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AS Psychology > Biopsychology: Key Terms > Flashcards

Biopsychology: Key Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Nervous System

A
  • a connected system of nerves that run throughout the body connected to one another by synapses
  • carry messages to + from brain + spinal cord to body
  • 2 functions: to collect, process + respond to info in environment, to coordinate the working of different organs + cells in the body
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2
Q

Central Nervous System (CNS)

A

controls behaviour + regulates the body’s physiological processes

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3
Q

Brain

A

centre of all conscious awareness

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4
Q

Spinal Cord

A
  • relays info between brain + rest of body
  • allows brain to regulate bodily processes
  • body of nerve fibres inside armoured conduit in spine
  • some neural processing (reflexs)
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5
Q

Somatic Nervous System (SNS)

A
  • branch of peripheral nervous system
  • voluntary movement
  • relays nerve impulses from CNS to rest of body + back
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6
Q

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

A
  • branch of peripheral nervous system
  • control of involuntary automatic processes
  • connects brain to organs and glands
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7
Q

Sympathetic Branch

A
  • branch of ANS
  • increases energy
    prepares body for physical activity by activating adrenal gland to release adrenaline so liver produces glucose, breather more, heartbeat increases
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8
Q

Parasympathetic Branch

A
  • branch of ANS
  • conserves energy
  • slows down what sympathetic branch speeds up
  • stimulates digestive system
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9
Q

Function of the Cerebral Cortex

A

cognitive functions

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10
Q

Function of the Diencephalon

A

conduct housekeeping functions (getting thirsty + hungry at the right times, body temperature)

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11
Q

Function of the Cerebellum

A
  • skilled motion (football, signing name)
  • balance
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12
Q

Afferent

A

bringing info towards brain

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13
Q

Efferent

A

taking info away from brain

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14
Q

Parietal Lobe

A

processes sensory information

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15
Q

Frontal Lobe

A

thought + production of speech

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16
Q

Temporal Lobe

A

organises sensory input eg speech

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17
Q

Brain Stem

A

regulates automatic functions eg breathing

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18
Q

Neurons

A
  • specialised cells that receive info + transmit it to other cells
  • by transmitting signals electrically they provide the nervous system with its primary means of communication
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19
Q

Nucleus

A

contains DNA for genetic code for body

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20
Q

Cell Body (Soma)

A

contains organelles such as nucleus

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21
Q

Dendrites

A
  • collect info and feed it into nerv cell
  • connected to soma
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22
Q

Axon

A

transmits info from dendrites to another part of CNS or body

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23
Q

Myeline Sheath

A

fatty layer (insulation) around axon that speeds up transmission

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24
Q

Axon Terminal Button

A
  • nerve endings
  • where action potential ends up
  • make synapse with dendrite of another nerve cell
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25
Q

Action Potential

A

electrochemical pulses that run down axons

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26
Q

Firing Rate

A
  • how many actions potentials travel down the axon per second
  • up to 200Hz
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27
Q

Sensory Neuron

A
  • collect info from each of 5 senses + transmit it into the CNS
  • part of an afferent pathway
  • dendrites connect with sensory receptors
28
Q

Relay Neuron

A
  • completely internal to CNS
  • connect one neuron to another
  • no myeline sheath
29
Q

Motor Neuron

A
  • take commands from motor cortex of brain out to muscles + control movements
  • efferent pathway
  • dendrites connect to motor end plates on muscle fibers
30
Q

Receptor Cell + Example

A
  • collect info from outside world
  • eg specialised photosensitive receptor cells in the retina collect light and transmit nervous impulses into sensory neurons in optic nerve
31
Q

Motor End Plate

A

when the firing rate is increased the muscles then contract and when its decreased the muscles relax

32
Q

Vesicles

A
  • tiny sacs
  • contain neurotransmitters that travel across the synaptic cleft
33
Q

Presynaptic

A
  • before the synapse
  • delivers info into the synaptic cleft
34
Q

Postsynaptic

A
  • after the synapse
  • receives neurotransmitters
35
Q

What happens to the vesicles when an action potential arrives at the axon terminal button?

A

it fuses with pre-synaptic membrane + deposit neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft to go to the other side

36
Q

What is exocytosis?

A

when vesicles fuse with the pre-synaptic membrane

37
Q

What are receptor sites and what do they do?

A

theyre on the post-synaptic membrane and activate the post-synaptic neuron when the right neurotransmitter molecule fits into it

38
Q

How do neurotransmitters cross the synaptic gap?

