Biopsych Flashcards
What is adrenaline?
A hormone involved in a number of responses, namely the flight or fight response
Adrenaline prepares the body for quick action in stressful situations.
What does the autonomic nervous system do?
Responsible for automatic responses, such as sympathetic or parasympathetic responses
It regulates involuntary bodily functions.
What is Broca’s area?
An area in the left hemisphere dedicated to speech production, specifically the motor component
Damage to this area can result in speech production difficulties.
What constitutes the central nervous system?
Made up of the brain and spinal cord
It is crucial for processing information and coordinating actions.
Define circadian rhythms.
Biological processes which cycle in about 24 hours, such as the sleep-wake cycle
These rhythms regulate various physiological processes.
What are endogenous pacemakers?
Internal ‘clocks’ that regulate biological rhythms, e.g. the suprachiasmatic nucleus
They play a key role in maintaining circadian rhythms.
What is ERP?
Event-related potential, an imaging technique similar to EEG, focusing on electrical activity in response to a stimulus
It helps in understanding brain responses to specific events.
What is excitation in neural terms?
A signal sent to the next nerve making it more likely to fire
It is essential for the transmission of nerve impulses.
What are exogenous zeitgebers?
External cues that influence biological rhythms, such as daylight affecting the sleep-wake cycle
They help synchronize internal biological clocks with the environment.
What is the fight-or-flight response?
The sympathetic responses that increase activity to areas designed to help escape or prepare for a fight
It includes increased blood flow to muscles and reduced blood flow to non-essential systems.
FMRI
An imaging technique that monitors blood flow in the brain . Gives insight into what areas of the brain are responsible for specific activities
Cns
Central nervous system made up of the brain and spinal cord
Role of the cns
Pns
Peripheral nervous system connecrs cbs to rest of the body made up of the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system
Somatic nervous system
Controls conscious and voluntary actions
Part of the pns
Consists of sensory and motor neurons
Sensory neurons
Sensory neurones carry information from sensory receptors to the CNS and are afferent (“moving toward”) fibres.
Motor neurons
Motor neurons carry information from the CNS to the muscles of the body and are efferent (“moving away from”) fibres.
Autonomic nervous system
Controls gland and internal organs and involuntary
Part of pns
Made up of the sympathetic snd parasympathetic nervous systems
Sympathetic nervous system
Part of the answer
Prepares body for stresss and fight or flight response
Parasympathetic nervous system
Returns body to normal after fight or flight response
Homeostasis
Homeostasis is a state of equilibrium, in which biological conditions (such as body temperature) are maintained at optimal levels.
Role of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems collectively
The sympathetic and parasympathetic have complementary functions. They work in tandem to maintain the body’s homeostasis.
Brain
Bilateral structre that can be separated into distinct lobes
Each lobe is associated with certain types of functions
Spinal cord
It routes messages to and from the brain, but has its own system of automatic process, called reflexes.
The cord is organised into 30 segments, which correspond with the vertebrae. Each segment is connected to a specific part of the body through the peripheral nervous system.
