Biopsych Ao1 Flashcards
Nervous System
Fast acting messages through neurons
Endocrine system
Slower acting, release of hormone on target organs
Process of fight or flight
- Senses pick up stressor
- Sensory receptors and neurons in PNS send info to hypothalamus which triggers SNS
- Adrenaline is released from the adrenal medulla and transported through blood
- Adrenaline effects, hr increase, br increase
- When treat over hypothalamus triggers less activity and triggers PNS
Synaptic Transmission
- Action potential arrives at presynaptic membrane causing depolarisation by opening calcium ion channels
- Increased conc. of calcium ions cause vesicles to realise neurotransmitters into synapse
- They diffuse across down a concentration gradient
- Have either inhibitory or exhititary effect. Inhibitories reduce PD which reduce likelihood of action potential. Exhititory increase PD by opening more sodium ion channels increasing likelihood of action potential
Localisation of Function
Suggests certain areas of the brain are responsible for certain processes, behaviours and activities
Motor area
Frontal lobe
Visual area
Occipital lobe
Auditory area
Superior temporal gyrus
Wernikes Area
Controls speech comprehension
Brocas area
Controls speech production
Plasticity
Brains ability to physically and functionally adapt after trauma
Maguire et al
Taxi driver in London had larger volume of grey matter in med posterior hippocampus, positive correlation between grey matter volume and amount of time being driver
Functional recovery
Ability to transfer functions of damaged brain areas to other areas
Neural regeneration
New neural pathways formed
Neural reorganisation
New blood vessels and axonal sprouting