.
40
What physiological changes occur during the fight or flight response?
Pupils dilate, heart and breathing rate increase, adrenaline is released.
41
What is the endocrine system?
The hormone system that uses glands to secrete hormones into the bloodstream.
42
What is the function of the adrenal gland?
Produces adrenaline for the fight or flight response.
43
What is the function of the pituitary gland?
The 'master gland'; it controls other glands and is located in the brain.
44
What does a sensory neuron do?
Connects the senses to the relay neuron in the CNS.
45
What is the role of a relay neuron?
Transmits the impulse to the motor neuron.
46
What does a motor neuron do?
Sends impulses to an effector (muscle or gland).
47
What happens at a muscle effector?
It contracts.
48
What happens at a gland effector?
It secretes a hormone.
49
What is the myelin sheath?
A fatty layer that insulates the neuron and speeds up impulses.
50
What happens at the synapse?
Neurotransmitters are released from the pre-synaptic neuron, cross the synapse, and bind to receptors on the post-synaptic neuron.
51
What do excitatory neurotransmitters do?
Cause the post-synaptic neuron to fire (e.g. dopamine, adrenaline).
52
What do inhibitory neurotransmitters do?
Prevent the post-synaptic neuron from firing (e.g. GABA, serotonin).
53
What does contralateral mean in brain function?
The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and vice versa.
54
Name the four lobes of the brain.
Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital.
55
What is the motor area responsible for?
Voluntary movement; located in the back of the frontal lobe.
56
What is the somatosensory area responsible for?
Sensory information from the skin; located at the front of the parietal lobe.
57
What is the visual area responsible for?
Processing visual information; located in the occipital lobe.
58
What is the auditory area responsible for?
Processing spoken information; located near the temporal lobes.
59
What is Broca's area responsible for?
Speech production; located in the left frontal lobe.
60
What is Wernicke's area responsible for?
Speech comprehension; located in the left temporal lobe.
61
What is brain plasticity?
The brain's ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections.
62
What did Maguire et al find about taxi drivers?
London taxi drivers had a larger hippocampus, suggesting experience-dependent plasticity.
63
What is functional recovery?
The brain's ability to compensate for damaged areas, especially after trauma like a stroke.
64
What is axonal sprouting?
New axons and dendrites grow to reconnect neurons.
65
What connects the brain's hemispheres?
The corpus callosum.
66
What did Sperry's research involve?
Studied patients with severed corpus callosums; tested visual information and language abilities.
67
What did Sperry find?
Only information processed by the left hemisphere could be spoken; supports lateralization of language.
68
What are two weaknesses of Sperry's research?
Small sample size and variation in surgical completeness.
69
What does fMRI measure?
Blood oxygenation to produce live images of brain activity.
70
What does EEG measure?
Electrical activity in the brain using electrodes on the scalp.
71
What is ERP?
Event-Related Potential; EEG used in response to a stimulus.
72
What is a strength of EEG and ERP?
Both are non-invasive.
73
What is a post-mortem examination?
Dissection of the brain after death to study structural damage.
74
What are circadian rhythms?
24-hour biological cycles like the sleep/wake cycle.
75
What is an endogenous pacemaker?
Internal body clock, e.g. the SCN in the hypothalamus.
76
What hormone is released by the pineal gland?
Melatonin.
77
What are exogenous zeitgebers?
External cues like light that help reset biological rhythms.
78
What did Siffre's cave study show?
Circadian rhythms persist without light cues, averaging 24–25 hours.
79
What is a weakness of Siffre’s study?
Case study – lacks generalizability.
80
What are infradian rhythms?
Biological rhythms with a cycle longer than 24 hours, e.g. the menstrual cycle.
81
What did McClintock's study find?
Menstrual cycles could synchronize via pheromones.
82
What are weaknesses of McClintock's study?
Small sample size, limited scientific evidence for pheromone effects.
83
What are ultradian rhythms?
Biological rhythms occurring more than once in 24 hours, e.g. sleep stages.
84
What happens during REM sleep?
Rapid eye movement and dreaming.
85
How are sleep stages studied?
Using EEG.

Psychology Paper 2 (3 decks)

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