Biopsychology AO1 Flashcards
Outline the Structure and Function of the Neurons
All Neurons contain a cell body and dendrites which carry impulses towards the cell body
- Neurons don’t physically touch each other
- Some are Excitatory whilst others or Inhibitory
Sensory
- carry nerve impulses from the PNS to the Spinal Cord and Brain (CNS)
- when the impulses reach the brain they are translated into sensations such as vision and hearing
- Long Dendrites and Short Axons
Relay - Inter Neuron
- they are only found in the brain and spinal cord (CNS)
- they connect sensory to motor neurons
or other relay neurons
- Short Dendrites and Short Axons
Motor
- carry messages from the CNS and control muscle movement
- they release neurotransmitters that trigger a response (movement)
- Short Dendrites and Long Axons
HOW THEY MAY FUNCTION TOGETHER
1. A stimulus such as a hot surface
2. Sensory send messages by the PNS
3. Messages reach the spinal cord where it is passed to a relay neurone (CNS)
4. The Motor Neurone carries the message to an effector such as a muscle.
5. This would then lead to the muscle contracting (moving away from the stimulus)
Outline the process of Synaptic Transmission
Synaptic Transmission:
1. The Nerve impulse travels down an axon of a pre-synaptic neuron
- The nerve impulse reaches the synaptic terminal at the end of the pre-synaptic neuron
- This triggers the neurotransmitter to move to the edge ready to fire
- The neurotransmitter is released into the synaptic gap to travel across
- The neurotransmitter binds to receptor sites (post-synaptic neurone)
- This triggers the electrical signal to be sent down the Post-Synaptic Neuron
- The neurotransmitters left in the gap are taken back up by the pre-synaptic Neuron
Excitation and Inhibition:
- Sertonin causes Inhibition by increasing its negative charge (less likely to fire)
- Dopamine causes excitation by increasing its positive charge (more likely to fire)
Summation:
A Neuron can receive both excitation and inhibition
So a process of Summation occurs where the positive and negative charges are added up
Outline the divisions of the nervous system: Central and Peripheral
- CNS: Concerned with all life functions and psychological processes
- PNS: Transmits information to and from the CNS
- Somatic Nervous System: Information to and from senses and to and from CNS
- Autonomic Nervous System: Transmits information to and from internal organs to sustain life processes
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Sympathetic - generally increases bodily activities
Parasympathetic- maintains or decreases bodily activities
Examples:
Parasympathetic:
- slows heart rate
- Contracts bladder
- Constricts pupils
Sympathetic:
- Accelerates heart rate
- Relaxes bladder
- Dilates pupils
Outline the function of the endocrine system: Glands and Hormones
The Endocrine System:
Communicates chemical messages to the organs of the body, these messages are known as hormones
The major glands are:
Pituitary, Pineal, Adrenals, reproductive organs, thyroid (PPART)
Glands are organs that produce and secrete hormones to regulate bodily functions
Hormones are chemicals that circulate in the bloodstream and influence target organs to regulate bodily activity
Adrenal is a gland that produces the hormone Adrenaline that triggers fight or flight
Testes is a gland that produces the hormone testosterone that causes development of testes in the womb and puberty
Pineal is a gland that produces the hormone Melatonin which regulates the sleep-wake cycle
Outline The Fight or Flight Response including the role of adrenaline
Sudden fright = hypothalamus directs ANS to send neurotransmitters to the Adrenal Gland
This means: Adrenal Gland produces a release of Adrenaline into the bloodstream = triggering Fight Or Flight
When the threat has passed - Parasympathetic returns body to normal state
(INCLUDE EGS OF PARA AND SYMP REACTIONS)
Stressor - activates hypothalamus >
activates Sympathetic branch of ANS >
activates the adrenal medulla > releases adrenaline
Outline Localisation of Function in the brain (includes AO3)
Localisation is the idea that specific functions, e.g language and memory, have specific locations within the brain
- Therefore if a certain area is damaged; the associated function will be affected
The brain is divided into two symmetrical halves called the Left and Right Hemisphere
ABC of the Brain
- Auditory - damage causes hearing loss
- Broca’s area - damage causes speech problems
- Frontal
- Motor - damage causes loss of control over fine movements
- Somato-sensory
- Visual - damage causes blindness
- Wernicke’s area - damage causes language impairment
