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Psychology- Miss Buckley > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

1
Q

What is the nervous system

A
  • the body’s main communication system which is very fast acting
  • complex network of speacialised nerve cells which passes information around the body
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2
Q

Draw the diagram of the nervous system

A

|———————————NS———————————|
CS. PNS
|. |——————|————|
Brain & spinal cord. Autonomic. Somatic
|————|
Sympathetic. Parasympathetic

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3
Q

What does CNS (or CS) stand for

A

Central Nervous System

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4
Q

What is the CNS made up of

A

Brain and the spinal cord

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5
Q

What is the function of the CNS

A

To pass messages from the brain to other parts of the body and receive information from the peripheral nervous system

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6
Q

What is special about the brain

A
  • centre of the conscious awareness
  • the cerebral cortex is highly developed in humans and distinguishes our higher mental functions from other animals
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7
Q

What is the spinal cord

A
  • it is an extension of the brain
  • responsible for reflex actions
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8
Q

What does PNS stand for

A

Peripheral nervous system

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9
Q

What is the PNS made up of

A

Nerve fibres (axons)

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10
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system

A
  • sends information to the CNS from the outside world
  • transmits messages from the CNS to muscles and glands in the body
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11
Q

What is the somatic nervous system

A
  • receives instructions from the CNS for muscle movements
  • controls conscious movement
  • transmits information from the receptor cells in sense organs to the CNS
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12
Q

What is the somatic nervous system made up of

A

Axons and myelinated neurons

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13
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system

A
  • responsible for control of the bodily functions not consciously directed
  • transmits information to and from internal bodily organs
  • acts slower than the SNS
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14
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system made up of

A
  • unmyelinated nerve fibres
  • sympathetic nervous system
  • parasympathetic nervous system
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15
Q

Sympathetic nervous system =

A

Gets the body prepared for flight or fight

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16
Q

Parasympathetic nervous system =

A

Returns the body to its normal resting state

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17
Q

What is a neuron

A

Nerve cells which are part of the nervous system

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18
Q

How do neurons transmit information

A
  • electrically (through action potential)
  • chemically (using neurotransmitters)
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19
Q

What do neurons consist of

A
  • cell body
  • dendrites
  • an axon
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20
Q

What are dendrites and what do they do

A
  • receive signals from other neurons or sensory receptors
  • connected to the cell body
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21
Q

What is the function of cell bodies

A

Control centre of the neuron which contains all the genetic information of the cell

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22
Q

What is the axon

A

Carries the impulse from the cell body to the terminal

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23
Q

What is the axon terminal

A

The end of the axon where the neurotransmitters are

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24
Q

What is a myelin sheath

A
  • a fatty coating that forms around the axon
    -allows nerve impulses to transmit more rapidly along the axon
  • if damaged impulses slow down
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25
Q

What size dendrites and axons does a sensory neuron have

A

Long dendrites
Short axons

26
Q

What is a sensory neurons function

A

Carry messages from the sense receptors in the PNS to the CNS

27
Q

Do all messages from the sensory neuron go to the brain

A
  • no
  • some terminate in the spinal cord to allow reflex actions to occur quickly
28
Q

What size dendrites and axons does a motor neuron have

A

Short dendrites
Long axon

29
Q

What is the motor neurons function

A

Connect CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands

30
Q

Where is the motor neuron’s cell body and axon located

A

Cell body = in the spinal cord the fibre (axon) projects outside the spinal cord directly or indirectly control effector organs

31
Q

What size dendrites and axon does a relay neuron have

A

Short dendrites
Short axon

32
Q

What is the function of a relay neuron

A

Connect the sensory neurons to the motor or other relay neurons

33
Q

Where are relay neurons ONLY found

A

Spinal cord and brain

34
Q

What is the endocrine system

A
  • a communication system that instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream
  • these hormones are carried in the blood towards target organs in the body
  • it works alongside the NS to control vital functions in the body
35
Q

What speed does the endocrine system pass messages compared to the nervous system

A

It acts much more slowly than the NS but still has powerful effects

36
Q

What is a hormone

A

A chemical substance that circulates in the bloodstream and affects target organs

37
Q

What effects do hormones have

A

Hormones can affect cells in several organs leading to a diverse range of responses

