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AQA A Level Psychology > 3.2.1.1 Biopsychology > Flashcards

3.2.1.1 Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

Fill in the blanks (only state the system/organ)

A
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2
Q

What are the 2 roles of the CNS?

A
  • Control of behaviour and psychological processes
  • Regulation physiological processes in the body to maintain life
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3
Q

What is the role of the brain?

A

Provides conscious awareness

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4
Q

What is the role of the spinal cord?

A
  • Transfer messages from brain to rest of body
  • Responsible for simple reflexes
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5
Q

What is the function of the cerebellum?

A

Responsible for controlling motor skills, balance coordination and muscles

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6
Q

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

A

Processes visual information

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7
Q

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

A

Integrates information from the different senses & important for spinal navigation

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8
Q

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

A

Associated with higher-order functions

e.g. planning, abstract reasoning, logic

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9
Q

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

A

Processes auditory information

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10
Q

What is the function of the brain stem?

A

Regulates automatic functions which are essential for life

e.g. Heartbeat, breathing, consciousness

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11
Q

What is the PNS made up of??

A

Made up of all nerves outside CNS

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12
Q

What is the role of PNS?

A

Relays nerve impulses back and forth between the body

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13
Q

What is the role of the somatic nervous system?

A

Transmits and receives information from senses & controls movement and reaction of muscles

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14
Q

What is the somatic nervous system made up of?

A

Made up of sensory receptors (that carry information to spinal cord and brain) & motor pathways (that allow brain to control movement)

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15
Q

What is the role of the autonomic nervous system?

A

Transmits information to and from internal organs to sustain life

[Involuntary actions (e.g. heart breaking, body temperature regulation) are regulated by ANS without conscious awareness]

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16
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system made up of?

A

Only motor pathways

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17
Q

What is the role of the sympathetic nervous system?

A

Involved in responses that prepare body for fight or flight

(increasing heart rate, blood pressure and lowering digestive activities)

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18
Q

What is the role of the parasympathetic nervous system?

A

Relaxes the body - returns us to ‘normal’ resting state

(lower heart rate, blood pressure and increased digestive activity)

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19
Q

Where are sensory neurons found?

A

Found in receptors e.g. eyes, ears. etc

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20
Q

What do sensory neurones do?

A

Carry nerve impulses to spinal cord and brain

(Don’t always reach brain)

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21
Q

Where are relay neurones found?

A

Found in brain and spinal cord

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22
Q

What do relay neurones allow?

A

Allow sensory and motor neurones to communicate

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23
Q

Where are motor neurones found?

A

Found in CNS

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24
Q

What do motor neurones do?

A
  • Control muscle movements
    • When stimulated = release neurotransmitters which bind to receptor on muscles to trigger a response
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25
Q

What is the function of dendrites?

A

Receive signals from other neurones or from sensory receptor cells

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26
Q

What is the function of the cell body?

A

‘Control Centre’ - contains nucleus

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27
Q

What is the function of the axon?

A

(Long slender fibre that) carries nerve impulses as an electrical signal (AKA action potential) away from cell body to axon terminals (where neurone ends)

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28
Q

What is the function of the myelin sheath?

A

Insulates axon so electrical impulses travel faster along axon

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29
Q

What is the function of the axon terminal?

A

Connects neurone to other neurones using process called synaptic transmission

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30
Q

What is synaptic transmission?

A

Process where messages from one neurone are passed to another neurone despite the two not being physically connected

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31
Q

Describe synaptic transmission

A
  1. Pre-synaptic neurone: when action potential reaches synaptic vesicles (on axon terminal) = release neurotransmitters
  2. Neurotransmitters diffuse across the synaptic gap
  3. They bind to receptors sites on post-synaptic neurone & activate them
  4. Receptor molecules produce excitatory or inhibitor effects on post-synaptic neurone
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32
Q

How are the effects of neurotransmitters terminated?

A

By process called “re-uptake”

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33
Q

Describe the process re-uptake

A
  • Where neurotransmitter is taken up by pre-synaptic neurone and made available again later
  • Length of time before neurotransmitters is taken back up = how long effects of neurotransmitter will be
    • (e.g. quicker re-uptake = shorter effects)
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34
Q

What are excitatory effects?

A
  • When neurotransmitter increases positive charge of post-synaptic neurone
  • Makes post-synaptic neurone more likely to fire and pass on electrical impulse
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35
Q

What are inhibitory effects?

