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AS Psychology > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the central nervous system?

spinal cord & brain

A

Brain and spinal cord
Controls behaviour
Regulation of physiological processes

Spinal cord

  • voluntary movement
  • reflex actions
  • areas below a damaged section will but cut off from brain

Brain

  • cerebrum, 4 lobes, thought/speech/images
  • cerebellum, motor skills/balance
  • diencephalon, relays nerve impulses, regulate body temp/hunger/thirst
  • brain stem, automatic functions, breathing/heartbeat/swallowing
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2
Q

What is the peripheral nervous system

A

All nerves outside CNS

relay signals from CNS to rest of body

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3
Q

What is the somatic nervous system

A

Sensory neurons
- messages to CNS

Motor neurons
- messages from CNS to rest of body

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4
Q

What is the autonomic nervous system

A

Involuntary actions

Without conscious awareness

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5
Q

What is the sympathetic nervous system

A

Responses that help us deal with emergencies

Neurons prepare the body when it’s under threat

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6
Q

What is the parasympathetic nervous system

A

Relaxes the body once the emergency has passed
Involved with energy conservation and digestion
‘Rest and digest’ system

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7
Q

What are sensory neurons

A

Impulses from sensory receptors to spinal cord/brain
Translated into sensations in brain
Some terminate in spinal cord to allow reflex actions

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8
Q

What are relay neurons

A

Allow sensory and motor to communicate with eachother

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9
Q

What are motor neurons

A

Located in the CNS
control muscles
Releases neurotransmitters and trigger a response
Inhibition of motor neurons causes muscle relaxation

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10
Q

Stages of synaptic transmission

A

Action potential arrives
Need to be transferred across the synapse (synaptic gap)
Action potential reaches synaptic vesicles, which allows them to release neurotransmitters
The neurotransmitter diffuses across the gap and binds to receptors
The chemical message is converted back to electrical impulses

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11
Q

Excitatory neurotransmitters

A

On switch
Noradrenaline
Fires up the cell
Excitatory postsynaptic potential

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12
Q

Inhibitory neurotransmitter

A 
Off switch
Serotonin
Decreased chance of neuron firing
Calms body/mind
Inhibitory postsynaptic potential
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13
Q

What is an axon

A

Long projection

Neurotransmitters travel to the end before being released

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14
Q

What are synaptic vesicles

A

Contain the neurotransmitters to be released

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15
Q

What is the synaptic gap

A

Space that the neurotransmitters travel between

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16
Q

What are dendrites

A

Nerve impulses from neurons to cell body

17
Q

What is a receptor

A

Receive neurons

18
Q

What is a neurotransmitter

A

Relay signals that move from one neuron to the other

19
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A

Network of glands
Manufactures and secretes hormones
Controls the bodies functions

20
Q

Endocrine glands

- pituitary glands

A

Controls the release of hormones from all other glands
‘Master gland’
Regulates the release by nypothalum
Controlled by hypothalamus

21
Q

Endocrine glands

- ovaries

A

Facilitates the release of female hormones

Oestrogen and progesterone

22
Q

Endocrine glands

- testes

A

Facilitates the release of male hormones
Testosterone
Sex drive, muscle strength

23
Q

Endocrine glands

- adrenal glands

A

Release adrenaline into the blood stream
Above the kidneys

Cortex - produce cortisol
Medulla - produces nor/adrenaline

24
Q

What are hormones

A

Each hormone affects behaviours differently
Circulate in the bloodstream
Only effects a limited number of cells
Particular receptors for particular hormones
Timing/levels release are critical

25
Q

Fight or flight

- amygdala and hypothalamus

A

Amygdala is mobilised under threat
Associates sensory signals with emotions
Sends a distress signal to hypothalamus
Communicates with the rest of the body

Acute stressors - sudden
Chronic stressors - ongoing

26
Q

Response to acute stressors

A

Sympathetic nervous system

  • triggered
  • releases adrenaline
  • rapid action

Adrenaline

  • heart beats faster
  • blood pressure increase
  • breathing more rapid
  • energy to the body

Parasympathetic nervous system

  • dampens stress once threat has passed
  • digestion begins again
27
Q

Response to chronic stressors

- HPA axis

A

Hypothalamus

  • releases chemical messenger
  • corticotrophin-releasing hormone

Pituitary gland

  • CRH causes the release of ACTH
  • transported to target site in adrenal glands

Adrenal glands

  • releases stress-related hormones
  • cortisol
28
Q

Evaluation of fight or flight response

A

May be maladaptive
Stressors in modern life cant always be fleed from
Leads to health problems e.g. constant high blood pressure

First phase may not be fight or flee
Avoid confrontation
Alert to signs of danger

Gender differences
Females have different systems for coping with stress, linked with being a primary carer

AS Psychology (7 decks)

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