Biopsychology

Question 1

Nervous System

Answer 1

Consists of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

Question 2

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Answer 2

Consists of the brain and the spinal cord and is the origin of all complex commands and decisions.

Question 3

Brain and Spinal Cord

Answer 3

Brain is the centre of all conscious awareness. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and is responsible for reflex actions. Passes messages to and from the brain and connects nerves to the PNS.

Question 4

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Answer 4

Sends information to the CNS from the outside world, and transmits messages from the CNS to muscles and glands in the body. Consists of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

Question 5

Somatic Nervous System

Answer 5

Transmits information from receptor cells in the sense organs to the CNS. It also receives information from the CNS that directs muscles to act.

Question 6

Autonomic Nervous System

Answer 6

Transmits information to and from internal body organs. It is ‘autonomic’ as the system operates involuntarily. It has two main divisions: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Question 7

Sympathetic Nervous System

Answer 7

Activates internal organs for vigorous activities and emergencies (fight or flight). Works in opposition to the parasympathetic branch.

Question 8

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Answer 8

Controls the relaxed state. Slow acting and brigs the body back to an optimum state. Works in opposition to the sympathetic branch of ANS. One or the other is active at any time.

Question 9

Afferent and Efferent Neurons

Answer 9

Afferent = sensory information travelling to the brain/CNS. Efferent = Brain communicates with PNS to signal physical changes in body.

Question 10

Endocrine System

Answer 10

One of the body’s major information systems that instructs glands to release hormones directly into the bloodstream. These hormones are carried towards target organs in the body.

Question 11

Gland

Answer 11

An organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones.

Question 12

Hormones

Answer 12

Chemical substances that circulate in the bloodstream and only affect target organs which have the right receptor hormones. They are produced in large quantities but disappear quickly. Have a powerful effect.

Question 13

Fight or Flight Response

Answer 13

The way an animal responds when stressed. The body becomes physiologically aroused in readiness to fight an aggressor or flee. This response is created through the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems working together.

Question 14

Pituitary Gland

Answer 14

Main gland. Controls release of all other endocrine glands in the body.

Question 15

Hypothalamus

Answer 15

Controls the pituitary gland.

Question 16

Thyroid

Answer 16

Produces thyroxine which controls the metabolism.

Question 17

Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH)

Answer 17

What is released to activate the adrenal gland to produce adrenaline.

Question 18

Adrenaline

Answer 18

A hormone produced by the adrenal glands which is part of the human body’s immediate stress response system (fight/flight). Adrenaline has a strong effect on the cells of the cardiovascular system.

Question 19

Neuron

Answer 19

The basic building blocks of the nervous system, neurons are nerve cells that process and transmit messages through electrical and chemical signals.

Question 20

Sensory Neurons

Answer 20

These carry messages from the PNS to the CNS. They have long dendrites and short axons.

Question 21

Relay Neurons

Answer 21

These connect the sensory to the motor or other relay neurons. They have short dendrites and short axons.

Question 22

Motor Neurons

Answer 22

These connect the CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands. They have short dendrites and long axons.

Question 23

Structure of a Neuron

Answer 23

Neurons vary in size from less than a mm to up to a metre long, but all share the same basic structure. The cell body includes a nucleus (contains the genetic material of the cell). Branch-like structures called dendrites protrude from the cell body. The axon carries the impulses away from the cell body down the length of the neuron. The axon is covered in a fatty layer of myelin sheath that protects the axon and speeds up electrical transmission of the impulse. If the myelin sheath was continuous this would have the reverse effect and slow down the electrical impulse. Thus, the myelin sheath is segmented by gaps called nodes of Ranvier. These speed up the transmission of the impulse by forcing it to ‘jump’ across the gaps along the axon. Finally, at the end of the axon are terminal buttons that communicate with the next neuron in the chain across a gap known as the synapse.

Question 24

Action Potential

Answer 24

When a neuron isn’t sending a signal, it’s ‘at rest’. When at rest, the inside of the neuron is negatively charged compared to the outside. When a neuron is activated by a stimulus, the inside of the cell becomes temporarily positively charged, this is the action potential. It creates the electrical impulse that travels through the axon to the end of the neuron.

Question 25

Synaptic Transmission

Answer 25

The process by which neighbouring neutrons communicate with each other by sending chemical messages across the gap (synapse) that separates them.

Question 26

Neurotransmitter

Answer 26

Brain chemicals released from synaptic vesicles that relay signals across the synapse from one neuron to another. Can be excitatory or inhibitory.

Question 27

Excitation

Answer 27

When a neurotransmitter (e.g adrenaline) increases the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron. This increases the likelihood that the neuron will fire and pass on the electrical impulse.

Question 28

Inhibition

Answer 28

When a neurotransmitter (e.g serotonin) increases the negative charge of the postsynaptic neuron. This decreases the likelihood that the neuron will fire and pass on the electrical impulse.

Question 29

Summation

Answer 29

Whether a postsynaptic neuron does fire is decided by the process of summation where the excitatory and inhibitory influences are summed. The action potential of the postsynaptic neuron is only triggered if the sum of the excitatory and inhibitory signals at any one time reaches the threshold.

Question 30

Localisation of Function

Answer 30

Different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours. The opposite of this theory is the ‘Holistic’ theory.

Question 31

Phineas Gage

Answer 31

Pole went through his skull taking most of his frontal lobe. Connection between frontal lobe (rational thinking) and limbic system (deep emotions) is disrupted. Had a personality change and became quick tempered and rude.

Question 32

Motor Area of the brain

Answer 32

Responsible for voluntary movement on opposite side of the body.

Question 33

Brocas Area of the brain

Answer 33

Responsible for speech production.

Question 34

Broca (1861)

Answer 34

Discovered speech production centre of the brain. Studied post mortem brains of aphasic patients (could only say one word) which is caused by damage to the Broca’s area.

Question 35

Somatosensory area of the brain

Answer 35

Responsible for sensory information from the skin.

Question 36

Wernicke’s area of the brain

Answer 36

Responsible for understanding language and can speak but its meaningless.

Question 37

Hemispheres of the brain

Answer 37

Divided into 2 halves, left and right. Left side of the body is controlled by the right hemisphere and vice versa.

Question 38

Peterson

Answer 38

Used brain scans to demonstrate how Wernick’s area was active during a listening task and Broca’s area was active during a reading task. So suggested that the two areas have different functions and so provides scientific support for localisation.

Question 39

Tulving

Answer 39

Brain scans showed different parts of the brain are active during different activities. Found that LTM, semantic and episodic memory are located in different parts of the prefrontal cortex.

Question 40

Dougherty

Answer 40

Did post surgery checkup of 44 OCD patients. Third had a successful response and 14% had a partial response. Success of procedures like this strongly suggests that symptoms and behaviours associated with serious mental disorders are localised.

Question 41

Lachley

Answer 41

Equipotentiality theory, basic motor and sensory functions are localised but higher functions are not. Intact areas of the brain can take over responsibility for specific functions after brain injury.

Question 42

Neuroplasticity

Answer 42

The ability of the brain to change and adapt (structures and processes) as a result of experience and new learning.

Question 43

Maguire

Answer 43

London taxi drivers study. Compared MRI scans of their brains to normal male non taxi drivers and found taxi drivers had larger hippocampi. Also a positive correlation between volume of the hippocampus and time spent as a taxi driver (could not be accounted for by age differences).

Question 44

Functional Recovery

Answer 44

A form of plasticity. Following damage through trauma, the brains ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by a damaged area(s) to other, undamaged area(s).