Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Psychology Paper 2 > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

(63 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What is the nervous system responsible for?

A

Collecting processing and responding to the environment and coordinates muscles and glands via nuerotransmitters

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the nervous system split into?

A

Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What does the Peripheral nevous system split into?

A

Somatic NS
Autonomic NS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does the autonomic NS split into?

A

Sympathetic NS
Parasympathetic NS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the sympathetic NS for?

A

Fight or Flight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the parasympathetic NS for?

A

Rest and digestion

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Explain the process of fight or flight?

A

We percieve something as a threat that triggers change from parasympathetic NS to sympathetic NS
Adrenaline is then released

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What are some of the effects of fight or flight?

A

Dilated pupils
Digestion and bladder inhibited
Increased heart rate
Increased sweat
Increased blood flow to the muscles
Increased oxygen to the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What does the endocrine system do?

A

Secretes hormones through blood vessels via glands via the blood stream

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the key glands in the endocrine system and what do they do?

A

Hypothalamus - controls the pituitary gland
Pituitary gland - controls all other glands with its hormones
Pineal gland - melatonin/sleep
Thyroid - Thyroxine for metabolism
Ovaries - Oestrogen for reproduction
Testes - testosterone for reproduction
Adrenal - adrenaline
Pancreas - insulin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the three types of neurons?

A

Sensory
Relay
Motor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What does the sensory neuron do?

A

Carries information towards the CNS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What does the relay neuron do?

A

Found within the CNS, connect sensory and motor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What does the motor neuron do?

A

Carries information away from the CNS to muscles/glands

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are receptors?

A

Collect information from senses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are effectors?

A

Receive information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are neurons?

A

Chemical and electrical signals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Where can neurons travel?

A

Only in one direction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is brain plasticity?

A

The brain developing new neuronal connections and physical changes throughout life

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is synaptic pruning?

A

Removing unused connections in the brain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What was Maguire’s study (brain plasticity)?

A

MRI scans on 16 right handed taxi drivers with 1.5y experience and compared to 50 non-taxi drivers.
He found increased grey matter in the taxi drivers in the hippocampi

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is synaptic transmission?

A

The movement of information from one neurone to the next

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the stages of synaptic transmission?

A

Electrical impulse (action potential) reaches the end of a neuron it triggers the release of neurotransmitters from vesicles in the terminal buttons
Those neurotransmitters then diffuse across the synapse and bind to receptors allowing it to transfer across the next neuron

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is exitation?

A

It increases the chance of the neuron firing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What is inhibition?
It decreases the chance of a neuron firing
26
What is summation?
The total of excitatory and inhibitory neurons determining whether the neuron fires If there is more excitatory neurons the neuron has higher chances of firing If there is more inhibitory there is lower chances of firing
27
What is localisation of function?
Specific areas of the brain have specific functions e.g. broca and wernickes
28
What is in the frontal lobe?
Motor area Broca's area (only in left frontal lobe)
29
Where is Broca's area?
Left frontal lobe
30
What is the motor area in charge of? What can damage to the motor neuron cause?
Movements Paralysis in the opposite side of the body
31
What is in the parietal lobe?
Somatosensory area
32
What is the somatosensory area in charge of? What can damage to the somatosensory area cause?
Senses Lack of sensation on that opposite side of the body
33
What is in the occpitial lobe?
Visual area
34
What is the visual area in charge of? What can damage to the visual area cause?
Eyesight Blindness in the opposite eye
35
What is in the temporal lobe?
Auditory area Wernicke's area (only on the left side)
36
What is the auditory area in charge of? What can damage to the auditory area cause?
Auditory information Deafness
37
What is Broca's area in charge of?
Language production
38
What is Wernicke's area in charge of?
Language comprehension
39
Evaluate Localisation of function?
Broca and Wernicke's aphasia supporting evidence Biologically reductionist Different explanation (brain plasticity)
40
What is functional recovery?
A form of plasticity where the brain compensates for damaged areas
41
What are three aspects of functional recovery?
Neuronal unmasking - dormant synapses compensate Spontaneous recovery - natural recovery which slows down Axonal sprouting - new nerve endings grow and connect to damaged nerves
42
Evaluate functional recovery?
Supporting evidence (Gabby Gifford shot in head re-learned speech) Real life application (motor/speech therapy)
43
What are the 4 types of brain scans?
fMRI EEG ERP Post mortem
44
What is an fMRI and what are the pros and cons?
Measures the change in energy released by haemoglobin in the briain Low temporal resolution High spatial resolution Non-invasive Expensive
45
What is an EEG and what are the pros and cons?
Measures electrical activity on the scalp via electrodes. Provides a general picture of brain activty. High temporal resolution Low spatial resolution Non-invasive Cheaper
46
What is an ERP and what are the pros and cons?
Measures brain activity via electrodes on scalp when the participant performs a specific task. High temporal resolution Low spatial resolution Non-invasive
47
What is a post-mortem and what are the pros and cons?
Structural examination after death. Detailed examination on humans rather than animals Time between death and post mortem can be an issue.
48
How long is a circadian rhythm and give an example?
24 hour cycle Sleep wake cycle
49
Evaluate circadian rhythms?
Supporting evidence (Siffre WW2 Bunker all but 1 had 24-25 hour cylce - also functioning fine with 22 hour cycle) Small samples - not representative (Siffre used himself in a cave)
50
What is the case study for circadian rhythms?
Siffre lived under a cave for 7 months and found that his body clock increased to 25 hours
51
What are infradian rhythms?
A cycle longer than 24 hours Mentration cycle
52
Evaluate Infradian rhythms
Case study :When women smelled the pheromones of other women it altered the length of their cycle
53
What is SAD?
Seasonal affective disorder It is an infradian rhythm A yearly rhythm that creates depressive like symptoms during winter months
54
What are ultradian rhythms?
A cycle that lasts less than 24 hours E.G. the five stages of sleep last 90 minutes and keep repeating
55
Evaluate Ultradian rhythms?
Supporting evidence - PPTs who were woken during REM recorded dreaming but PPTs woken during N-REM struggled to get back to sleep - Small sample size for study above
56
What are endogenous pacemakers?
Internal biological clocks - when it gets dark melatonin is released that causes drowsiness
57
Evaluate endogenous pacemakers
Supporting evidence - chipmunks had their SCN destroyed returned to their habitat and died Ralph adopted mutant hamsters and adapted their cycles to 20 hours
58
What are exogenous zeitgebers?
External environment cues e.g. light and social cues (meal times)
59
Evaluate exogenous zeitgebers
Supporting evidence - Murphy (light on the back of the knee wakes PPTs
60
What is the left hemisphere dominant for?
Speech and Language
61
What is the right hemisphere dominant for?
Visuo-motor skills
62
What was Sperry's research?
All PPTs had corpus collosum severed due to epilepsy Composite words Key ring Patient could say ring and write key
63
Evaluate split brain research?
Supporting evidence - Sperry Difficult to apply to cases like Jodie Miller Different explanation - brain plasticity

Psychology Paper 2 (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions