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Psychology > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the difference between the nervous system and the endocrine system?

A

Nervous system = electrical and chemical signals
Endocrine system = hormones

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2
Q

What is the central nervous system?

A

The Brain and the Spinal Cord connecting nerves to the Peripheral Nervous system

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3
Q

What is the function of the peripheral nervous system?

A

transmits messages through neurones to and from the central nervous system

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4
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system split into?

A

Autonomic and Somatic nervous system

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5
Q

What are the features of the autonomic and somatic nervous system?

A

Autonomic = vital bodily functions such as heart beat
Somatic = Muscle movement and sensory reception

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6
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system split into?

A

Sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

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7
Q

What does the endocrine system do?

A

works alongside the nervous system in order to control vital bodily functions

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8
Q

Name a gland in the body that the endocrine system controls

A

Thyroid gland

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9
Q

What does the thyroid gland produce and what does it do?

A

Thyroxin which increases heart rate

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10
Q

What is the “master gland” in the endocrine system?

A

pituitary gland, located in the brain and controls the release of all hormones

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11
Q

How does the Endocrine system work in tandem with the NS to create the fight or flight response?

A

The pituitary gland triggers activity in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system changing it from a resting state to physiological arousal

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12
Q

Outline the features of Adrenaline

A

produced by the adrenal medulla, adrenaline changes the body to be aroused for fight or flight

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13
Q

What are the three types of neurone?

A

Sensory
Relay
Motor

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14
Q

What do sensory neurones do?

A

Carry messages from the PNS to the CNS

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15
Q

What do relay neurones do?

A

Connect sensory neurones to motor or other relay neurones

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16
Q

What do motor neurones do?

A

Connect the CNS to effectors such as muscles or glands

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17
Q

What separates neurones from one another?

A

Synapse

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18
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

Chemicals that diffuse across a synapse in order to carry information from one neurone to another

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19
Q

What are the two effects a neurotransmitter can cause?

A

Excitation and Inhibition

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20
Q

What is an Excitation effect in a neurotransmitter?

A

When a neurotransmitter increases the positive charge of the neurone making it more likely to pass on

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21
Q

Give an example of an excitory neurotransmitter

A

Adrenaline

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22
Q

What is an Inhibition effect caused by a neurotransmitter?

A

When a neurotransmitter increases the negative charge of the postsynaptic neurone making it less likely to fire

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23
Q

Give an example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter

A

Serotonin

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24
Q

What is the Holistic theory of the brain (later proved to be wrong)?

A

The belief that all parts of the brain were involved in processing thought and action

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25
Q

What is meant by Localisation of function?

A

The theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours

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26
Q

Where and what is the Motor area of the brain?

A

A region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement

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27
Q

Where and what is the Somatosensory area?

A

Area of the Parietal lobe that processes sensory information such as touch

28
Q

Where and what is the visual area?

A

A part of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual information

29
Q

Where and what is the auditory area?

A

located in the temporal lobe and responsible for the analysis of speech based information

30
Q

Where and what is the Broca’s area?

A

An area of the left frontal lobe responsible for speech production

31
Q

Where and What is the Wernicke’s area?

A

Area in the left temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension

32
Q

What was the curious case of Phineas Gage?

A

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

33
Q

What is meant by Hemispherical lateralisation?

A

Specific behaviours are dominated by a specific brain hemisphere

34
Q

Where is language lateralised to and why?

A

Left hemisphere as the Broca’s area is in the left frontal lobe while the Wernicke’s area is in the left temporal lobe

35
Q

What is the main feature of the PPS surrounding Sperry’s Split Brain research?

A

People with epilepsy whose corpus collosum had been severed (leaving their hemispheres separate)

36
Q

What was the procedure of Sperry’s split brain research?

A

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

37
Q

What were Sperry’s findings?

A

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

38
Q

What is meant by brain plasticity?

A

The brains tendency to change due to experience, usually forming new connections

39
Q

What are the features of Synaptic Pruning?

A

Frequently used connections are strengthened
Rarely used connections are deleted

40
Q

What research did Elanor Maguire do which supportes synaptic pruning?

A

Studied the brains of London taxi drivers and found that their area of spatial and navigation skills were more developed than a control group

41
Q

What is meant by functional recovery following brain damage?

A

damaged areas of the brain redistribute their functions to unaffected areas

42
Q

How does functional recovery work?

A

Secondary neural pathways are “unmasked” in order to allow normal functioning to continue

43
Q

What are the four ways in studying the brain?

A

fMRI
EEG
ERP
Post Mortem

44
Q

What is an fMRI?

A

Scans blood oxygen levels in the brain identifying which areas are active in great detail

45
Q

What is an EEG?

A

Uses electrodes in a skull cap to measure electrical activity in the brain

46
Q

What are ERPs?

A

Statistical averaging technique that filters out extraneous brain activity from EEGs leading to specific data

47
Q

what are Post-mortem examinations?

A

Analysing a persons brain after death, usually a person with severe brain damage

48
Q

What are biological rhythms?

A

Influences on all living organisms which moderate bodily functions

49
Q

What are the two things that govern biological rhythms?

A

Exogenous Zeitgebers = external influence
Endogenous Pacemakers = internal influence

50
Q

What is a Circadian Rhythm?

A

Rhythms that last around 24 hours (circa is Latin for “about” and diem for “day”)

51
Q

Give an example of a Circadian Rhythm?

A

Sleep Wake Cycle

52
Q

Give an example of an Exogenous Zeitgerber

A

the time of day

53
Q

Give an example of an Endogenous Pacemaker

A

superchiasmatic nucleus

54
Q

What was Siffre’s cave study?

A

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

55
Q

What is an Infradian rhythm?

A

A rhythm which lasts longer than 24 hours

56
Q

Give an example of an Infradian Rhythm?

A

Menstrual cycle as it takes 28 days to complete

57
Q

What evidence is there to suggest that the menstrual cycle is influenced internally?

A

Happens due to changes in oestrogen

58
Q

What study shows the external effect on Infradian rhythms?

A

Odour of other women on their periods caused a 68% change in the menstrual cycle of a group of 20 women

59
Q

What are Ultradian Rhythms?

A

Cycles more than once within a 24 hour period

60
Q

Give an example of an ultradian rhythm?

A

The stages of sleep cycle which has five stages which repeats in 90 minuet bursts

61
Q

What is another endogenous pacemaker other than the SCN?

A

Pineal gland and production of melatonin in controlling sleep

62
Q

What negative effect can Brain plasticity have on people?

A

Brain can adapt to drug misuse and cause mental health problems, additionally 80% of amputees have phantom limb syndrome due to plasticity

63
Q

How has research into circadian rhythms helped shift workers?

A

Highlighted potential dangers of shift work such as being 3 times more likely to develop heart conditions

64
Q

What is a limitation of exogenous zeitgeber when applied to places such as Greenland?

A

Residents of Greenland have regular sleeping patterns despite the majority of their day being in darkness

65
Q

What did Gray suggest regarding a secondary reaction to danger other than fight or flight?

A

He suggested the freeze response as another reaction to danger that the fight or flight response ignores

Psychology (11 decks)

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