Biopsychology

Question 1

What is the role of the central nervous system?

Answer 1

To control behaviour and regulate physiological responses of the body.

Question 2

What are the two divisions of the central nervous system?

Answer 2

The spinal cord and the brain

Question 3

What is the role of the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 3

The connection of the body to the external stimuli of the environment, relays nerve impulses.

Question 4

What are the two divisions of the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 4

The autonomic nervous system (regulates involuntary processes like HR) and the somatic nervous system (carries sensory information from sensory receptors to the CNS).

Question 5

What are the divisions of the autonomic system?

Answer 5

The sympathetic system (mobilizes body in response to threat) and the parasympathetic system (returns body back to normal after a stressor)

Question 6

What is the role and structure of a motor neurone?

Answer 6

A motor neurone relays information to the effector (muscle) to produce contraction/ movement.
Larger dendrites followed by a cell body, an axon terminal with a myelin sheath and nodes of ranvier.

Question 7

What is the role and structure of a relay neurone?

Answer 7

A relay neurones are an intermediate neurone carrying impulses from one neurone to another.
Smaller dendrites followed by a cell body with an axon with a myelin sheath to the synaptic knobs.

Question 8

What is the role and structure of a sensory neurone?

Answer 8

A sensory neurone relays information from receptors as a response to external stimuli eg, taste or pressure.
Smallest dendrites followed by an axon, a cell body contained outside of the neurone an axon with a myelin sheath to the synaptic knobs.

Question 9

What is the process of synaptic transmission?

Answer 9

An action potential is initiated at the cell body
It moves down the axon, jumps to each node of ranvier
The impulse reaches the synaptic knobs
Vesicles in the synaptic knobs are stimulated and they move towards the pre synaptic membrane
They fuse with the membrane and neurotransmitter is secreted into the cleft
The neurotransmitter bind to receptors to the post synaptic knob
Either an excitatory or inhibitory response is triggered

Question 10

Name an excitatory neurotransmitter and what happens in an excitatory response

Answer 10

Acetylcholine/ adrenaline

This means the action potential continues to the post synaptic neurone.

Question 11

Name an inhibitory neurotransmitter and what happens in an inhibitory response

Answer 11

Serotonin/ GABA

This means the action potential is prevented from continuing to the next neurone.

Question 12

What is the endocrine system? Name some of the glands which make up the system.

Answer 12

A network of glands which secrete hormones
Pineal, Melatonin
Hypothalamus, Corticotrophic releasing hormone
Pituitary, Adrenocorticotrophic hormone
Thyroid, Thyroxin
Parathyroid, Parathyroid hormone
Adrenal, Cortisol/ Adrenaline/ Noradrenaline
Pancreas, Insulin
Ovary, Oestrogen
Testis, Testosterone

Question 13

Describe the sympathomedullary pathway, the acute response to a stressor.

Answer 13

The amygdala detects a stressor, sends a message to the
Hypothalamus which uses the
Sympathetic nervous system to tell the
Adrenal glands (the adrenal medulla) to secrete adrenaline and noradrenaline
Causing the fight or flight response

Question 14

Describe the fight or flight response

Answer 14

Increased HR
Perspiration
Shaking
Nausea

Question 15

Following the fight or flight response, what happens?

Answer 15

The parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to normal.

Question 16

Describe the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, the chronic response to a stressor

Answer 16

The amygdala tell the
Hypothalamus to release a corticotrophic releasing hormone to the
Pituitary gland to release an adreno corticotrophic hormone
To the adrenal cortex which releases Cortisol

Question 17

What does cortisol do?

Answer 17

A quick burst of energy, increased threshold

Long term it causes fatty deposits in blood vessels leading to coronary heart disease

Question 18

Name the four areas of the brain

Answer 18

Cerebrum
Diencephalon
Brainstem
Cerebellum

Question 19

Name the four lobes of the cerebrum

Answer 19

Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital

Question 20

Where is Broca’s area located? What is its role? What happens when it is damaged?

Answer 20

The left frontal lobe
Speech production
Broca’s aphasia =slow difficult speech

Question 21

Where is Wernicke’s area? What is its role? What happens when it is damaged?

Answer 21

The posterior of the left temporal lobe
Speech comprehension
Wernicke’s aphasia =fluent gibberish

Question 22

Where is the visual cortex located and what does it do?

