Biopsychology

Question 1

what is the nervous system?

Answer 1

a specialised network of cells in the body as our primary communication system, based on electrical & chemical signals

Question 2

what are the 2 main functions of the nervous system?

Answer 2

1. collect process & respond to info in the environment
2. co-ordinate different organs & cells in the body

Question 3

what are the two subsystems of the nervous system?

Answer 3

central nervous system & peripheral nervous system

Question 4

what is the CNS made up of?

Answer 4

brain & spinal cord

Question 5

what is the role of the spinal cord?

Answer 5

passes messages to & from the brain & connects nerves to the PNS - also responsible for reflex actions

Question 6

what are the subsystems of the PNS?

Answer 6

autonomic nervous system & somatic nervous system

Question 7

what does the brain do in the nervous system?

Answer 7

receives & process sensory info, initiates responses, stores memories, generates thoughts & emotions, site of conscious awareness

Question 8

what’s the role of the somatic system?

Answer 8

controls voluntary movement & the skeletal muscles, also allows for reflex actions

Question 9

what’s the role of the autonomic system?

Answer 9

controls involuntary responses & smooth muscles - examples = breathing, heart rate, digestion

Question 10

what is the autonomic system divided into?

Answer 10

sympathetic & parasympathetic division

Question 11

what is the sympathetic division’s role?

Answer 11

initiates fight or flight

Question 12

what is the parasympathetic division’s role?

Answer 12

rest & digest state

Question 13

name the main endocrine glands in the human body

Answer 13

hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, ovaries (female), testes (male)

Question 14

what is the endocrine system?

Answer 14

one of the body’s major information systems that instructs glands to secrete hormones into the bloodstream which are carried towards target organs

Question 14

what hormone does the thyroid gland release and what does it do?

Answer 14

thyroxine increases heart rate increases metabolic rates, which affects growth rates

Question 15

what is the pituitary gland known as & what does it do?

Answer 15

the ‘master gland’ - controls the release of hormones from all the other glands in the body

Question 16

what happens to the endocrine & ANS systems during fight or flight

Answer 16

hypothalamus activates pituitary gland, ANS switches from parasympathetic to sympathetic, adrenaline released from adrenal medulla

Question 17

what happens in the sympathetic state?

Answer 17

heart rate increased, breathing rate increased, pupils dilate, digestion inhibited, saliva production inhibited

Question 18

what happens in the parasympathetic state?

Answer 18

heart rate decreases, breathing rate decreases, pupils constricted, digestion stimulated, saliva production stimulated

Question 19

what lobes are the pituitary gland made up of & what do they do?

Answer 19

• anterior lobe = releases ACTH, stimulating the adrenal cortex & release of cortisol
• posterior lobe = releases oxytocin, responsible for uterus contractions during childbirth

Question 20

what main hormone does the pineal gland release?

Answer 20

melatonin, responsible for biological rhythms like the sleep-wake cycle

Question 21

2 parts of the adrenal gland & their roles

Answer 21

• adrenal medulla = releases adrenaline & nonadrenaline (fight or flight)
• adrenal cortex = releases cortisol, stimulating glucose release whilst suppressing the immune system

Question 22

role of testes

Answer 22

release androgens, including the main hormone testosterone responsible for male sex characteristics

Question 23

role of ovaries

Answer 23

release oestrogen, controlling the regulation of the female reproductive system

Question 24

what are neurons?

Answer 24

nerve cells which process & transmit messages through electrical & chemical signals

Question 25

role of sensory neurons & their structure

Answer 25

carry messages from the PNS to the CNS, they have long dendrites & short axons

Question 26

role of relay neurons & their structure

Answer 26

connect the sensory neurons to the motor/other relay neurons, with short dendrites & axons

Question 27

role of motor neurons & their structure

Answer 27

connect the CNS to effectors (muscles & glands), with short dendrites & long axons

Question 28

label a neuron & the roles of each part

Answer 28

1. cell body includes the nucleus containing the genetic material of the cell 2. dendrites protrude from the cell body which carry nerve impulses from neighbouring neurons toward the cell body 3. axon carries impulses away from the cell body down the length of the neuron 4. a fatty layer of myelin sheath protects the axon & speeds up electrical transmission - segmented by gaps called nodes of ranvier which force the impulse to jump across the gaps 5. terminal buttons communicate with the next neuron in the chain across the synapse

Question 29

when are neurotransmitters released from synaptic vesicles?

Answer 29

when the electrical impulse reaches the presynaptic terminal

Question 30

what are neurotransmitters?

Answer 30

chemicals which diffuse across the synapse to the next neuron

Question 31

what happens once a neurotransmitter crosses a gap?

Answer 31

it's taken up by a postsynaptic receptor site on the dendrites of the next neuron where the chemical message is converted back into an electrical impulse

Question 32

what happens if the impulse is excitatory?

Answer 32

the key fits & 'opens' the receiving neuron, activation of the receptor causes depolarisation of the membrane & promotes an action potential in the receiving neuron

Question 33

what happens if the impulse is inhibitory?

Answer 33

the key fits but stops any other keys, activation of the receptor causes hyperpolarisation & depresses action potential generation

Question 34

example of an excitatory neurotransmitter

Answer 34

adrenaline (also a hormone) causes excitation of the postsynaptic neuron by increasing its positive charge & making it more likely to fire

Question 35

example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter

Answer 35

serotonin causes inhibition in the receiving neuron, making it more negatively charged so less likely to fire

Question 36

what is summation?

Answer 36

whether a postsynaptic neuron fires or not

Question 37

what does adrenaline do during fight or flight & why?

Answer 37

- increased heart rate = increase blood flow to organs & adrenaline around body - increased breathing rate = increase oxygen intake - pupil dilation = increase light intake & vision - sweat production = regulate temp - inhibit digestion salivation etc = increase energy for other essential functions