Biological Psychology and Science Inquiry Flashcards
The Nervous System is Split into the…
Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Carries sensory info up the spinal cord to the brain via sensory neurons and carries motor messages to the PNS via motor neurons (brain and spinal cord).
Brain
Made up of nerve tissue that controls the functions of the body.
Spinal Cord
Cable of nerve fibres that runs from the base of the brain to the lower back and connects the brain to PNS.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
Carries sensory info to the CNS from the body and carries motor messages from the brain to the organs and muscles (all nerves outside the CNS).
Denominations within PNS
Autonomic Nervous System (splits into the sympathetic and parasympathetic) and the Somatic Nervous System.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Carries messages from the brain to internal glands and organs via motor neurons. Carries sensory messages to brain about activity level of glands and organs via sensory neurons. Controls involuntary muscle movement, therefore regulates internal organ function and gland function (splits into the sympathetic and parasympathetic NS).
Sympathetic Nervous System (SyNS)
Regulates the glands and internal organ function to physically prepare body for increased activity during heightened physical/emotional arousal (flight or fight).
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PaNS)
Calms the body after being under the control of the SNS. Maintains energy level suitable for normal bodily functioning.
Somatic Nervous System (SNS)
Carries sensory info. received by sensory receptor cells to the CNS via sensory neurons. Carries motor messages from the CNS to the skeletal muscles via motor neurons. Controls voluntary and involuntary skeletal muscle movement (reflex).
Neurons
Cells of the NS that communicates with each other as well as muscle and gland cells.
Dendrites
Extensions of the cell body that receive neurotransmitters from pre-synaptic neurons and convert them into electrical nerve impulses that are conducted toward the cell body.
Soma
(Cell body) Contains nucleus that controls activities of the neuron.
Axon
Long projection off soma that conducts electrical nerve impulses and carries them away from the cell body.
Axon terminal
Enlarged end points of axon branches that store neurotransmitters and releases them into synaptic cleft.
Myelin sheath
Fatty covering of the axon that acts as an insulator protecting the axon from stimuli that could interfere with the electrical nerve impulse transmission. It also increases the speed of the electrical nerve impulse transmission and helps improve the conduction of the transmission.
Different types of neurons
Sensory neurons, motor neurons, and interneurons.
Sensory neurons
Processes sensory info from the sense organs and carries the sensory messages to the CNS (afferent).
Motor neurons
Carries motor messages from the CNS to the muscles, glands and organs (efferent).
Interneurons
Act as a connection between sensory neurons and motor neurons, and transfers messages from sensory neuron, to motor neurons within CNS.
Neurotransmitters
Molecules found within the nervous system that act as chemical messengers. They allow neurons to communicate by relaying info between them across the synapse, as well as neurons to glands and muscle cells.
The electro-chemical signal
Neurons carry electro-chemical signals as an electrical nerve impulse (the electrical) travels through the neuron and neurotransmitters (the chemical) travel between the synapse and communicating neurons.
Direction of transmission of electro-chemical signal
The electrical nerve impulse (aka, action potential) travels in one direction, from the dendrites to the cell body, then along the axon to axon terminals. Once the action potential reaches the axon terminals, it causes the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. The speed is determined by the myelin sheath.
Action Potential
Electrical impulse that travels along the axon of neurons toward the axon terminals where it causes the release of neurotransmitters.
How info moves between the neurons
Rush of action potential causes synaptic vesicles found in the axon terminal to open up. They contain neurotransmitters (chemicals that alters activity in the neurons, e.g. serotonin and dopamine). They’re released into the synaptic gap, where they attach to special receptor sites on the dendrites of the receiving neuron.
Synapse
Axon terminal of a pre-synaptic neuron, the synaptic cleft and the dendrite of a post-synaptic neuron. It allows neural transmission by converting the electrical nerve impulse into a chemical signal and then back again.
Synaptic Cleft
Space between two neurons (dendrite to axon terminal).
Pre-synaptic Neuron and Post-synaptic Neuron
The neuron that transmits a signal into the synapse is called the pre-synaptic neuron, and the neuron that receives the signal is called the post-synaptic neuron.
Hindbrain
Coordinates sensory and motor messages entering and leaving the spinal cord, and is responsible for balance and coordination (medulla oblongata and cerebellum).
Medulla Oblongata
Lowest part of the brainstem that relays info between the spinal cord and brain, and regulates the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
Cerebellum
Sits underneath cerebrum. Involved in balance, judging distance and coordination of fine motor movement.
Midbrain
Receives sensory messages from all sense (except smell) and sends info to the forebrain (reticular formation).
Reticular Formation
Network of nuclei located within the length of the brainstem that helps maintain wakefulness/alertness, and aids in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle.
Forebrain
Plays a role in cognition, emotion, behaviour and processing sensory info (cerebrum, thalamus and hypothalamus).
Cerebrum
Consists of ‘white matter’ on the inside. The cerebrum is split into two hemispheres.
White Matter
Whitish nerve tissue largely comprising of myelinated axons.
Thalamus
Double lobed structure located just above the brainstem that receives sensory info, except smell, and transmits info to the cerebral cortex.
Hypothalamus
Structure that sits below the thalamus and regulates sleeping, eating, body temp, and sexual drive. It also regulates the release of hormones from the pituitary gland that sits beneath it.
Cerebral Cortex
Outermost layer of the brain made up of nerve cell tissue that is responsible for higher order processes such as memory, language, reasoning, emotion and decision making. This 2-4 mm thick layer of tissue tits on top of the cerebrum and has deep furrows to increase surface area. it is made of unmyelinated neurons and cell bodies of neurons (collectively grey matter).
