Biopsychology

Question 1

What is the Thalamus?

Answer 1

It relays information between the cortex and the brain stem and within different cortical structures

Question 2

What is the Hypothalamus?

Answer 2

It regulates a wide range of behavioural and physiological activities. Such as, body temp, hunger, thirst and sexual activities.
It interrogates different information from parts of the brain.

Question 3

What is the Cerebellum?

Answer 3

It is located at the back base of the brain; it involves coordinating motor skills and balance. It is divided into four lobes...
Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital

Question 4

What is the frontal lobe?

Answer 4

It is involved in attention and thought. Involves voluntary movement.

Question 5

What is the Parietal lobe?

Answer 5

Attention to all awareness of the environment and is involved in manipulation of objects.

Question 6

What is the Temporal lobe?

Answer 6

It is the perception, face and object recognition, understanding language and emotional reactions.

Question 7

What is the occipital lobe?

Answer 7

Visual area of the brain, colour orientation. Calls on the temporal and parietal lobe.

Question 8

What is the spinal cord?

Answer 8

Transfers messages to and from the brain to the peripheral nervous systems. Allows the brain to monitor and regulate bodily processes

Question 9

What is the peripheral nervous system?

Answer 9

It transmits messages from the brain to the whole body and consists of two systems…
Somatic
Autonomic

Question 10

What is the somatic nervous system?

Answer 10

Made up of 12 pairs of cranial nerves; that include sensory and motor neurones.
Sensory= transmit and receive messages
Motor= direct muscles to react and move

Question 11

What is the Autonomic nervous system?

Answer 11

It helps transmit and receive information from the organs and is divided into the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system.
Sympathetic= increases activity
Parasympathetic= conserves resources by decreasing or maintaining activity.

Question 12

What does the central nervous system consist of?

Answer 12

The brain and the spinal cord
🔸the brain is involved in psychological processes and ensures life is maintained. The diencephalic sits above the brain stem; it contains the thalamus and the hypothalamus.

Question 13

What are motor neurons?

Answer 13

They carry signals from the CNS to effectors; these are organs such as muscles or glands
Axons of motor neurons maybe very long
They are sometimes referred to as multipolar as they send and receive messages from many sources (sends the message away from the brain to the muscles)

Question 14

What is a sensory neuron ?

Answer 14

They carry signals from receptors to the spinal cord and brain.
Sensory neurons are unipolar neurons as they only transmit messages.

Question 15

What is a relay neuron?

Answer 15

They are sometimes called inter neurons as they carry messages from one part of the nervous system to another.
They connect sensory and motor neurons
They are multipolar as they send and receive messages from multiple sources

Question 16

What is synaptic transmission?

Answer 16

This is the process of passing messages from one neuron to another. I’m all neurons the dendrites receive the signal; an electrical nerve impulse then travels down the neuron and prompts the release of neurotransmitters

Question 17

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 17

They are chemicals in the brain released into the synaptic fluid in the synapse; they synapse is the ‘gap’ between the neurons

Question 18

What is adrenaline?

Answer 18

This is a substance that is released in the body of a person who is feels strong emotion

Question 19

What is a hormone?

Answer 19

This is a regulatory substance that circulates the body via the bloodstream; it transports through the tissue fluids to cells or other tissues

Question 20

What is a gland?

Answer 20

An organ in the body which secretes particular chemical substances for use in the body or for discharge into the surrounding

Question 21

What is a endocrine system?

Answer 21

This is collection of the glands that secrete hormones directly into the circulatory system to be carried to distant or target organs

Question 22

What is a testes?

Answer 22

It’s an endocrine gland that releases testosterone.

This is the development of male secondary sexual characteristics at puberty. It promotes muscle mass and muscle growth

Question 23

What are the ovaries?

Answer 23

It is part of the endocrine gland and releases oestrogen.

This is regulation of female reproductive system, menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

Question 24

What is the pituitary gland?

Answer 24

It is the master gland, the control secretions of other endocrine systems. It is located in the cranial cavity.

Question 25

Name two anterior pituitary hormones

Answer 25

Growth hormone = promotion of cell growth and multiplication in the body
Oxytocin = promotes uterine contractions in childbirth and lactation after birth

Question 26

What does the motor cortex do?

Answer 26

Send messages to the muscles via the brain

It’s placed in the frontal lobe

Question 27

What does the somatosensory do?

Answer 27

This is sensory information from the skin eg touch, temperature and pressure
It’s located in the parietal lobe

Question 28

What’s brocas area?

Answer 28

It’s responsible for speech

Located in the left frontal lobe

Question 29

What is Wernickes area?

Answer 29

This is understanding language

Located in the left temporal lobe