Biopsychology

Question 1

What is the CNS

Answer 1

central nervous system
includes the brain and spinal cord
controls behaviour, bodily processes and muscles

Question 2

What is the PNS

Answer 2

peripheral nervous system
nerves
relays messages to and from CNS

Question 3

What does the PNS contain?

Answer 3

somatic and autonomic branches
somatic- conscious actions
autonomic- unconscious actions

Question 4

What are the 2 branches of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 4

sympathetic and parasympathetic
sympathetic- fight or flight
parasympathetic- calming caretaker functions
(“paralyses”)

Question 5

What is a neurotransmitter and name 3 and state their function

Answer 5

messenger in the brain

noradrenaline- concentration
dopamine- pleasure
serotonin- mood
gaba- calming
acetylcholine- learning

Question 6

What are some neurotransmitter related issues?

Answer 6

schizophrenia- dopamine high and serotonin low
major depression- serotonin levels low
parkinsons disorder- dopamine low which can’t motivate muscles

Question 7

What are hormones?

Answer 7

hormones “excite” or stimulate the body and its organs
most hormones only affect their target cell
when enough signals are received cells produce a reaction

Question 8

What does the pituitary gland release?

Answer 8

oxytocin-pair bonding
ACTH/CRH- energy production
HGH- growth and repair

Question 9

What are the adrenal glands

Answer 9

located near kidneys
2 parts:
- adrenal cortex: necessary to live , produces cortisol (why we’re awake during day) and aldosterone (testosterone)

-adrenal medulla: not necessary to live, produces adrenaline and noradrenaline

Question 10

What is the function of the ovaries?

Answer 10

produces oestrogen and progesterone

progesterone-threat and social responsiveness (steroid hormone)

Question 11

What is the function of the testes?

Answer 11

produces testosterone- male characteristics

Question 12

What happens when you perceive stress

Answer 12

1) get stressed - acute or chronic
2) amygdala perceives stress
3) hypothalamus tells body how to fix this using homeostasis
4) sympathetic nervous system works with hypothalamus to produce energy
5) reponse

Question 13

How do you deal with acute stressors (sudden)?

Answer 13

1) SNS stops caretaker functions
2) adrenal medulla produces adrenaline
3) then when danger is gone it switches back to parasympathetic

Question 14

How do you deal with chronic stressors (ongoing stress)?

Answer 14

1) hypothalamus tells body how to respond
2) pituitary gland releases hormones ACTH and CRF
3) ACTH stimulates- adrenal medulla produces adrenaline
CRF stimulates- adrenal cortex to produce cortisol
4) feed back: hypothalamus and pituitary gland monitor cortisol levels and make adjustments to deal with this

Question 15

What are the 2 hormones that help deal with chronic stressors?

Answer 15

ACTH - adrenal medulla, adrenaline

CRF- adrenal cortex, cortisol

Question 16

What is the function of neurons?

Answer 16

“cables of the body”

• transport info in electrical impulses (action potential)
• info received by terminal buttons at the dendrites

Question 17

what are the 3 types of neurons?

Answer 17

sensory: receives info
relay: transmit info
motor: controlling muscles to respond

Question 18

How does synaptic transmission work?

Answer 18

at the end of each dendrite at a terminal and meet with another dendrite

1) Action potential or neurotransmitters arrive at terminal from axon
2) NT packaged in vesicles
3) vesicles fuse with cell membrane
4) NT diffuses across synaptic gap
5) NT binds to receptors
6) Surplus NT is broken down or recycled by reuptake channels

Synapse- communication between 2 neurons at a synapse
action potential is translated into neurotransmitters
NT added up at receptors to decide what happens next.

Question 19

What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory?

Answer 19

Excitatory- cell more likely to do something e.g. adrenaline

Inhibitory- cell less likely to do something e.g. GABA turns off receptors with alcohol

Question 20

What is EPSP

Answer 20

Excitatory postsynaptic potentials

+ charge

Question 21

What is IPSP?

Answer 21

Inhibitory postsynaptic potential

• charge

Question 22

How do postsynaptic potentials allow things to happen?

Answer 22

If a neutron receives both excitatory and inhibitory signals the total of each adds up and the most powerful signal

Can be:
Temporal = very quick firing of one presynaptic neuron
Spatial = lots of small signals happening at different synapses

+ has an upside down u shape and - has a u shape on graphs

Question 23

What is the function of an axon

Answer 23

Passes messenges

Question 24

What is the function of a myelin sheath

Answer 24

Covers the axon and helps speed neural impulses

Question 25

What is the function of a dendrite

Answer 25

Received messenges

Question 26

What is the function of a terminal branch

Answer 26

Forms junctions with other cells

Question 27

Write 3 evaluative paragraphs about the fight or flight response?

Answer 27

P- ind. differences
E- tend + befriend in women
E- SRY gene, men in 911 helped others
L- gender bias

P- int val
E- +freeze
E- useful application in health
l- ecological val

P- economic implications