A
  • When neurotransmitter increases negative charge of post-synaptic neurone
  • Makes post-synaptic neurone less likely to fire and pass on electrical impulse
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36
Q

Describe the effect of noradrenaline (excitatory neurotransmitter) on a post-synaptic neurone

A
  1. Noradrenaline binds to post-synaptic receptors
  2. Causes electrical charge in cell membrane which results in excitatory post-synaptic potential (EPSP)
  3. Makes post-synaptic neurone more likely to fire
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37
Q

Name a inhibitory neurotransmitter

A

GABA

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38
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

Network of glands across body

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39
Q

What is the function of the endocrine system?

A

Regulate physiological processes of the body through release of hormones (act as chemical messengers)

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40
Q

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

A

Stimulates and controls release of hormones from pituitary gland

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41
Q

What 2 hormones does the pituitary gland (master gland) release?

A
  • Oxytocin
  • ACTH (anterior-adrenocortical trophic hormone)
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42
Q

What is the function of ACTH (anterior-adrenocortical trophic hormone)?

A

Stimulus adrenal cortex and release of cortisol during stress response

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43
Q

What is the function of oxytocin?

A

Responsible for uterus contraction during childbirth

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44
Q

What hormone does the thyroid gland release?

A

Thyroxine

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45
Q

What is the function of thyroxine?

A

Regulates metabolism

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46
Q

What hormones does the adrenal gland release?

A
  1. Adrenal medulla:
    1. Adrenaline
    2. Noradrenaline
  2. Adrenal cortex:
    1. Cortisol
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47
Q

What are the roles of adrenaline and noradrenaline?

A

Key hormones in fight or flight response

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48
Q

What is the function of cortisol?

A

Stimulates release of glucose to provide body with energy, while suppressing immune system

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49
Q

What hormone does the pineal gland release?

A

Melatonin

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50
Q

What is the function of melatonin?

A

Responsible for important biological rhythms, including the sleep-wake cycle

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51
Q

What hormone does the ovaries release?

A

Oestrogen

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52
Q

What is the function of oestrogen?

A

Controls regulation of female reproductive system, including menstrual cycle and pregnancy

53
Q

What hormone do the testes release?

A

Testosterone

54
Q

What is the function of testosterone?

A
  • Responsible for development of male sex characteristics during puberty
  • While promoting muscle growth
55
Q

What is the Fight or Flight Response?

A

Evolved survival mechanism in response to perceived stressful or threatening situation

56
Q

Describe the Fight or Flight Response

A
  1. Person enters stressful/dangerous situation
  2. Amygdala is activated and sends distress signal to hypothalamus
  3. Hypothalamus activates SAM pathway (pathway running to adrenal medulla and SNS)
  4. SNS stimulates adrenal medulla
  5. Adrenal medulla secretes hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline into bloodstream
  6. Adrenaline causes no. of physiological changes to prepare body for fight or flight
57
Q

Name 5 physiological changes that adrenaline causes to prepare the body for fight or flight

A
  1. Increased breathing rate
  2. Increased heart rate
  3. Pupil dilation
  4. Sweat production
  5. Reduction of non-essential functions (e.g. digestive system, urination, salivation)
  6. Releases stored glucose
58
Q

Explain why your breathing rate increases during the fight or flight response

A

To increase oxygen intake

59
Q

Explain why your heart rate increases during the fight or flight response

A

Increase blood flow to organs and increase movement of adrenaline around body

60
Q

Explain why your pupils dilate during the fight or flight response

A

Increase light entry into eye and enhance vision

61
Q

Explain why you start sweating during the fight or flight response

A

Regulate temperature

62
Q

Explain why your body reduces non-essential functions during the fight or flight response

A

Increase energy for other essential functions

63
Q

Explain why your body releases stored glucose during the fight or flight response

A

To supply energy to deal with stressful situation

64
Q

What happens after the flight or fight response?

