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Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

nervous system

A

specialised network of cells in the body and is our primary internal communication system.
biopsychologists assume behaviours caused by activity in the nervous system.

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2
Q

Central nervous system (CNS)

A

brain- centre of all conscious awareness
spinal cord- extension of brain, is responsible for reflex actions
PASSES MESSAGES TO AND FROM THE BRAIN AND CONNECTS TO THE PNS

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3
Q

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

A

transfers messages to and from the CNS

divided into somatic and autonomic nervous systems

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4
Q

Somatic Nervous System (SNS)

A

carries sensory and motor information to and from the spinal cord
controls muscle movement and receives information from the sensory receptor sites

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5
Q

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

A

governs vital functions in the body e.g. breathing, digestion
divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system- their actions are antagonistic

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6
Q

sympathetic nervous system examples

A

gut- slows digestion
salivary glands- inhibits saliva production
heart- increases heart rate
lives- stimulates glucose production
bladder- stimulates urine–> relaxes bladder
eye- dilates pupil
lungs- dilates bronchi

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7
Q

Parasympathetic nervous system examples

when threat goes away

A

gut- increases digestion
salivary glands- increases saliva production
heart- decreases heart rate
lives- stimulates bile production
bladder- inhibits urine–> contracts bladder
eye- constricts pupil
lungs- constricts bronchi

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8
Q

neurons

A

cells that conduct nerve impulses

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9
Q

dendrite

A

receives nerve impulses from neurons

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10
Q

axon

A

where electrical signals pass along

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11
Q

Myelin sheath

A

insulates and protects axon from external influences that can affect the transmission of the nerve impulse
speeds up transmission

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12
Q

nodes of ranvier

A

speeds up transmission of impulse by forcing it to ‘jump’ across axon gaps

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13
Q

terminal buttons

A

send signals to an adjacent cell

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14
Q

sensory neuron

A

found in sense organ receptors
carry nerve impulses to CNS
long dendrites
short axons

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15
Q

relay neuron

A

in between sensory and motor neurons
short dendrites
short axons

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16
Q

motor neuron

A

found in CNS and muscles
form synapses with muscles to control their contractions
long axons (lead to muscle)
short dendrites

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17
Q

knee jerk reflex- e.g. of reflex arc

A

the stimulus (hammer) hits the knee. That’s detected by the sense organs in the peripheral nervous system which conveys the message along a sensory neuron
the message reaches the CNS where it connects to the relay neuron to then the motor neuron.
then the message is carried to an effector, causing the muscle to contract.

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18
Q

synapse

A

physical junction between 2 neurons

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19
Q

action potential

A

electrical activity which causes a neuron to send information down an axon

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20
Q

Excitation

A

more likely the next neurone will fire

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21
Q

Inhibition

A

less likely that the next neuron will fire

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22
Q

case study

A

research investigation that involves a detailed study of an event. Provides a rich record of human experience
but is difficult to generalise a whole population

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23
Q

localisation

A

theory that specific areas of the brain hold particular physical and psychological functions

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24
Q

Lateralisation

A

the dominance of 1 hemisphere for a particular physical and psychological function

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25
Q

brocas area

A

converts thought to speech

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26
Q

wernickes area

A

Understands other people’s speech and produces speech that makes sense

27
Q

aphasia

A

damage to Broca or wernickes areas

28
Q

3 concentric layers that form the brain

A
  1. central core
  2. limbic system
  3. cerebrum
29
Q

central core

A

regulates primitive and involuntary behaviour

30
Q

limbic system

A

controls emotions

31
Q

cerebrum

A

regulates higher intellectual processes

32
Q

cerebral cortex

A

outmost layer of the cerebrum that’s responsible for muscle control and sensory perception

33
Q

corpus callosum

A

bundle of fibres in the cerebrum which connects the hemispheres

34
Q

Pariental Lobe

A

sensory and motor movements

somatosensory cortex found here

35
Q

Somatosensory cortex

A

detects sensory events arising from different regions of the body
uses sensory info from skin to produce sensations of touch, temperature, pain and pressure

36
Q

Frontal Lobe

A

location for awareness of what we’re doing in our environment
motor cortex is located here

37
Q

motor cortex

A

generates voluntary motor movements

both hemispheres have one, each controls the opposite sides muscles

38
Q

Temporal Lobe

A

auditory centres are here

39
Q

occipital lobe

A

visual centres here

40
Q

visual cortex

A

visual information

41
Q

visual cortex

A

visual information

42
Q

plasticity

A

brains tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning

43
Q

functional recovery

A

a form of plasticity
after damage through trauma, the brain transfers the functions that the affected area would usually do to other undamaged areas