38
Q

What is released from the Adrenal gland and what impact does it have

A

Adrenaline and noradrenaline
- key role in fight or flight

39
Q

What is released in the Adrenal cortex and what impact does it have

A

Cortisol
- triggers the release of glucose to provide the body with energy and suppressing the immune system

40
Q

What is released in the testes and what impact does it have

A

Releases testosterone which is responsible for male sex characteristics during puberty and muscle growth

41
Q

What is released from the ovaries and what impact does it have

A

Release oestrogen which regulates female reproductive system

42
Q

What is the fight or flight response

A

A sequence of activity within the body that is triggered when the body prepares itself for defending or attacking (flight) or running away to safety (flight)

43
Q

What phrase must you always use in this topic

A

‘Make the body prepared’

44
Q

How are threats today different to the past

A
  • Today the threats are more psychological than physical
  • today the threats are more long term
45
Q

What is the role of the amygdala

A
  • Body’s “threat” sensor
  • if it alerts that there is a threat then it will activate a sequence of events
46
Q

Which 2 communication systems work together

A

Nervous system and endocrine system

47
Q

What is the process of the SAM pathway

A

Amygdala
| alerts
Hypothalamus
|activates
Sympathetic Nervous System
|triggers
Adrenal Medulla
|releases
Adrenaline and noradrenaline
| facilitates
The fight or flight response

48
Q

What is the role of adrenaline

A
  • increased heart rate pushing blood to the muscles
  • breathing becomes more rapid to take in more oxygen to provide to the muscles
  • blood sugar and fats are released into the bloodstream to provide energy
  • diversion of blood away from the digestive system by constructing blood vessels
  • increase sweating
49
Q

Fight or flight response - AO3 - LIMITATION

A

P- negative consequences
EE- the response is activated in conditions that are not life threatening and isn’t particularly helpful
L- we do not need the physical response in the modern world

50
Q

Fight or flight response - AO3 - LIMITATION

A

P- gender differences in acute stress response which are ignored and thus presenting beta bias
E- Taylor (2000) suggests females display a different pattern to men
E- males = protective alliances Females = protect themselves & young
L- linked to primary caregiver

51
Q

Fight or flight response - AO3 - LIMITATION

A

P- incomplete explanation
E- Gray (1988) argues first step is the ‘freeze’ response not fleeing or fighting
E- advantages of this for humans is that ‘freezing’ focuses attention
L- shows original theory of fight or flight is only partial explanation to how bodies react to immediate danger short term danger

52
Q

What is synaptic transmission

A

The process in which one neuron communicates with another by releasing neurotransmitters to diffuse across the synapse

53
Q

What is the synapse

A

The gap between neurons

54
Q

What is an action potential

A

An electrical impulse
- when a neuron is in a resting state it is negatively charged compared to the outside
- when a neuron is activated by a stimulus it becomes positively charged for a split second causing an action potential

55
Q

What are the stages of synaptic transmission

A

1- an action potential travels down the axon of the presynaptic neuron
2- when the impulse reaches the terminal buttons it causes vesicles to migrate and bind with the presynaptic membrane triggering the release of the neurotransmitters
3- neurotransmitters diffuse across the synapse and bind with postsynaptic receptors like a lock and key
4- once activated the receptors produce either excitatory or inhibitory effects on the postsynaptic neuron
5- neurotransmitters are then released back into the synapse and go through either: 1= the process of reuptake or 2 = get metabolised

56
Q

What is the function of serotonin

A

To regulate mood
- we think it is involved in depression, OCD & anxiety when levels are low

57
Q

What is the function of dopamine

A

Pleasure
- can be lead to addiction

58
Q

What is the function of GABA

A
  • calming effect on the brain
  • it is always inhibitory, never excitory
59
Q

What is special about GABA

A

It’s the only inhibitory neurotransmitter

60
Q

What is meant by inhibition

A
  • “off switch”
  • a negative charge at the post synaptic membrane will create an inhibitory post synaptic potential
    —> less likely to fire an action potential
61
Q

What is meant by excitation

A
  • “on switch”
  • a positive charge at the post synaptic membrane will create a negative charge at the post synaptic potential
    —> more likely to fire an action potential
62
Q

What is meant by summation

A

The net sum of the total IPSP’s and EPSP’s which determines whether or not the cell fires
- the threshold is -60v for an action potential to be created

Psychology- Miss Buckley (14 decks)

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