A
  • Parasympathetic nervous system is activated to return body back to its ‘normal’ resting state
    • e.g. slows down heart rate, breathing rate and reduces blood pressure
    • & any functions that were previously slowed down are started again (e.g. digestion)
65
Q

Name 3 cons of the fight or flight response

A
  • Gender bias
  • Reaction not limited to fight or flight response
  • Maladaptive response in modern world
66
Q

Fight or Flight Response

Elaborate on the con: gender bias

A
  • Describes only male behaviour
    • Taylor et al (2000) found that females dealt with stress using “tend and befriend response”
    • Engage in nurturing behaviour & form protective alliances with other women to protect themselves + children
      • ∴ flight or fight response ≠ generalisation & external validity as it’s an evolutionary response that only relates to men
      • & flight or fight response = counterintuitive for women as running = weakness = offspring at risk
  • Found in female rats = may be physiological response that prevents flight → involves release of oxytocin
    • Causes relaxation and decreases stress = opposite to male flight or fight
      • Suggests females have different method for copying with stress completely
67
Q

Fight or Flight Response

Elaborate on the con: reaction not limited to fight or flight response

A
  • Gray (1988) suggests 1st response to danger is avoid confrontation or a “freeze response”
  • During the ‘freeze’ response, people are hyper-vigilant to danger
    • Become more aware of their surrounding to try find suitable solution to threat
  • Suggests there’s other stress responses that occur
68
Q

Fight or Flight Response

Elaborate on the con: maladaptive response in modern world

A
  • Modern day life ≠ requires intense biological response
  • Stressors of modern day life = repeatedly activate fight or flight response → detrimental to our health
    • Lots of stress = continually activates SNS = continually increases blood pressure
      • Damages blood vessels and causes heart disease
    • High levels of cortisol due to continued activation of fight or flight = suppress immune system
      • More vulnerable to infections
69
Q

What is meant by Localisation of Function in the brain?

A

The belief that specific areas of the brain are associated with specific cognitive processes

70
Q

What is the Theory of Phrenology?

A

The structure of the skull determines a person’s character and capacity

71
Q

Who was Phineas Gage?

A

A man who suffered a serious injury that damaged his frontal lobe and changed his personality

72
Q

What is meant by contralateral?

A

The brain is cross wired/works in opposites

73
Q

What does the Motor Cortex control?

A

Voluntary motor movements

74
Q

Where is the Motor Cortex found?

A

In the posterior frontal lobe along the precentral gyrus, in both hemispheres

75
Q

What is the name of the boundary found between the frontal and parietal lobe?

A

The Central Sulcus

76
Q

What does the Somatosensory Cortex control?

A

Detects sensory events arising from different regions of the body

77
Q

Where is the Somatosensory Cortex found?

A

In the Parietal lobe along the postcentral gyrus

78
Q

What do the Visual Centres control?

A

Visual processing (receives neural impulses from the eye via the optic nerve)

79
Q

Where are the Visual Centers found?

A

In the Occipital Lobe

80
Q

What do the Auditory Centers control?

A

Auditory processing (receives neural impulses from the ear via the cochlea)

81
Q

Where are the Auditory Centers found?

A

In the Temporal Lobes

82
Q

What does Broca’s Area control?

A

Speech production

83
Q

Where is Broca’s Area found?

A

In the posterior region of the left Frontal Lobe

84
Q

What does Wernicke’s Area control?

A

Speech and language comprehension

85
Q

Where is Wernicke’s Area found?

A

In the posterior region of the Temporal Lobe

86
Q

What is Aphasia?

A

The inability to understand or produce speech as a result of brain damage (damage to Broca’s/Wernicke’s Area)

87
Q

Who was Tan?

A

A patient who could only say Tan, which was brought down to damage in his Broca’s Area

88
Q

Who was HM?

A
89
Q

Describe what Wernicke found in his research

A
90
Q

What did Lashley believe (1930)?

A

That motor and sensory function are localised, but higher mental functions aren’t

91
Q

What is Equipotentiality?

A

The belief that the brain can recover after injury because other areas can compensate meaning the brain can’t be as localised as we think

92
Q

What did a case described by Joseph Dejerine suggest?

A

Joseph Dejerine described a case where an inability to read stemmed from damage between the connection between the visual cortex and Wernicke’s area, suggesting complex behaviours are built up gradually as a stimulus enters the brain and moves through structures before a response is produced

93
Q

What did Harasty et al find in their research?

A

That women have proportionally larger Broca’s and Wernicke’s regions than men, resulting in women’s greater use of language

94
Q

What did Dronkers et al find after reexamining preserved brains?

