Biopsychology Flashcards
What is the difference between the nervous system and the endocrine system?
Nervous system = electrical and chemical signals
Endocrine system = hormones
What is the central nervous system?
The Brain and the Spinal Cord connecting nerves to the Peripheral Nervous system
What is the function of the peripheral nervous system?
transmits messages through neurones to and from the central nervous system
What is the peripheral nervous system split into?
Autonomic and Somatic nervous system
What are the features of the autonomic and somatic nervous system?
Autonomic = vital bodily functions such as heart beat
Somatic = Muscle movement and sensory reception
What is the autonomic nervous system split into?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
What does the endocrine system do?
works alongside the nervous system in order to control vital bodily functions
Name a gland in the body that the endocrine system controls
Thyroid gland
What does the thyroid gland produce and what does it do?
Thyroxin which increases heart rate
What is the “master gland” in the endocrine system?
pituitary gland, located in the brain and controls the release of all hormones
How does the Endocrine system work in tandem with the NS to create the fight or flight response?
The pituitary gland triggers activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system changing it from a resting state to physiological arousal
Outline the features of Adrenaline
produced by the adrenal medulla, adrenaline changes the body to be aroused for fight or flight
What are the three types of neurone?
Sensory
Relay
Motor
What do sensory neurones do?
Carry messages from the PNS to the CNS
What do relay neurones do?
Connect sensory neurones to motor or other relay neurones
What do motor neurones do?
Connect the CNS to effectors such as muscles or glands
What separates neurones from one another?
Synapse
What is a neurotransmitter?
Chemicals that diffuse across a synapse in order to carry information from one neurone to another
What are the two effects a neurotransmitter can cause?
Excitation and Inhibition
What is an Excitation effect in a neurotransmitter?
When a neurotransmitter increases the positive charge of the neurone making it more likely to pass on
Give an example of an excitory neurotransmitter
Adrenaline
What is an Inhibition effect caused by a neurotransmitter?
When a neurotransmitter increases the negative charge of the postsynaptic neurone making it less likely to fire
Give an example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter
Serotonin
What is the Holistic theory of the brain (later proved to be wrong)?
The belief that all parts of the brain were involved in processing thought and action
What is meant by Localisation of function?
The theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours
Where and what is the Motor area of the brain?
A region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement
Where and what is the Somatosensory area?
Area of the Parietal lobe that processes sensory information such as touch
Where and what is the visual area?
A part of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual information
Where and what is the auditory area?
located in the temporal lobe and responsible for the analysis of speech based information
Where and what is the Broca’s area?
An area of the left frontal lobe responsible for speech production
Where and What is the Wernicke’s area?
Area in the left temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension
What was the curious case of Phineas Gage?
A pole from an explosion removed most of his left temporal lobe. Following the incident he became quick tempered and rude suggesting the left temporal lobe is responsible in regulating mood
What is meant by Hemispherical lateralisation?
Specific behaviours are dominated by a specific brain hemisphere
Where is language lateralised to and why?
Left hemisphere as the Broca’s area is in the left frontal lobe while the Wernicke’s area is in the left temporal lobe
What is the main feature of the PPS surrounding Sperry’s Split Brain research?
People with epilepsy whose corpus collosum had been severed (leaving their hemispheres separate)
What was the procedure of Sperry’s split brain research?
11 PPS were shown images to different visual fields (being processed by different hemispheres) and the PPS brains could not convey information from one hemisphere to another
What were Sperry’s findings?
When items were shown to the Right visual field (LH) they could describe what was shown but in the Left visual field (RH) they said nothing was there
What is meant by brain plasticity?
The brains tendency to change due to experience, usually forming new connections
What are the features of Synaptic Pruning?
Frequently used connections are strengthened
Rarely used connections are deleted
What research did Elanor Maguire do which supportes synaptic pruning?
Studied the brains of London taxi drivers and found that their area of spatial and navigation skills were more developed than a control group
What is meant by functional recovery following brain damage?
damaged areas of the brain redistribute their functions to unaffected areas
How does functional recovery work?
Secondary neural pathways are “unmasked” in order to allow normal functioning to continue
What are the four ways in studying the brain?
fMRI
EEG
ERP
Post Mortem
What is an fMRI?
Scans blood oxygen levels in the brain identifying which areas are active in great detail
What is an EEG?
Uses electrodes in a skull cap to measure electrical activity in the brain
What are ERPs?
Statistical averaging technique that filters out extraneous brain activity from EEGs leading to specific data
what are Post-mortem examinations?
Analysing a persons brain after death, usually a person with severe brain damage
What are biological rhythms?
Influences on all living organisms which moderate bodily functions
What are the two things that govern biological rhythms?
Exogenous Zeitgebers = external influence
Endogenous Pacemakers = internal influence
What is a Circadian Rhythm?
Rhythms that last around 24 hours (circa is Latin for “about” and diem for “day”)
Give an example of a Circadian Rhythm?
Sleep Wake Cycle
Give an example of an Exogenous Zeitgerber
the time of day
Give an example of an Endogenous Pacemaker
superchiasmatic nucleus
What was Siffre’s cave study?
Siffre spent six month in a Texan cave relying on only his endogenous pacemakers and found that his sleep wake cycle only increased by an hour
What is an Infradian rhythm?
A rhythm which lasts longer than 24 hours
Give an example of an Infradian Rhythm?
Menstrual cycle as it takes 28 days to complete
What evidence is there to suggest that the menstrual cycle is influenced internally?
Happens due to changes in oestrogen
What study shows the external effect on Infradian rhythms?
Odour of other women on their periods caused a 68% change in the menstrual cycle of a group of 20 women
What are Ultradian Rhythms?
Cycles more than once within a 24 hour period
Give an example of an ultradian rhythm?
The stages of sleep cycle which has five stages which repeats in 90 minuet bursts
What is another endogenous pacemaker other than the SCN?
Pineal gland and production of melatonin in controlling sleep
What negative effect can Brain plasticity have on people?
Brain can adapt to drug misuse and cause mental health problems, additionally 80% of amputees have phantom limb syndrome due to plasticity
How has research into circadian rhythms helped shift workers?
Highlighted potential dangers of shift work such as being 3 times more likely to develop heart conditions
What is a limitation of exogenous zeitgeber when applied to places such as Greenland?
Residents of Greenland have regular sleeping patterns despite the majority of their day being in darkness
What did Gray suggest regarding a secondary reaction to danger other than fight or flight?
He suggested the freeze response as another reaction to danger that the fight or flight response ignores