Answer 22

The occipital lobe

Processes visual information

Question 23

Where is the auditory cortex and what does it do?

Answer 23

The temporal lobe

Processes auditory information

Question 24

Where is the motor cortex and what does it do?

Answer 24

Frontal lobe

Controls voluntary movement

Question 25

Where is the somatosensory cortex and what does it do?

Answer 25

The parietal lobe | Processes sensory information from receptors

Question 26

What is the cerebellum involved in?

Answer 26

Balance Motor skills, both fine and gross Formation of long term memories

Question 27

What are the two structures of the diencephalon involved in?

Answer 27

The thalamus acts as a relay station allowing the brain to work efficiently. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, hunger and thirst.

Question 28

What is the brain stem involved in?

Answer 28

Breathing, heart beat, swallowing | With motor and sensory neurones to pass through

Question 29

What is Sperry's research?

Answer 29

11 participants, all epileptic, corpus callosum cut Shown projected image on the right= processed in left temporal lobe and were able to say they saw it Shown projected image on the left= processed in the right temporal lobe and couldn't say they saw it

Question 30

Give a reason as to why Sperry's research came to its conclusion

Answer 30

The two hemispheres were unable to communicate as the corpus callosum was cut When the image is shown on the left it is processed on the right, which was unable to communicate with Broca's area on the left.

Question 31

What was the touch variation of Sperry's research?

Answer 31

Image flashed on left Asked to select item by feeling it Could only select using their left hand

Question 32

What was the composite words variation of Sperry's research?

Answer 32

Shown compound word like Keychain Presented simultaneously Could write key with left hand And say ring

Question 33

Name some strengths of Sperry's research

Answer 33

Strengths: Left hemisphere is geared towards analysis the right is adapt to performing spatial tasks and music High internal validity, well controlled and designed standardised procedures were used

Question 34

Name some weaknesses of Sperry's research

Answer 34

Weaknesses: Inappropriate control group and sample (all right handed and control group was not epileptic) Biologically determined, evidence suggests its too rigid

Question 35

What does plasticity of the brain suggest?

Answer 35

The brain is able to change and adapt it's structures and processing referred to as neuroplasticity and cortical remapping

Question 36

Outline the video game study

Answer 36

Participants either didn't train or trained 30 mins a day for 2 months Participants who trained had more grey matter in their cerebrum which allowed new synaptic connections, strategies and motor performance.

Question 37

Outline the monk study

Answer 37

8 meditation practitioners vs 10 non meditators Electrical sensors on brain whilst meditating Meditators had more gamma waves

Question 38

What does functional recovery of the brain after trauma suggest?

Answer 38

After physical trauma to the brain unaffected areas adapt and compensate However it is not long lasting

Question 39

Name the to ways the brain restores functions

Answer 39

``` Neural unmasking (smaller dormant synapses are unveiled, they can take on a function) Stem cells (unspecialised cells are used to take on the characteristics of a nerve cell, can be transplanted to encourage growth or to form a neural network, replace dying or dead cells) ```

Question 40

Negatives of plasticity of the brain

Answer 40

Henry Moliason was unable to recover

Question 41

Positives of plasticity of the brain

Answer 41

One eyed kittens were able to continue to process information, the other hemisphere adapted Taxi drivers had more grey matter in hippocampus as they learned the knowledge Brain injured rats were found to recover with stem cells

Question 42

Name all the ways of investigating the brain

Answer 42

FMRI EEG Event-related potentials Post mortem examinations

Question 43

What do FMRI's do?

Answer 43

Detect radio waves, certain parts show the haemodynamic response. Pros: non invasive, objective, detailed picture Cons: Costs, lie very still, false positives

Question 44

What do EEG's do?

Answer 44

Measures electrical activity in the brain and provides an overall account Pros: in real time, good diagnosis, better understanding of sleep Cons: Doesn't pinpoint, can't look in deep areas

Question 45

What do event-related potentials do?

Answer 45

Using raw EEG data to find neural responses to particular stimuli. The responses are averaged Pros: good temporal resolution, different types means they're precise Cons: large number of trials, can't detect deep things

Question 46

What do post mortems do?

Answer 46

Examinations of the brain after death, areas of damage are examined Pros: damaged areas can be looked at closely, rare disorders can also be looked at closely Cons: can't consent, confounding variables eg. dead brain.