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AQA Psychology A level > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the functions of the nervous system? + What is it?

A

Primary internal communication system, based on chemical and electrical signals

Functions:

  • collects, processes and responds to information in an environment
  • co-ordinate working of different organs/cells in the body
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2
Q

What are the two sub-systems of the nervous system?

A

Central nervous system (CNS)

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

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3
Q

What is the CNS made up of?

A

The brain and spinal cord

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4
Q

What are the functions of the brain and the spinal cord?

A

Brain- centre of all conscious awareness
Spinal cord- extension of the brain which passes messages to and from the brain and connects the nerves to PNS. Also responsible for reflex actions.

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5
Q

What is the PNS made up of?

A

Millions of neurones

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6
Q

What are the two sub-systems of the PNS?

A

Autonomic nervous system (ANS): responsible for vital functions like breathing, heart rate, digestion

Somatic nervous system (SNS): responsible for muscle movement and receives info from sensory receptors

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7
Q

What is the role of the PNS?

A

Transmit messages through neurones to and from the CNS.

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8
Q

What are the two sub-systems of the ANS?

A

Sympathetic nervous system

Parasympathetic nervous system

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9
Q

What is the role of the endocrine system?

A

Instructs glands to release hormones directly to the blood stream, which are carried to their target organs.

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10
Q

What are some of the main glands in the body?

A

Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Thyroid, Ovaries, Testes

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11
Q

What is the main gland and its function?

A

Pituitary gland

Located in the brain and controls the release of hormones from all other endocrine glands.

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12
Q

What is the fight or flight response?

A
  • Stressor is perceived
  • Hypothalamus activates the pituitary gland which results in activity in Sympathetic nervous system.
  • ANS goes from parasympathetic state to physiologically aroused sympathetic state
  • Adrenaline triggers physiological changes in the body for fight or flight
  • Happens immediately as soon as a threat it detected
  • Once the threat has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system returns the body to resting state. The parasympathetic system works opposite to the sympathetic nervous system.
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13
Q

What is adrenaline?

A

A stress hormone released from adrenal medulla that triggers physiological changes in the body -> fight/flight response.

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14
Q

What are the biological changes which happen during both the parasympathetic and sympathetic response?

A

Parasympathetic:

  • Decreases heart rate
  • Decreases breathing rate
  • Constrics pupils
  • Stimulates digestion
  • Stimulates saliva production
  • Relaxes rectum

Sympathetic:

  • Increases heart rate
  • Increases breathing rate
  • Dilates pupils
  • Inhibits digestion
  • Inhibits saliva production
  • Contracts rectum
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15
Q

What are the 3 types of neurone?

A
  • Sensory
  • Motor
  • Relay
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16
Q

What is the role of a sensory neurone?

A

Carry messages from the PNS to the CNS

They have long dendrites and short axons

17
Q

What is the role of a relay neurone?

A

Connect sensory neurones to motor or other relay neurones

They have short dendrites and short axons

18
Q

What is the role of a motor neurone?

A

Connect the CNS to effectors like muscles and glands

They have short dendrites and long axons

19
Q

What is the structure of a neurone?

A
  • Cell body: has a nucleus
  • Dendrites (carry impulses to other neurones to cell body)
  • Axon (carry impulses away from cell body + communicate with other neurones (they are terminal buttons)
  • Myelin sheath (on axon, protects axon and speeds up transmission of impulse)
  • Nodes of Ranvier (between parts of myelin sheath to speed up electrical transmission)
20
Q

What is the charge of the inside of cells when neurones are at resting state?

A

Negative (positive on outside)

21
Q

What happens when a neurone is activated by a stimulus?

A

Inside of a cell becomes positively charged which causes an action potential to occur, creating an electrical impulse that travels along the axon to the neurones end.

22
Q

What is each neurone separated by?

A

Synapses

23
Q

How are signals within neurones transmitted differently to signals between neurones?

A

Signals within neurones: transmitted electrically

Signals between neurones: transmitted chemically across synapse

24
Q

What happens when the electrical signal reaches the end of a neurone? + what is the name for this?

A

The Presynaptic Terminal

Triggers the release of neurotransmitter from synaptic vessels (tiny sacs)

25
Q

What is a neurotransmitter?

A

Chemicals that diffuse across synapse to the next neurone in the chain

26
Q

What happens after a neurotransmitter has crossed the synapse?

A

It is taken up by a postsynaptic receptor site on the dendrites of the next neurone, where it is converted into an electrical impulse.

27
Q

What is specific about each neurotransmitter?

A

It has its own specific molecular structure, so can only fit into one particular postsynaptic receptor site

28
Q

What does an excitatory neurotransmitter do?

A

Increases the positive charge of the postsynaptic neurone, which increases the likelihood of the postsynaptic neurone will pass on the electrical impulse

29
Q

What does an inhibitory neurotransmitter do?

A

Increases the negative charge of the postsynaptic neurone, which decreases the likelihood of the postsynaptic neurone will pass on the electrical impulse

30
Q

What is summation?

A

Action potential of a postsynaptic neurone is only triggered if the sum of the excitatory and inhibitory signals at one time are greater than each other.

31
Q

What is the process of the reflex arc?

A

Knee jerk reflex-> a reflex arc

A stimulus (hammer) hits the knee, this is detected by sense organs in the PNS which send a message along a sensory neurone

Message reachers the CNS and connects with a relay neurone which transfers a message to a motor neurone. This carries a message to an effector (muscle), causing the muscle to contract and therefore the knee moves.

AQA Psychology A level (8 decks)

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