A

Other regions other than Broca’s that could have contributed to reduced speech abilities

95
Q

What did Bravelier find across the participants of his study?

A

Large variability in brain patterns

96
Q

What is meant by Hemispheric Lateralisation?

A

Refers to the fact that the 2 halves of the brain are not entirely alike

97
Q

What would be severed for a person to have a ‘split brain’?

A

The Corpus Callosum

98
Q

What is the surgery that patients wit severe Epilepsy may undergo to help manage their seisures?

A

A Chamisorotomy

99
Q

What is the role of the Corpus Callosum in the brain?

A

To carry information between the 2 hemispheres

100
Q

How can ‘split brain’ parients aid research into brain lateralisation?

A

The 2 halves of their brain can’t communicate

101
Q

What did Rogers et al find in chickens?

A

That they used brain lateralisation to enhance the performance of 2 tasks at once. Eg. finding food and being vigilant of predators

102
Q

What did Szaflarski find happens with age?

A

As age increases, language becomes more lateralised to the left

103
Q

Describe the ‘split brain’ patient study

A
  • one task involved asking ppts to respond to visual information
  • The ppt would fixate on a dot in the middle of the screen
  • Information would be presented to either the right or left visual field for less than a 1/10 of a second (so the eyes could move)
  • If it was shown to the LVF, the ppts could draw it
  • If it was shown to the RVF, the ppts could say what it was
104
Q

What did Gazzinga find?

A

That the right hemisphere was unable to handle language

105
Q

What did Turk et al find that JW could do?

A

Developed the abilito to speak from his right hemisphere and could speak information showed to either hemisphere

106
Q

Give a weakness if ‘split brain’ research

A

Small sample, rare surgery

107
Q

What is brain plasticity?

A

The ability to change and adapt as a result of experiences

108
Q

What did Boyke et al find?

A
  • He had 60 yo ppts practice juggling everyday
  • Found increases in grey matter in the visual cortex
  • When the stopped practicing, the grey matter went back
109
Q

What did Kuhn et al find?

A
  • college students played super Mario for as least 30 mins a day for 2 months
  • They had more grey matter in areas needed to perform the game than those who didn’t play
110
Q

What did Davidson et al find?

A
  • Compared 8 practitioners of Tibetan meditation with 10 student volunteers with no previos meditation practice
  • found greater gamma waves in the monks when they meditated than the students
  • both had increases gamma waves when they meditated
111
Q

What is Neural Unmasking?

A

There are many synapses that exist anatomically in the brain but their function is blocked, called ‘dormant synapses’. When part of the brain is damaged, it begins to use these dormant synapses instead.

112
Q

How are Stem cells used in brain injury recovery?

A

Implantation of stem cells into the damaged sight of the brain, they may replace the dead/dying cells, release a growth factor that may rescue the cells, or make a new neural network.

113
Q

What did Kempermann et al find in rats?

A
  • Put them in 2 types of cages
    1. Enriched
    2. empty
  • found more brain activity in the grey matter in the hippocampus in the rats in the enriched cages
  • the rats in empty cages showed none
114
Q

What did Maguire et al find in London Cab Drivers?

A

one group of London taxi drivers and another of normal people. Performed MRI scans of each, cab drivers had more grey matter in posterior hippocampus

115
Q

What did Tajiri et al do to lab rats?

A

gave lab rats severe brain injuries, then randomly assigned them to have stem cells injected or a solution with no stem cells injected. Stem cells made repairs, solution did nothing

116
Q

What did Huttenlocher find abou brain plasticity?

A

It decreases with age

117
Q

What did Elbert et al find?

A
118
Q

What did Schneider et al find?

A

People who dropped out of highschool are much less likely to recover from a brain injury that college students in a year

119
Q

Name 4 ways of studying the brain

A
  1. Postmortem
  2. EEG
  3. ERP
  4. fMRI
120
Q

What is a postmortem?

A
121
Q

Evaluate postmortem as a way of studying the brain

A
122
Q

What is an fMRI?

A
123
Q

Evaluate fMRI as a way of studying the brain

A
124
Q

What is an EEG?

A
125
Q

Evaluate EEGs as a way of studying the brain

A
126
Q

What is an ERP?

A
127
Q

Evaluate ERPs as a way of studying the brain

A
128
Q

What is a Circadian Rhythm?

A

AQA A Level Psychology (10 decks)

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