Grey Matter
Unmyelinated neurons and cell bodies of neurons.
Left and Right Hemispheres
The hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum, and each hemisphere is dominant in certain tasks. They had contralateral control of the body.
Hemispheric Specialisation
Where each hemisphere is specialised, or dominant in certain fields and in doing certain tasks.
Hemispheric Contralateral Control
Where the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body, and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body.
Left Hemisphere
Responsible for producing speech, comprehending language, writing, reasoning, logical thinking, mathematic processes and specialises in sequential info processing.
Right Hemisphere
Responsible for drawing, spatial orientation, music and art awareness, and creativity. Specialises in experiencing, expressing and comprehending emotion and involved in tuition.
Corpus Callosum
Thick band of nerve fibres connecting cerebral hemispheres and allowing the transfer of info between them. Largest white matter structure to allow optimum nerve impulse transmission between neurons.
Cerebral Cortex Lobes
Frontal lobe, temporal lobe, occipital lobe, and parietal lobe.
Frontal Lobe
Controls voluntary movement and speech production. Responsible for planning, decision making, problem solving, ability to reason, and organise info, expression of personality, recognition of emotions and impulse control.
Temporal Lobe
Responsible for understanding speech and processing smell, interprets auditory info, involved in facial recognition, recognising body language, and long term memory formation.
Occipital Lobe
Responsible for visual perception and processing, interpreting visual info and for the perception of depth and distance, involved in facial recognition.
Parietal Lobe
Responsible for processing sensory info relating to touch, spatial awareness, proprioception, involved with integration of sensory info (manages hearing, sight, etc).
Proprioception
Perception of location and movement of certain body parts.
Broca’s Area
Controls the fine muscle movement responsible for production of articulate speech. Impairment in this area is referred to as Broca’s aphasia.
Wernicke’s Area
Responsible for understanding of language and the production of meaningful speech. Impairment in this area is referred to as Wernicke’s aphasia.
Pre-frontal Cortex
Coordinates executive function (ability to predict consequence of behaviours as well as the ability to regulate and recognise emotions).
Primary Motor Cortex
Strip of cerebral cortex running through the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movement of body. Different zones within corresponds to various parts of the body, with the size of each zone representing the importance of the body part (according to how often it is used - human homunculus).
Primary Sensory Cortex
Strip of cerebral cortex running through the parietal lobes that registers and processes sensory info. Human homunculus according to sensitivity (measured by the density of sensory receptor).
Primary Auditory Cortex
Area within both temporal lobes that registers and processes auditory info that is received from the ears.
Primary Visual Cortex
Area within both occipital lobes that registers and processes visual info that is received from the eyes.
Phineas Gage: before
1848, working as a foreman building a railroad. The 25 year old was described as active, organises, reasonable and calm.
Phineas Gage: during
While compacting powder in a hole in preparation for blasting, he got distracted and hit rock, causing a blast that forced the iron into the left side of his face under his cheek bone and exiting his skull. He convulsed but after a few minutes was able to speak.
Phineas Gage: after
A year later, a doctor that operated on him returned. Gage had applied to become a foreman again, but had been rejected because he had become uncaring, impulsive, and impatient.
Phineas Gage: lesson
The shift was due to damage to his left frontal lobe. This case contributed to the understanding that the frontal lobe is responsible for expression of personality, problem solving and impulse control.
Roger Sperry: animals
Before using human volunteers, he had used cats and monkeys. From this research he had deducted that the hemispheres worked independently of each other when the corpus callosum was cut (and thus finding out it acts as a communicator).
Roger Sperry: people
(1959-1968) Sperry conducted research on people that had split brain surgery to treat their epilepsy. Optic nerves from each eyes cross over at the optic chiasm so input from the left field of view is processed in the right hemisphere and vice versa, irrespective of whether the corpus callosum was intact.
Roger Sperry: experiment
Participants with a severed corpus callosum were asked to focus on a black dot, and words were flashed on either side. Participants were flashed a word on the right, which they had no trouble saying (process in the left), but when it was processed on the left, they couldn’t say it, but could draw it.
Roger Sperry: results
They demonstrated that the corpus callosum is required for full functioning of the brain, and that the LH is responsible for understanding language and speech articulation, while the RH can recognise language but can’t verbally articulate it.
Walter Freeman: context
Walter (with James Watts) was the first person to perform a frontal lobotomy in the USA and used the media to help propel the popularity. He claimed that the mentally ill were obsessed with their own problems due to being self aware.
Walter Freeman: belief
He believed the thalamus to be the centre of human emotion, and so severing of the neural connections between the thalamus and pre-frontal cortex would eliminate excessive emotions and stabilise personality.
Walter Freeman: goal
His goal was to reduce agitation, and with that was a consequence, others developed apathy, decreased concentration and a numbness in emotional response.
Walter Freeman: fall
Advancements in the development of antipsychotic medications and knowledge of the many patients who had suffered led to the decline of Freeman’s reputation and the popularity of lobotomy.
Still Pictures
2D single static images (CT and MRI).
Dynamic Pictures
3D that change in real time (fMRI).
Structural Imaging
Neuroimaging techniques producing scans showing brain structure (CT and MRI).
Functional Imaging
Neuroimaging techniques producing scans showing brains function in real time (fMRI).
Temporal Resolution
Ability to detect when brain activity occurred. The greater the ability, the higher the temporal resolution (EEG).
