6 - Biopsychology (AS-Level)

Question 1

What are the subdivisions of the human nervous system?

Answer 1

Human NS → Peripheral NS + Central NS

Peripheral NS → Autonomic NS + Somatic NS

Autonomic NS → Sympathetic NS + Parasympathetic NS

Question 2

What are the 2 sub-divisions of the central nervous system (CNS)?

Answer 2

Brain and spinal chord

Question 3

What is the function of the CNS?

Answer 3

Controls behaviour, bodily processes and muscles

Question 4

What is the function of the PNS?

Answer 4

Relays messages to/from CNS

Question 5

What are the 2 sub-divisions of the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Answer 5

Somatic and autonomic NS

Question 6

What is the function of the somatic NS?

Answer 6

• Carries sensory information from the world to the brain

- Provides muscle responses

Question 7

What is the function of the autonomic NS?

Answer 7

It controls involuntary/unconscious actions

Question 8

What is the function of the sympathetic NS?

Answer 8

Involved in triggering responses to help us deal with emergencies (‘Fight or Flight’ response)

Question 9

What is the function of the parasympathetic NS?

Answer 9

Controls bodily functions when a person is at rest

Question 10

What are the 4 lobes of the cerebrum?

Answer 10

• Frontal lobe
• Parietal lobe
• Occipital lobe
• Temporal lobe

Question 11

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

Answer 11

Used for higher-order functions (eg. planning and logic)

Question 12

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

Answer 12

• Integrates information from different senses

- Important for spatial navigation

Question 13

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Answer 13

Processes visual information

Question 14

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

Answer 14

Processes auditory information

Question 15

What is the function of the cerebellum?

Answer 15

Controls motor skills, balance and coordinating the muscles to allow precise movements

Question 16

What are the 2 parts of the diencephalon?

Answer 16

Thalamus and hypothalamus

Question 17

What is the function of the thalamus?

Answer 17

Acts as a relay station for nerve impulses coming from senses and directing them to the appropriate part of the brain to be processed

Question 18

What is the function of the hypothalamus?

Answer 18

• Regulates body temperature, hunger and thirst
• Controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland
• Links the endocrine and nervous system together

Question 19

What is the function of the brain stem?

Answer 19

• Controls automatic functions (eg. heartbeat, breathing and swallowing
• Connects the brain and spinal cord, allowing impulses to travel between them via motor and sensory neurons

Question 20

What is the endocrine system?

Answer 20

A network of glands throughout the body that manufacture and secrete hormones

Question 21

What are some glands in the ES?

Answer 21

• Pituitary gland
• Adrenal gland
• Hypothalamus
• Thymus
• Pancreas
• Thyroid and parathyroid
• Pineal
• Reproductive organs

Question 22

What are hormones?

Answer 22

Chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream and are carried to target sites throughout the body

Question 23

What kind of cells respond to particular hormones? Why?

Answer 23

Target cells - they have receptors for their respective hormone

Question 24

How is the ES regulated?

Answer 24

The ES is regulated by negative feedback

1) A signal prompts the ES to produce a hormone
2) The hormone is released in response to the stimulus and/or signals
3) As levels rise int he bloodstream, a second signals slows down the secretion of that hormone
4) This results in in stable concentration of hormones circulating in the bloodstream

Question 25

What does the hypothalamus control and what controls it?

Answer 25

- It controls many bodily functions | - It is controlled by the hypothalamus

Question 26

What is the function of the pituitary gland?

Answer 26

- Produces hormones that control the release of hormones from other glands - Regulates many bodily functions

Question 27

What is the function of the adrenal glands?

Answer 27

- Supports bodily functions (eg. cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory functions) - Causes physiological changes associated with arousal - Prepares the body for the 'Fight or Flight' response

Question 28

What are the parts that make up each adrenal gland?

Answer 28

Adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla

Question 29

What does the adrenal cortex produce?

Answer 29

Cortisol

Question 30

What does the adrenal medulla produce?

Answer 30

Adrenaline and noradrenaline

Question 31

What do the ovaries do?

Answer 31

Produce: - eggs - oestrogen - progesterone

Question 32

What do the testes do?

Answer 32

Produce sperm and testosterone

Question 33

What does summation mean?

Answer 33

The adding up of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials

Question 34

Draw/describe a summation graph

Answer 34

EPSP → IPSP → EPSP → IPSP → EPSP - stimulus at threshold → depolarisation → action potential → repolarisation → refractory period → resting state

Question 35

What does a neuron do?

Answer 35

They carry information in action potentials (electrical impulses)

Question 36

What are the 3 main types of neurons?

Answer 36

- Sensory neuron - Relay neuron - Motor neuron

Question 37

What is the function of a sensory neuron?

Answer 37

Receives information from stimuli

Question 38

What is the function of a relay neuron?

Answer 38

Transmits information from sensory neurons to motor neurons

Question 39

What is the function of a motor neuron?

Answer 39

Control muscle movement to respond to stimuli

Question 40

What is synaptic transmission?

Answer 40

The communication between neurons at synapses via neurotransmitters

Question 41

What are the 8 components of a neuron?

Answer 41

- Axon terminal - Axon (schwann cells, nodes of Ranvier, myelin sheath) - Cell body (nucleus) - Dendrites

Question 42

Describe the process of synaptic transmission

Answer 42

1) Action potential/neurotransmitter (NT) arrives at axon terminal 2) NT is packed into vesicles 3) Vesicles fuse with cell membrane of the presynaptic terminal 4) NT diffuses across the synapse 5) NT binds to the postsynaptic receptors 6) Excess NT is broken down or recycled by reuptake channels

Question 43

What are 2 types of postsynaptic potential?

Answer 43

- Excitatory PSP | - Inhibitory PSP

Question 44

What is excitatory postsynaptic potential?

Answer 44

When an excitatory neurotransmitter binds to the postsynaptic receptor which results in EPSP, making it more likely that the cell will fire an action potential

Question 45

What is inhibitory postsynaptic potential?

Answer 45

When an inhibitory neurotransmitter binds to the postsynaptic receptor which results in IPSP, making it less likely that the cell will fire an action potential

Question 46

What are 2 types of summation?

Answer 46

- Temporal summation | - Spatial summation

Question 47

What is temporal summation?

Answer 47

The quick firing of one presynaptic neuron

Question 48

What is spatial summation?

Answer 48

Lots of small signals happening at different synapses

Question 49

How does the body initially deal with stress?

Answer 49

Acute/chronic stressor → amygdala → hypothalamus → autonomic NS → sympathetic NS → response

Question 50

How does the body respond to acute stressors?

Answer 50

Sympathetic NS → adrenal cortex → cortisol → parasympathetic NS Sympathetic NS → adrenal medulla → adrenaline parasympathetic NS