Approaches: The Biological Approach Flashcards
What is The Biological Approach??
The influences of genes, biological structures & neurochemistry on behaviour
What are the 3 assumptions of the Biological Approach??
- Examining brain structure & function can help explain thoughts & behaviours
- Understanding and mapping DNA /genetics can explain our thoughts & behaviours
- Mental processes of the mind aren’t separate to the physical brain
What are concordance rates??
The extent to which two people share the same characteristics.
E.g. if identical twins have a higher concordance rate than fraternal twins for a specific characteristic, it’s suggested that it has a genetic basis to it
What is the Endocrine System??
Network of glans across the body that secrete chemical messages into the blood stream called hormones!
Name 2 hormones that the pituitary gland secretes!
- FSH
- LH
- TSH
Name 2 hormones that the adrenal gland secretes!
- Cortisol
- Adrenaline
Name 2 hormones that the ovaries secrete!
- Oestrogen
- Progesterone
Name the 4 stages of a fight, flight or freeze response that involves the endocrine and nervous systems!
- Control shifts to the Sympathetic Nervous System
- Adrenaline is released from the adrenal glands
- Bodily changes occur to cope with danger, such as…
- Increased heart rate, pupil dilation & increased aerobic respiration
What are the two divisions of the nervous system??
CNS (Central)
PNS (Peripheral)
What are the 2 main functions of the nervous system??
Controlling behaviour & regulating physiological processes!
What do the brain and the spinal cord do??
Brain -> Controls most functions of the body
Spinal cord -> Ensures signals are transmitted to the rest of the body via PNS
What’s the ANS??
Autonomic nervous system
Controls automatic functions of the body that are needed for survival e.g. breathing
What’s the SNS??
Sympathetic nervous system (part of the ANS)
Main function is responding to fight or flight situations
Name the 6 main parts of the brain!
- Frontal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Occipital lobe
- Temporal lobe
- Cerebellum
- Brainstem
Where are the parietal, occipital & temporal lobes??
Parietal -> Top at the back
Occipital -> Bottom at the back
Temporal -> Bottom at the front
What’s the function of the Frontal lobe??
- Motor control (premotor cortex)
- Problem solving (prefrontal cortex)
- Speech production (Broca’s area)
What’s the function of the Parietal lobe??
- Touch perception (somatosensory cortex)
- Body orientation & sensory discrimination
What’s the function of the Occipital lobe??
- Sight (visual cortex)
- Visual reception & visual interpretation
What’s the function of the Cerebellum??
Balance & coordination
What’s the function of the Brainstem??
Involuntary responses
What’s the function of the Temporal lobe??
- Auditory processing (hearing)
- Language comprehension (Wernicke’s area)
- Memory (information retrieval)
What is Wernicke’s area & what’s its function??
Sensory region of language found in left temporal lobe
Assigns words meaning (damage means that fluent sentences are said but have no meaning)
What is Broca’s area & what’s its function??
Motor region of language in frontal part of left hemisphere
Responsible for the production of speech
What does localisation of function mean??
Idea that certain functions have certain locations or areas in the brain!
What’s the function of motor neurons??
Control muscle movements
State the function of:
- Dendrites
- Axon terminals
- Myelin sheath
- Node of Ranvier
Dendrites = Receive neurotransmitters
Axon terminals = Release neurotransmitters
Myelin sheath = Layers of fat that insulate the area to speed up the electrical current
Node of Ranvier = Space allows current to jump in order to speed it up
What’s the function of sensory neurons??
Carry nerve impulses to CNS
What’s the function of relay neurons??
Allow motor & sensory neurons to communicate
How many neurons are in the human body and what percentage are in the brain??
100 billion in the body
80% of this in the brain
What charge is a neuron at resting state??
Negative
How is an electrical charge produced in a neuron??
The charge changes from negative to positive when activated by a stimulus which causes an electrical signal
What are the 2 types of neurotransmitters??
Inhibitory & excitatory!
What do inhibitory & excitatory neurotransmitters do??
Inhibitory = receiving neuron becomes negatively charged so it’s less likely to fire
Excitatory = Receiving neuron becomes positively charged & more likely to fire
