Biological Influences Flashcards

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1
Q

The nervous system

A

A communication system that controls all parts of the body

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2
Q

Central nervous system

A

The integration and control system of the body

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3
Q

Brain responsibilities?

A
  • cognition, mental processes + bodily functions
  • registers stimuli
  • interprets
  • responds w/ effector cells
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4
Q

Sympathetic NS

A
  • fight/flight
  • controls HR
  • operates when highly aroused/ need energy bursts
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5
Q

Peripheral NS

A
  • made up of all other nerves connecting CNS to body

- connects brain + spinal cord to sensory receptors in sense organs responding to external stimuli

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6
Q

Neurons

A

Cells from basic chilling blocks of entire NS

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7
Q

Somatic NS

A
  • subsystem, voluntary control via skeleton muscles

- afferent sensory neurons allow movement

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8
Q

Automatic NS

A
  • controls involuntary functions (internal muscles, organs etc)
  • regulates body functions
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9
Q

Parasympathetic NS abilities

A
  • slowing/ calming
  • rest/ digest
  • maintains homeostasis
  • no longer under threat
    Increase blood flow to body
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10
Q

Frontal lobe function+damage

A

F: thinking, decision making, feeling + behaviour, movement.
D: language disabilities, personality changes, Voluntary movement issues

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11
Q

Parietal Lobe functions + damage

A

F: body sensations, ie touch temperature, pain, spatial awareness
D: math/reading/writing disabilities

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12
Q

Occipital Lobe functions + damages

A

F: vision, perception, colour recognition, integrates eye info to whole pictures
D: full/ partial blindness, hallucinations (drugs)

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13
Q

Temporal lobe function + damage

A

F: hearing, speech production + memory
D: hearing loss, speech failure, memory loss, inability to recognise faces

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14
Q

Primary visual cortex function + damage

A

F: visual. Eyes: perception + colour recognition
D: blindness, cortical rep. (Distortion if memory)
EG* Herman Munk (1881) made lesions on dog’s occipital loves and nursed back to health. Dogs see perfectly but familiar objects where unrecognisable

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15
Q

Auditory cortex ( top of temporal lobe )

A

F: auditory info received + processed, response then coordinated
D: loss of sound awareness, reflex reaction to sound were due to subcritical processing

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16
Q

Motor cortex

A

F: voluntary movement
D: impaired movement on opposite side of body to damage

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17
Q

Sensory cortex

A

F: Amount of cortex devoted depends on sensitivity, not size
D: decrease sensory threshold/ struggle to identify objects via touch

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18
Q

Broca (frontal lobe)

A

F: mouth+ tongue control. Production of speech, grammatical structures, enable clear+ fluent speech
D: understand language but can’t from words

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19
Q

Wernickes’s Area (left temporal lobe)

A

F: understand written/ spoken language
D: difficulty understanding words/ produce sounds, unable to locate words in memory, sentences= meaningless, nonsense may make sense to themselves only

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20
Q

Repeating a heard word cortex processes

A

1: activates Primary auditory cortex (hear)
2: wernicke’s area (remembers)
3: broca (creates speech)
4: motor cortex (responds w/ movement/words)

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21
Q

Neurons

A

A specialised cell that receives, transmits + processes info

22
Q

3 types of neurons ?

A
  • sensory (afferent)
  • motor (efferent)
  • inter (connector/relay)
23
Q

Synapse process?

A

1- signal released when electrical msg reaches axon terminal
2- travel across synapse to next neuron’s dendrites
3- dendrites send signal to another neuron
4- neurotransmitters broken down/reabsorbed

24
Q

Define membrane potential

A

The difference in electrical potential between the inside + outside of the neuron

25
Q

Define polarised

A

Cell pumps ‘+’ ions through membrane, making cell more ‘-‘ than outside

26
Q

Define depolarised

A

when ‘+’ ions fire @ full strength/not at all, a neuron decreases in polarisation (inside more than outside)

27
Q

Define repolarised

A

when ‘+’ neurons pump outside membrane, cell returns to polarised state

28
Q

4 neurontransmitters?

A

dopamine, serotonin, endorphine + norpinephine

29
Q

dopamine responsibilities?

A

learning, attention, pleasure, sleep + wake cycles

30
Q

serotonin responsibilities?

A

sleep, hunger, arousal, lifts mood, produces satiety. Links with depression. Drugs alter this NT

31
Q

Endorphins responsibilities?

A

controls alertness, arousal + memory. Undersupply can cause depression

32
Q

Serotonin increases positive mood inductions how?

A

music, light levels, exercise + diets

33
Q

Low levels of Dopamine cause what?

A

schizophrenia, ADHD, Parkinsons etc. High amounts can cause addiction

34
Q

Define genetics

A

The study of heredity + passing on inherited characteristics from 1 generation to the next

35
Q

Define heredity

A

The passing of genetic characteristics from 1 generation to the next

36
Q

Define nature

A

How much our differences are shaped by our geneitc codings

37
Q

Define Nurture

A

How much are our differences shaped by our environment/upbringing

38
Q

Synaptic transmission process? (3 steps)

A

1: reuptake into axon terminal, 2: enzymes break down NT into components to be reabsorbed, 3: drift away via diffusion

39
Q

What is epigenetics?

A

modification to gene expression that doesn’t involve altering underlying genetic code. (inherited, genes activate/deactivate, changes phenotype, affects how cells read genes) eg, lactose intolerance

40
Q

Bouchard + McGue (1981) meta analysis of siblings

A

Found closer siblings have more similar IQs. Generalisable study. difficult to differentiate nature/nurture influences

41
Q

Bouchard et al. (1990) Minnesota Twin Study

A

Studies similarities in IQ of Identical twins reared together v apart. Compared ability, personality, attitudes, hobbies. 69% intelligence for twins raised apart. 88% accordance for together. 70% attributed to genetics. 30% nurture. Correlation does not =causation

42
Q

Explain hormones

A

genes impact behaviour, thoughts + emotions via regulation + production of hormones. eg increased oestrogen influences behaviour.

43
Q

Adrenalin effects

A

increase arousal, heart + breath rate, decrease pain response and slow digestive system. Difficult to concentrate + communicate

44
Q

Noradrenalin effects

A

maintains blood pressure, increase blood sugar, alertness, anxiety + vigilance, breaks down fat for energy

45
Q

Psychoactive drugs

A

SUBSTANCE THAT ACTS UPON CNS…Influence thoughts, feelings + behaviour. Hijack receptors + alter body chemistry.

46
Q

Recreational drugs

A

makes us feel better, most medical, legal v illegal

47
Q

Depressants…?

A

calm activity of the neurons and slow body functions

48
Q

Stimulants…?

A

excite nervous system and arouse body functions

49
Q

Hallucinogens

A

change perception + give sensory images w/o input from senses

50
Q

Ecstasy is a?

A

stimulant + mild hallucinogen. Large risks= dehydration, overheating, eventual death