biological influences Flashcards
Define Psychology
The systematic study of behaviour and mental processes
What’s in the forebrain? What do these parts do?
Cerebrum - responsible for complex thoughts
Thalamus - relay motor and sensory info, memory, alertness, consciousness, memory and cognition.
Corpus Callosum - connects right and left hemispheres and allows info to pass between them.
function of the forebrain
sensory integration, voluntary movement, intellectual functions
What is in the midbrain? What do these parts do?
Reticular activating system - regulates the shift between sleep and awareness, vital role during sleep and dreams, responsible for providing joint response.
function of the midbrain
motor functions, never fibres that connect the cerebral hemispheres to the cerebellum
What is in the hindbrain? What do these parts do?
Cerebellum - controls complex muscular movement, coordination, balance, posture, timing
Pons - regulates breathing, taste and autonomic functions
Medulla oblongata - controls vital functions you don’t think about
Spinal cord - transmits messages between the brain and PNS
Where’s the frontal lobe? What is its functions? What are the problems after injury?
Located at the front.
Function is planning, organising, problem solving, decision making, memory, attention and controlling behaviour, emotions and impulses.
After injury there can be problems with emotions, impulses, language and memory,
Where’s the parietal lobe? What is its functions? What are the problems after injury?
Located at the middle at the top.
Functions are joins sensory info from various parts of the body, contains sensory cortex, tells which way is up and stops us bumping into things.
After injury you may not be able to locate or recognise parts of your body.
Where’s the occipital lobe? What is its functions? What are the problems after injury?
Located at the back.
Functions are receiving and processing visual info, containing areas that perceive shapes and colours.
After injury you can have visual field defects and distorted perceptions of size, colour and shape.
Where’s the temporal lobe? What is its functions? What are the problems after injury?
Located at the middle base
Functions are recognising and processing sound, understanding and producing speech and various aspects of memory
After injury you can have hearing loss, language issues and memory problems.
What does the CNS consist of? What is its function?
Consists of brain and spinal cord
Acts as the control centre receiving and messages from all parts of the body
Interprets messages then sends info back to the body parts to instruct what to do.
What does the PNS consist of? What is its function?
Consists of sensory receptors and nerves
Continually informs the CNS of changing conditions
Where is the brocas located? What is the function? What happens after injury?
Located at the left of the frontal lobe
Function is language production and comprehension of complex syntax
When injury occurs you can get brocas aphasia which includes halting speech, repetitive speech, disordered syntax, grammar and disordered structure of words.
Where is the wernicks located? What is the function? What happens when damaged?
Located in the left hemisphere at the left back of the temporal lobe
Function is language comprehension
When damaged you can get wernicks aphasia which has inappropriate words, inability to understand spoken language and trouble synchronising objects with the words that signify them.
What is the left hemisphere responsible for?
Language, learning, maths and logical thinking
What is the right hemisphere responsible for?
Artistic, musical, intuitive and perceptual abilities
What is the corpus callosum?
Section that connects the right and left hemispheres
What is the function of a neurotransmitter?
Neurotransmitters are the brain chemicals that communicate information throughout our brain and body. They relay signals between nerve cells called neurons.
Where are neurotransmitters located?
Neurotransmitters are released from synaptic vesicles in synapses into the synaptic cleft, where they are receive by receptors on other synapses.
What is the structure of a neuron?
Dendrite - receives info Cell body - sends message down axon Axon - message Synapse - transfers message Myelin sheath - protects axon
What is the function of a sensory neuron?
recieve info from the external environment and from within the body and transmit this info to the CNS
What it is the function of a motor neuron?
Transfer messages from the CNS to effector organs such as muscles
What is the function of an interneuron?
Transfer messages within the CNS
function of an axon
threadlike extension that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body
function of myelin sheath
function of the myelin sheath fatty covering that increases their communication speed
function of dendrites
recieve messages and conduct impulses toward the cell
function of the somatosensory cortex
recieve and process infomation from our senses
function of the motor cortex
recieves, processes and sends infomation about voluntary bodily movements
function of the visual cortex
receiving and processing visual information from the eyes
function of the auditory cortex
responsible for sound and the ability to hear
ability to come to conclusions depends on
- selection of representative sample
- appropriate allocation of participants
- ensuring participants are unaware
- eliminating the possibility of experimenter bias
strengths of a case study
provides detailed info
useful for research
permits investigation of impractical situations
limitations of case studies
can’t generalise results
researchers feelings may influence
difficult to duplicate
time consuming
effect of endorphins
painkilling
lifts mood
energy
dopamine effects
inhibits certain synpases and slows down motor responses regulates blood flow modulates eating habits pleasure reward motivation memory attention mood
seratonin effects
mood appetite digestion memory sexual disuse muscle constriction transmits impulses
noradrenaline effects
hormone
increase heart rate and other arousal processes
effects on learning and memory
excesses and deficiencies lead to mood disorders
depressant definition
slows down mental processes and the nervous system
hallucinogens definition
interfere with the brain and CNS in a way that results in radical distortions of a users perception of reality
stimulant definition
speeds up mental processes and excites the nervous system
what are the three functions of the nervous system?
- recieve info
- process
- coordinate responses
what are the two parts of the peripheral nervous system?
somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system
what is the somatic nervous system?
transmits info from sense receptor sights in all parts of the body to and from the CNS
voluntary muscle movement and skeletal nervous system
what is the autonomic nervous system?
network of nerves that carry neural messages between the CNS and the heart, lungs and other organs and glands
divided into two divisions
what are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
parasympathetic and sympathetic
what is the parasympathetic nervous system?
rest and digest
what is the sympathetic nervous system?
fight or flight
what is the function of neurons?
recieve, process and transmit info to other neurons in the form of neural impulses
what is within the axon terminal?
many mitochonria to provide energy for all cell functions and a number of vesicles that contain neurotransmitters
how does the action potential effect the vesicles?
when it arrives in the terminal it causes them to move towards the membrane of the terminal and to merge with it so the NT’s spill into the synaptic gap and diffuse across the post synpatic dendrite membrane
what is a neuromodulator?
Chemical substance that influences (modulates) the activity of neurotransmitters at the synapse;
Make neurons more or less receptive to a neurotransmitter.
