Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

what two parts is the nervous system divided into

A

CNS - central nervous system
PNS - peripheral nervous system

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2
Q

What is the Central Nervous System (CNS) made up of?

A

The CNS is made up of the brain and spinal cord.

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3
Q

what is the brain responsible for

A
  • most complex part of the body,
    responsible for higher-level mental functions, (thinking/sensation/behaviour.)
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4
Q

what is the spinal cord responsible for

A

responsible for sending info to + from the brain and for reflex actions.

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5
Q

What parts does the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) include?

A

The PNS includes parts of the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord.

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6
Q

What is the function of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

A

The PNS sends information to and from the CNS.

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7
Q

What are the subcomponents of the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)?

A

the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and the Somatic Nervous System (SNS).

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8
Q

What is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) responsible for?

A

our internal organs (operates unconsciously.)

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9
Q

What is the Somatic Nervous System (SNS) responsible for?
A: The SNS is responsible for our muscle movements and receives signals from the CNS.

A

our muscle movements and receives signals from the CNS.

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10
Q

what is the role of the frontal lobe

A

decision making, rational thinking

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11
Q

what is the role of the temporal lobe

A

processing auditory info

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12
Q

what is the role of the parietal lobe

A

processes sensory info

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13
Q

what is the role of the occipital lobe

A

processes visual info

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14
Q

what is the role of the cerebellum

A

governs movement and balance

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15
Q

what is the acronym for the different lobes of the brain

A

T una - temporal
F ish - frontal
P refer - parietal
O ranges - occipital

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16
Q

what are the main areas the brain is divided into

A

Limbic system, cerebellum, brain stem, cortex, pituitary gland, adrenal gland, and thyroid gland.

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17
Q

what is the function of the limbic system

A

The limbic system controls basic emotions (fear, sex, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, etc.).

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18
Q

what is the role of the brain stem

A

connects brain to spinal cord

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19
Q

What is the cortex and how is it divided?

A

The cortex is divided into 4 lobes, each with specific functions.

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20
Q

what is the function of the pituitary gland

A

-the ‘master gland’
-controls the release of hormones from all other glands in the body.
- controlled by the hypothalamus.

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21
Q

what does the adrenal gland do

A

releases adrenaline into the bloodstream
- important for the physiological changes involved in the fight or flight response.

22
Q

what hormone does the thyroid gland produce

A

thyroxine

23
Q

why is flight/fight research typically conducted using male ppts

A

Fight/flight research is conducted using only male participants because it is believed that female hormones disrupt the response.

24
Q

What is the purpose of neurons?

A

receive + send info around body by sending signals electrically + chemically, enabling communication within the nervous system

25
Q

What are sensory neurons and where are they found?

A

found in receptors like the skin, eyes, ears, and tongue.
connect the PNS to the CNS.

26
Q

What are relay neurons and where are they found?

A

found in the brain and spinal cord.
connect other neurons together

27
Q

What are motor neurons and where are they found?

A

found in the CNS
connect the CNS to other organs, glands, and muscles.

28
Q

What is the function of dendrites?

A

receive impulses from neighbouring neurons and carry the signal towards the cell body.

29
Q

What does the axon do?

A

carries the signal away from the cell body down the neuron.

30
Q

What is contained in the cell body of a neuron?

A

contains the nucleus and the genetic material of the cell.

31
Q

What is the role of the axon terminal?

A

where a signal has to cross a synapse to the next neuron.

32
Q

What is the myelin sheath and its function?

A

a fatty layer that surrounds the axon and speeds up the transmission of the signal.

33
Q

What are the Nodes of Ranvier and their function?

A

gaps between myelin sheath that speed up transmission by allowing the signal to ‘jump’ across gaps on the axon.

34
Q

what is the acronym for the parts of a neuron

A

D ancing - dendrites
C ats - cell body
A lways - axon terminal
Act - axon
M ore - myelin sheath
N imble - nodes of ranvier

35
Q

what is synaptic transmission

A

neurons (nerve cells) Communicate to each other.
neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) are passed from one neuron To another across the synapse.

36
Q

what is dopamine

A

neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, reward, and motivation.

37
Q

What functions can neurotransmitters perform?

A

Neurotransmitters can either perform an excitatory or inhibitory function

38
Q
A
39
Q

What are excitatory neurotransmitters?

A

increase positive charge of postsynaptic neuron, increasing the likelihood that it will fire and pass on the electrical impulse

40
Q

what are inhibitory neurotransmitters

A

increase negative charge of postsynaptic neuron, decreasing likelihood that it will fire and pass on the electrical impulse.

41
Q

What is summation ?

A

the process where charges from each neurotransmitter that have bound to receptor sites in the postsynaptic neuron are added together.

42
Q

When is the action potential of the postsynaptic neuron triggered?

A

if sum of excitatory and inhibitory signals reaches the threshold causing neuron to fire the impulse.

43
Q

What are the physical symptoms of the fight or flight response?

A

Dilation of pupils, fast breathing, heart pounding, and tense muscles.

44
Q

What role does the amygdala play in the fight or flight response?

A

The amygdala reacts to the threat.

45
Q

What does the hypothalamus do during the fight or flight response?

A

activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers the release of adrenaline.

46
Q

What hormone does the adrenal cortex release during the fight or flight response, and what is its function?

A

The adrenal cortex releases cortisol for continued alertness.

47
Q

What is beta bias in the context of stress responses?

A

Beta bias is the tendency to underestimate the differences between males and females.

48
Q

What is the ‘tend and befriend’ response proposed by Taylor et al. (2000)?

A

suggests females respond to stress by protecting themselves + offspring (tending) and forming alliances with other women (befriending).

49
Q

Why might females have evolved a different response to stress than males?

A

they are primary caregivers - fleeing from danger may put offspring at a higher risk

50
Q

What physiological response is associated with the ‘tend and befriend’ behavior?

A

the release of oxytocin.