44
Q

synaptic/ cognitive pruning

A

rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used brain connections are strengthened
it shows that the brain’s in a continuous state of change

45
Q

negative plastcity example

A

prolonged drug use leads to poor cognitive functioning

46
Q

ELANOR MAGUIRE ET AL

A

studied brains of London taxi drivers using MRI scans
found significantly more grey matter in hippocampus than control group (where development of spatial and navigational skills occurs)
Found that the longer they did the job the more pronounced the structural difference

47
Q

Spontaneous recovery

A

when unaffected areas adapt to compensate for damaged areas quickly after trauma

48
Q

what happens in the brain during recovery?

A

Brain’s able to rewire & reorganise itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the damaged area.
Secondary neural pathways that wouldn’t typically be used to carry out certain functions are ‘unmasked’ to enable functioning to continue

49
Q

What structural changes occur in the brain during recovery

A

Axon sprouting: new nerve endings form and connect with undamaged areas
Reformation of blood vessels
Recruitment of homologous (similar) areas on opposite hemisphere to do specific tasks

50
Q

what are endogenous pacemakers?

A

the body’s internal body clock
e.g. suprachiasmatic nucleus- the master clock that follows a 24 hour pattern.
Keeps body working to the same time- by working with the cells in the eye that respond to light as it helps keep the suprachiasmatic nucleus in tune with the wider world.
Stops melatonin (sleep hormone) being produced in the day

51
Q

what are exogenous zeitgebers

A

external factors in the environment that reset our biological clocks.
E.g. light, social cues

52
Q

circadian rhythm

A

24 hour biological clock that regulates sleep/wake cycle, and changes in core body temperature

53
Q

MICHEL SIFFRE

A

Lived underground (free of social cues) to study circadian rhythms.
Only endogenous pacemakers were influencing him
Found that his sleep wake cycle was just beyond the usual 24 hour cycle
When he did this experiment for the 3rd time when he was 60, he found that his body clock was much slower
Supports assumption that endogenous pacemakers do exert an influence on circadian rhythms.

54
Q

ASCHOFF AND RUTGER

A

For 4 weeks placed participants in a bunker with no natural light
Their sleep/ wake cycle was between 25 and 27 hours
Suggests that endogenous pacemakers control sleep/ wake cycle in absence of light cues

55
Q

FOLKARD ET AL

A

12 participants in a dark cave for 3 weeks
manipulated the clocks to 22 hours a day
None of the participants could adjust comfortably to the pace of the clock
Shows the strength off the circadian rhythm as a free running cycle.
Questions the extent to which sleep wake cycles could be overridden by exogenous zeitgebers.

56
Q

infradian rhythms

A

longer than 24 hours- weekly, monthly, annually

e.g. menstrual cycle, seasonal affective disorder

57
Q

RUSSEL ET AL- MENSTRUAL CYCLE

A

Menstrual cycle’s normally governed by endogenous systems, however it can be controlled exogenous factors
They showed that the synchronisation of periods can be affected by pheromones (exogenous cues)
They daily took samples of sweat from 1 group of women and rubbed it on to the upper lip of women in the 2nd group
Although the two groups were kept separate, their menstrual cycles became synchronised with their odour donor

58
Q

ultradian rhythms

A

less that 24 hours

e.g. sleep and meal patterns

59
Q

sleep cycle- stage 1

A

light sleep where muscle activity slowly decreases. Slow brain waves (alpha waves)

60
Q

sleep cycle- stage 2

A

breathing, heart rate and body temperature decreases. Slow brain waves, sleep becomes a little deeper so theta waves appear

61
Q

sleep cycle- stage 3

A

deep sleep begins, the brain then starts to produce slow delta waves.

62
Q

sleep cycle- stage 4

A

continuation of the production of delta waves, low muscle activity and deep sleep, but the sleep is more intense.

63
Q

sleep cycle- stage 5

A

REM. (rapid eye movement) Heart rate increases, and the breathing is shallow. Brainwaves are sped up and dreaming takes place.

64
Q

BRAC- Basic Rest Activity Cycle- KLEITMAN

A

Human biological cycle of 90 minutes but instead of the sleep cycle it occurs in the day and we move from a state of alertness to physiological fatigue after every 90 minutes.

Psychology (10 decks)

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