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AS 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

29
Q

What is the function of the axon terminal?

A

Connects neurone to other neurones using process called synaptic transmission

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

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
32
Q

How are the effects of neurotransmitters terminated?

A

By process called “re-uptake”

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)
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
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
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
37
Q

Name a inhibitory neurotransmitter

A

GABA

38
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

Network of glands across body

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)

40
Q

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

A

Stimulates and controls release of hormones from pituitary gland

41
Q

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

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

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

A

Stimulus adrenal cortex and release of cortisol during stress response

43
Q

What is the function of oxytocin?

A

Responsible for uterus contraction during childbirth

44
Q

What hormone does the thyroid gland release?

A

Thyroxine

45
Q

What is the function of thyroxine?

A

Regulates metabolism

46
Q

What hormones does the adrenal gland release?

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

What are the roles of adrenaline and noradrenaline?

A

Key hormones in fight or flight response

48
Q

What is the function of cortisol?

A

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

49
Q

What hormone does the pineal gland release?

A

Melatonin

50
Q

What is the function of melatonin?

A

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

51
Q

What hormone does the ovaries release?

A

Oestrogen

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

AS Psychology (9 decks)

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