Biopsychology Key Terms

Question 1

Nervous System

Answer 1

Consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. Communicates using electrical signals.

Question 2

Central Nervous System

Answer 2

Consists of the brain and the spinal chord and is the origin of all complex commands and decisions.

Question 3

Peripheral Nervous System

Answer 3

Sends information to the CNS from the outside world and transmits messages from the CNS to the muscles and glands.

Question 4

Somatic Nervous System

Answer 4

Transmits information from receptor cells in the sense organs , to the CNS. Receives information from the CNS and directs muscles to act.

Question 5

Autonomic Nervous System

Answer 5

Transmits information to and from internal bodily organs. It is ‘autonomic’ because the system operates involuntarily. Its two main divisions are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.

Question 6

Endocrine System

Answer 6

One of the bodies major information systems, that instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream. These hormones are carried to target organs in the body. Communicate via chemicals.

Question 7

Gland

Answer 7

An organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones.

Question 8

Hormone

Answer 8

A biochemical substance that circulates in the blood but only effects target organs. They are produced in large quantities but disappear quickly. Their effects are very powerful.

Question 9

Fight or flight response

Answer 9

The way animals respond when stressed. the body becomes physiologically aroused in readiness to fight an aggressor, or in some cases flee.

Question 10

Adrenaline

Answer 10

A hormone produced by the adrenal gland which is part of the bodies immediate stress response system. Adrenaline has a strong effect on the cells of the cardiovascular system- stimulating heart rate, contracting blood vessels and dilating air passages.

Question 11

Neuron

Answer 11

The basic building blocks of the nervous system , neurons are nerve cells, that process and transmit messages through electrical and chemical signals.

Question 12

Sensory Neurons

Answer 12

These carry messages from the PNS to the CNS. They have long dendrites and short axons.

Question 13

Relay Neurons

Answer 13

Connects the sensory neurone to the motor neurone or other relay neurones. They have short dendrites and short axons.

Question 14

Motor Neurone

Answer 14

These connect the CNS to the effectors such as muscles and glands. They have Short dendrites and long axons.

Question 15

Synaptic Transmission

Answer 15

The process by which neighbouring neurone communicate with each other by sending chemical messages across the synapse that separates them.

Question 16

Neurotransmitter

Answer 16

Brain chemicals released from synaptic vesicles that relay signals across the synapse from one neuron to another. Neurotransmitters can be broadly divided into those which perform excitatory functions and those that perform inhibitory functions.

Question 17

Excitation

Answer 17

When a neurotransmitter, such as adrenaline increases the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron. This increases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will pass on the electrical impulse.

Question 18

Inhibition

Answer 18

When a neurotransmitter, such as serotonin, increases the negative charge of the postsynaptic neurone. This decreases the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will pass on the electrical impulse.

Question 19

Localisation of brain function

Answer 19

The theory that different area of the brain are responsible or specific behaviours, processes or activities.

Question 20

Motor area

Answer 20

A region in the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement.

Question 21

Somatosensory area

Answer 21

An area of the parietal lobe that processes sensory information like touch.

Question 22

Visual area

Answer 22

A part of the occipital lobe that receives an processes visual information.

Question 23

Auditory area

Answer 23

Located in the temporal lobe and concerned with the analysis of speech based information.

Question 24

Broca’s area

Answer 24

An area in the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere (for most people), responsible or speech production.

Question 25

Wernicke's area

Answer 25

An area of the temporal lobe (encircling the the auditory cortex) in the left hemisphere (in most people), responsible for language comprehension.

Question 26

Hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 26

The idea that the two halves (hemispheres) half's of the brain are functionally different and that certain mental processes and behaviours are mainly controlled by one hemisphere rather than the other eg language (which is localised and lateralised).

Question 27

Split-brain research

Answer 27

A series of studies which begin in the 1960's (and are still ongoing)involving people with epilepsy who had experienced surgical separation of the hemispheres of their brain to reduce the severity of their epilepsy. This enabled researchers to to test lateral functions of the brain in isolation.

Question 28

Plasticity

Answer 28

This describes the brains tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning. This generally involves the growth of new connections.

Question 29

Functional recovery

Answer 29

A form of plasticity. Following damage through trauma, the brain's ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by damaged area(s) to other, undamaged area(a)

Question 30

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Answer 30

A method used to measure brain activity while a person is performing tasks. fMRI detects radio waves from changing magnetic fields. This enables researchers to detect which regions of the brain are rich in oxygen, and therefore active.

Question 31

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Answer 31

A record of the tiny electrical impulses produced by the brains activity. by measuring characteristic wave patterns, the EEG can help diagnose certain conditions of the brain.

Question 32

Event-related potentials (ERPs)

Answer 32

The electrophysiological response of the brain to a specific sensory, cognitive, or motor event can be isolated through statistical analysis of EEG data.

Question 33

Post-mortem examinations

Answer 33

The brain is analysed after death to determine the whether certain observed behaviours during a persons lifetime can be linked to structural abnormalities in the brain.

Question 34

Biological rhythm

Answer 34

Distinct patterns of changes in boy activity that conform to cyclical time periods. Biological rhythms are influenced by internal body clocks (endogenous pacemakers) as well as external changes to the environment (exogenous zeitgebers)

Question 35

Circadian rhythms

Answer 35

Biological rhythms, subject to a 24-hour cycle, which regulate a number of body processes such as the sleep/wake cycle and changes to core body temperature.

Question 36

Infradian rhythms

Answer 36

A type of biological rhythm with the frequency of less than one cycle in 24 hours, such as menstruation and seasonal affective disorder.

Question 37

Ultradian rhythms

Answer 37

A type of biological rhythm with the frequency of more than one cycle ever 24 hours, such as stages of sleep.

Question 38

Endogenous pcemakers

Answer 38

Internal body clocks which regulate many of our biological rhythms, such as the influence of the superchiasmatic nucleus (SCN) on the sleep/wake cycle.

Question 39

Exogenous zeitgebers

Answer 39

External factors that effect or entrain our biological rhythms, such as influence of light on the sleep/wake cycle.

Question 40

Sleep/wake cycle

Answer 40

A daily cycle of biological activity based on a 24-hour period (circadian rhythms)that is influenced by regular variations in the environment, such as the alteration of night and day.