Biopsychology Flashcards
what are the two divisions of the nervous system?
peripheral nervous system- parts of the NS that don’t include the brain/spinal cord
central nervous system- compromised of brain and spinal cord. it receives info from the senses & controls the body responses
describe the somatic nervous system
transmits information from receptor cells in the sense organs to the CNS that directs muscles to act
describe the autonomic nervous system
transmits information to and from internal bodily organs
‘autonomic’ as the system operates involuntarily
has 2 main divisions- sympathetic/parasympathetic
describe the structure and function of neurons
neurons are nerve cells which transmits messages chemically and electrically
they have a cell body (soma), containing genetic material and dendrites which carry nerve impulses to the soma
the axon is covered in a protective layer called the myelin sheath, which speeds up transmission
what is the function of a sensory neuron?
carry messages from receptors e.g skin, to the CNS
what is the function of a relay neuron?
connect sensory and motor neurons (mainly in the CNS)
what is the function of a motor neuron?
send signals from the CNS to effectors (muscles/glands)
describe the process of synaptic transmission in neurons
process by which messages are transmitted electrically within neurons, chemically between
a message reaches 1 end of a neuron (pre-synaptic cell), triggering neurochemical release from vesicles at the axon terminal
chemicals are released into synapse & taken up by next neuron (post-synaptic cell)
excess neurotransmitter is reabsorbed by the pre-synaptic cell
chemical message is converted into an electrical one and sent along the dendrites towards the soma of the neuron
how do selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work?
work by increasing activity of serotonin
they inhibit the reuptake in the synapse
meaning more serotonin is available to pass further messages between nearby neurons
describe the endocrine system and its function
instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream.
the hormones only affect target organs
what is a gland?
an organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones
what is a hormone?
chemical substances that circulate in the blood stream and only affect target organs.
they’re produced in large quantities but disappear quickly, powerful effects
how does the ‘fight or flight’ response work?
when a person perceives a situation as stressful, the sympathetic branch of ANS is triggered.
the stress hormone adrenaline is released, leading to physiological changes
once perceived stressor has passed ‘parasympathetic’ branch returns the body to normal
what are the physiological changes associated with the ‘fight or flight’ response?
increased heart rate & breathing rate
dilated pupils
inhibits digestion
describe the roles of hemispheric lateralisation
left hemisphere controls actions of the right side of body
right hemisphere controls actions of the left side of body
describe the function of the motor area in the brain
located at the back of the frontal lobe, controls voluntary movement in the opposite side of the body
describe the function of the somatosensory area in the brain
located at the front of each parietal lobe, processes sensory information from the skin such as heat & pressure
describe the function of the visual area in the brain
located in occipital lobe, processes visual information
the right eye sends information to the left visual cortex, and vice-versa
describe the concept of ‘localisation’ in the context of brain function
the theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific behaviours, processes or activities
what is the function of the auditory area in the brain?
located in temporal lobes, analyses spoken information
what is the role of broca’s area and how does damage to it affect speech?
located in left frontal lobe, responsible for speech production
leads to a lack of ability to speak fluently and clearly
(slow laboured speech, broca’s aphasia)
what is the role of wernicke’s area and how does damage to it affect speech?
located in left frontal lobe, responsible for language comprehension
when damaged, a person produces nonsense words (wernicke’s aphasia)
what is brain plasticity?
the ability to make new neural connections and amend existing connections
sperry’s split brain research procedure
11 pp’s had a surgical procedure to cut corpus callosum to relieve epilepsy symptoms
an image or word projected to pp’s RVF (which would be processed by the LH) and vice-versa