A

through diffusion

39
Q

Excitation

A

occurs when receptor stimulation results in an increase in the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron (depolarisation) and increases the likelihood of the neuron firing and passing on the electrical impulse
- known as an excitatory post-synaptic potential (EPSP)

40
Q

Inhibition

A

occurs when receptor stimulation results in an increase in the negative charge of the postsynaptic neuron (hyperpolarisation) and decreases the likelihood of the neuron firing and passing on the electrical impulse
- know as an inhibitory post-synaptic potential (IPSP)

41
Q

Summation

A
  • the addition of positive and negative post-synaptic potientials
  • EPSPs and IPSPs are summed and if net effect of post-synaptic neuron is inhibitory, neuron will be less likely to fire and if net effect is excitatory, neuron will be more likely to fire
42
Q

Hormones

A
  • chemical messengers in the body
  • target cells have receptors for particular hormones
  • when enough receptor sites are stimulated by a hormone it results in a physiological reaction in the target cell
43
Q

Where are hormones made?

A

glands

44
Q

How are hormones transmitted around the body?

A
  • through the bloodstream
  • blood p0umps hormones around target sites
45
Q

Functions of the hypothalamus

A

housekeeping functions: makes us hungry, thirsty, wake up, go to sleep, regulates body temperature and sex drive

46
Q

What is the master gland of the endocrine system?

A

pituitary gland

47
Q

Why is it called the master gland?

A
  • controls whole of endocrine system (all of the glands)
  • releases hormones that stimulate other glands as well as own hormones
48
Q

What are the major glands?

A

testes, ovaries, pituitary, adrenal

49
Q

How does the brain communicate with the endocrine system?

A
  • the hypothalamus is located in the brain and communicates with the pituitary gland through the infundibulum
  • the pituitary then produces hormones that influence the rest of the endocrine system
50
Q

How does the pituitary gland make the other endocrine glands release their hormones?

A
  • it produces hormones that travel through the bloodstream and bind to receptor cells on other glands in the endocrine system
  • this causes them to release their hormones
51
Q

3 Key hormones from the pituitary gland

A
  • posterior (back): oxytocin: uterus contractions during childbirth
  • anterior (front): ACTH: stimulates adrenal cortex + release of cortisol during stress response
  • FSH: stimulate gonads to release sex hormones
52
Q

Key hormone from testes

A

testosterone: development of male sex characteristics during puberty + promotes muscle growth

53
Q

Key hormone from ovaries

A

oestrogen: controls regulation of female reproductive system including menstrual cycle + pregnancy

54
Q

3 Key hormones from adrenal glands

A
  • adrenal medulla: adrenaline + non adrenaline: key role in fight or flight
  • adrenal cortex: cortisol:
55
Q

Key hormone from parathyroid

A

parathyroid hormone: regulates amount of calcium + magnesium in body

56
Q

Key hormone from pancreas

A

insulin: regulates blood sugar levels

57
Q

Key hormone from pineal gland

A

melatonin: regulates arousal, biological rhythms + sleep-wake cycle

58
Q

Fight or Flight Response

A

an evolved response to a threat that prepares our body for physical activity

59
Q

Function of the amygdala

A
  • when faced with a threat amygdala is mobilised
  • sends alarm signal to hypothalamus which activates 2 responses through the sympathetic nervous system
  • associates sensory signals with emotions associated with fight or flight
60
Q

What does hypothalamus do when stimulated by amygdala?

A

2 responses:
- SAM: body’s response to an acute stressor
- HPA: body’s response to a chronic stressor

61
Q

The Sympathomedullary (SAM) Pathway

A
  • short term threats activate the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system (acute response)
  • stimulates medulla of adrenal gland to release adrenaline + noradrenaline
  • when threat is gone parasympathetic branch is activated
    body’s initial response to stress (first 30s)
  • end product is adrenaline
  • if body continues to experience stress the second system kicks in
62
Q

The effect of adrenaline and noradrenaline

A
  • increasing heart rate + blood pressure + breathing
  • releases glucose
  • prepare body for physical activity
  • digestion is reduced
63
Q

Why is parasympathetic branch of ANS called ‘rest and digest’ response?

A

enhances digestion + reverses the responses that prepare our body for activity

64
Q

The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis

A
  • counter shock repsonse to deal with long term stress
  • hypothalamus produces corticotrophic releasing hormone
  • then stimulates anterior lobe of pituitary gland which produces adrenocoticotrophic hormone which travels to cortex of adrenal gland
  • produces cortisol
  • SAM uses lots of energy + resources so HPA tries to counter this to restore body’s state of balance
65
Q

The effect of cortisol

A
  • reduces sensitivity to pain + cognitive function so think less clearly
  • reduces function of immune system in long term + make us more at risk of diseases + infection
66
Q

What happens after stress?

A
  • symptoms of sympathetic arousal will begin to subside: heart rate, breathing + temperature will return to normal
  • this is due to increased activity of PNS: PNS is responsible for relaxation of body + decreased activity in SNS
  • body returns to normal state of arousal

AS Psychology (22 decks)

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