Outline Hemispheric Lateralisation and Split Brain Research
Hemispheric Lateralisation:
The idea that the brain has two halves and are functionally different
- they are bridged by the corpus-callosum
The brain is contra-lateral so the left hemisphere deal with the right side of the body and vise versa
Left Hemisphere - language processing
Right Hemisphere - Facial Recognition
Sperry - Studied 11 “split-brain” patients who had their corpus-callosum cut to cure epilepsy
Procedure:
Verbal - a visual image of a pencil would be presented to the left-visual field (to be processed by the right hemisphere)
The Ps would be asked to describe what they had seen (repeated using the right)
Touch Recognition - Ps hands were screened so they couldn’t see the object
Ps were asked to pick up the object with the right hand and describe what they had seen (repeated using the left)
They found when a picture of an object was shown to the:
- Right Visual Field - Easily Descibe
- Left Visual Field - Could Not Describe
They found when an object was held in the:
Left Visual Field - Say matching object
Right Visual Field - Couldn’t verbally identify but understood what it was used for
Outline and Evaluate Methods of Studying the Brain
fMRI - detects changes in blood oxygenation and flow in the brain, when an area is more active blood will rush to this area, which shows that, this area is more active
fMRI produces 3D image maps of the brain
AO3: - fMRIs are less invasive than other scanning techniques such as PET scans
x - fMRIs are expensive to buy and main
EEGs and ERPs - EEGs measure electrical activity within the brain via electrodes fixed to an individuals scalp
- records brain wave patterns
ERPs seek out and isolate specific sensory, cognitive and motor responses
- using statistical averaging EEGs are filtered out leaving ERPs
AO3: + EEGs and ERPs produce high temporal resolution meaning it can record activity in real time
x - They have poor Spatial Resolution meaning they can’t provide info on deeper regions of the brain man
Post-Mortem Exams
Analysing a persons brain following their death
AO3
+ - can have detailed analysis which is not possible with other techniques
x - can’t establish causation
Outline Plasticity and Functional Recovery
Functional Recovery: the brain learns to compensate for lost functions
It can do this by
1. Axon Sprouting - the growth of new nerve endings
2. Recruitment of Homologous Areas
Area damaged on the left would be carried out instead by a similar area on the right
3. Neuronal Unmasking - some neurons are alive but not doing their function, these areas become unmasked to open new connections to compensate for the damaged ones
Factors affecting recovery of the brain after trauma
1. Age
2. Gender
3. Physical Exhaustion
Outline Biological Rhythms
Circadian - Occurs Once Every 24 Hours
E.G: Sleep-Wake Cycle
Hormone Production - Hormones such as Melatonin can encourage feelings of sleep
Infradian - Lasts more than 24 Hours
E.G: Hibernation, Menstruation
Menstrual Cycle is a monthly Infradian cycle which includes monthly changes in hormones that regulate ovulation
Ultradian - lasts less than 24 hours
E.G: heartbeats, Digestion
Stages Of Sleep…
Outline Endogenous Pacemakers and Exogenous Zeitgebers
(This first card only includes Endogenous Pacemakers and the AO3…)
Endogenous Pacemakers are Internal Body Clocks that regulate many biological rhythms
The SCN - Supra-charismatic Nucleus
It maintains the Circadian Rhythms such as the Sleep-Wake Cycle, If the SCN is damaged, sleep becomes erratic
The Pineal Gland and Melatonin
This gland produces melatonin to induce sleep and inhibit this during waking hours
AO3:
+ - Morgan found that when removing the SCN in hamsters, the sleep-wake cycle disappeared
When the SCN was reintroduced the sleep-wake cycle continued
HOWEVER,
x - could be argued that this doesn’t apply to humans
+ - Sffire was in a cave in Texas for 6 months with no daylight, he found due to the SCN he could maintain a normal cycle of sleep-wake
Outline Endogenous Pacemakers and Exogenous Zietgebers
This card only includes Exogenous Zietgebers and it’s AO3…)
Exogenous Zietgebers ard environmental events that entrain the SCN such as …
- Light - this helps the sleep-wake cycle as it is a cue to stay awake to the SCN
It resets the internal biological clock
Social Cues - such as mealtimes and bedtimes act as a Zietgebers
+ - Campbell found shining lights into the back of Ps knees shifted the Circadian Rhythm
This implies that natural light influences the SCN
x - Miles however studied a blind man
He found that regular mealtimes didn’t influence his sleep-wake cycle and it remained abnormal
