Biopsychology and research methods Flashcards
(53 cards)
CNS and it’s divisions
Concerned with all life functions and psychological progresses
Consists of spinal cord (receives and transmits info to and from the brain) and brain (maintains life, involved in higher functions and psychological processes)
PNS and it’s divisions
Transmits info to and from the CNS
Divided into somatic (info to and from the senses and CNS) and autonomic (info to and from internal organs)
Sympathetic increases bodily activity and parasympathetic maintains or decreases
The central nervous system functions
Control behaviour
Regulate body’s physiological processes
Spinal cord functions
Function to relay info between brain and body
Allows brain to monster and regulate bodily processes
Brain components
Consists of cerebellum, cerebrum, diencephalon, brain stem
Cerebrum
85% of total brain mass
Largest part
Higher brain functions such as thought and action
Made up of four lobes
Cerebellum
Motion related activities
Contributes to coordination that doesn’t initiate movement
Balance, posture, coordination etc
Diencephalon
Four components: thalamus, hypothalamus, sub thalamus, epi thalamus
Hypothalamus is the integral part of the endocrine system, most important function of linking the nervous system to endocrine via the pituitary gland
Brain stem
Responsible for basic, life functions such as breathing, heart beat and blood pressure
Mid brain, pons and medulla
Peripheral nervous system function
All nerves outside the CNS make up the PNS
PNS’s function is to relay nerve impulses from CNS to the rest of the body
Divisions: somatic and autonomic nervous system
Somatic PNS
Cranial and spinal nerves
Transmission of info to and from the CNS
Involved in reflex
Autonomic PNS
Regulates involuntary action
Sympathetic increases bodily activities
Parasympathetic maintains or decreases
Nucleus
Contains genetic material in the form of DNA
Exists in most types of cells
Control centre
Dendrites
Fibres which emanate from the cell body
Provides receptive zones that receive activation from other neurones
Increase surface area of cell body
Transmit info. to the cell body
Axon
Act as transmission lines that send activation to other neurones
Larger the axon, faster it transmits info
Cell body/ soma
Processes incoming activation and turns into output activations
Soma and nucleus keep neurone functional
Support structures of the cell- mitochondria (energy for the cell)
The nervous system
Complex network of nerve cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to different parts of the body, allowing parts to communicate with each other
Brain controls nervous system
Biological basis of psychological experiences
Terminal buttons
Located at the end of neurone
Send signals to other neurones
Has synaptic gap at the end where neurotransmitter carries signal across synapse (neurotransmitter such as seratonin or dopamine)
Sensory neuron
Tell rest of brain about the external and internal environment by processing info from the senses
Turn info into neural impulses and then translated into sensation before reaching the brain
Only transmit from body to brain
Relay neurones
Carry messages from one part of Central nervous system to another
Connect motor and sensory neurones
Exist in only brain and spinal cord
Send and receive messages
Motor neurones
Carry signals from CNS to help organs, glands and muscles to function
Send and receive messages
Form synapses with muscles and release neurotransmitters that trigger a muscle move response
Excitatory neurotransmitters
‘On switches’
Increase likelihood that an excitatory signal is sent to the post synaptic cell
Inhibitory neurotransmitters
‘Off switches’
Decrease likelihood that a neurone will fire
Calming mind and body
Endocrine system
Series of glands which release hormones into bloodstream and other bodily fluids
One way body sends messages to organs
The endocrine is said to relate to pyschology as examples such as oxytocin is thought to play an important part in attachment behaviour and formation of bonds
