Biopsychology - Booklet 1

Question 1

What is the nervous system?

Answer 1

A network of cells in the human, our main internal communication system

Question 2

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

Answer 2

-Central nervous system
-Peripheral nervous system

Question 3

Which approach is biopsychology part of?

Answer 3

It’s part of biological structures, from the biological approach

Question 4

What is the central nervous system (CNS) made up of?

Answer 4

The brain and the spinal cord

Question 5

What is the function of the CNS?

Answer 5

Its function is to control behaviour and regulate the body’s physiological processes

Question 6

What is the brains function in the CNS?

Answer 6

It’s the centre of all consciousness and deals with higher order skills such as problem solving

Question 7

What are the three functions of the spinal cord in the CNS?

Answer 7

-To relay information between brain and body
-To transfer messages to the PNS
-Deal with some reflex responses without the brain

Question 8

What does the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) do?

Answer 8

It transmits millions of signals vie neurons to and from the CNS

Question 9

What are the two sub divisions of the PNS?

Answer 9

-Autonomic nervous system
-Somatic nervous system

Question 10

What are the two branches of the Autonomic nervous system?

Answer 10

-Sympathetic branch
-Parasympathetic branch

Question 11

What is the function of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 11

Transmitting and receiving messages from the organs

Question 12

What does the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system focus on?

Answer 12

Bodily arousal

Question 13

What does the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system focus on?

Answer 13

Bodily calm

Question 14

What is the function of the somatic nervous system?

Answer 14

To transmit and receive messages from the senses and control muscle movement.

Question 15

What are the cells of the nervous system called?

Answer 15

Neurons

Question 16

What do Neurons do?

Answer 16

They allow the nervous system to communicate by sending information using chemical and electrical signals

Question 17

How many types of neurons are there?

Answer 17

3

Question 18

What does the cell body of a neuron include?

Answer 18

A nucleus

Question 19

What does the nucleus of a neuron contain?

Answer 19

The genetic material of the cell

Question 20

What are dendrites?

Answer 20

Branch like structures that come away from the cell body

Question 21

What do dendrites carry?

Answer 21

Nerve impulses from neighbouring neurons towards the cell body

Question 22

What does the axon do?

Answer 22

Carries impulses away from the cell body down the length of the neuron

Question 23

What is the axon covered by?

Answer 23

The myelin sheath, which protects the axon and speeds up electrical transmission

Question 24

How is the myelin sheath structured?

Answer 24

Broken up into chunks so there’s gaps between it, making electrical transmissions even faster

Question 25

What are the gaps in the myelin sheath named?

Answer 25

Nodes of Ranvier

Question 26

What is at the end of the axon?

Answer 26

Terminal buttons that communicate with the next neuron in the chain across the synapse

Question 27

Identify the three types of neurons

Answer 27

-Sensory Neuron -Relay Neuron -Motor Neuron

Question 28

What is the function of the Sensory neuron?

Answer 28

These send signals from sense organs to the brain, from the PNS to the CNS

Question 29

What is the function of the relay neurons?

Answer 29

They connect the sensory neurons to the motor/relay neurons

Question 30

What is the function of the motor neurons?

Answer 30

These connect the CNS/the brain to effectors such as muscles and glands

Question 31

What are the 6 steps of sensory receptors in the nervous system?

Answer 31

-Sensory receptor detects a stimulus -Electrical impulse is carried along a sensory neuron -It reaches the CNS -Brain coordinates large amount of info -It produces a response and sends it along motor neuron to effector organs -effector organs produce response

Question 32

What is the 5 part chain from Sensory receptor to effector organ?

Answer 32

Sensory receptors ↓ Sensory neurons ↓ CNS ↓ Motor neuron ↓ Effector organ

Question 33

Where do signals cross between neurons?

Answer 33

At the synapse

Question 34

What is synaptic transmission

Answer 34

It's how the nervous system transmits information across a synaptic cleft

Question 35

What are the 4 simplified steps of synaptic transmission?

Answer 35

-Active potential trigger vesicles to move to pre-synaptic cell membrane -Vesicles fuse with membrane, releasing neurotransmitters into the cleft -Neurotransmitter diffuses across synapse and binds to receptors on post-synaptic cell membrane -When enough receptors have neurotransmitters, signal is transmitted

Question 36

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 36

Chemicals that diffuse across the synapse to the next neuron

Question 37

What do neurotransmitters do?

Answer 37

Carry signals across the synaptic cleft to the receptor site

Question 38

What are the two types of neurotransmitters?

Answer 38

-Excitatory -Inhibitory

Question 39

What is a type of neurotransmitter we study in aggression and psychopathology?

Answer 39

Serotonin, it causes inhibition in the receiving neuron

Question 40

What is a type of neurotransmitter which, unlike serotonin, causes excitation of the neuron?

Answer 40

Adrenalin

Question 41

If there was an exam question asking "why information only travels in one direction in a synapse", how must you phrase your answer (3 points)?

Answer 41

-As vesicles containing neurotransmitters are only present in pre-synaptic cell -Receptor sites are only present on post synaptic cell -When neurotransmitters bind they then pass the message on to the next neuron

Question 42

What is the endocrine system?

Answer 42

A network of glands throughout the body that uses blood vessels to deliver hormones to target sites in the body

Question 43

What do hormones do?

Answer 43

They are secreted into the bloodstream and affect any cell in the body that has a receptor for that hormone

Question 44

What comparison can be made between the nervous system and endocrine system?

Answer 44

The endocrine system is much slower however has a widespread and powerful effect

Question 45

What are the major glands in the endocrine system?

Answer 45

-Pituitary gland -Adrenal gland -Reproductive organs

Question 46

What do glands produce?

Answer 46

They produce and release hormones

Question 47

What is the function of the pituitary gland?

Answer 47

This releases some hormones which are important in regulating the endocrine system. It is known as the "master gland"

Question 48

What is the function of the adrenal gland?

Answer 48

Important in the fight or flight response, it releases the hormone adrenalin

Question 49

What is the function of the testes gland?

Answer 49

Releasing the hormone testosterone

Question 50

What is the function of the ovaries gland?

Answer 50

Releasing Oestrogen and Progesterone

Question 51

What are hormones?

Answer 51

Chemicals that circulate the bloodstream and are carried to the target site in the body

Question 52

What is it thought of hormones?

Answer 52

That they influence behaviour, each having a different effect

Question 53

When is the Fight or flight response activated? (SAM)

Answer 53

In response to a threat or stressor

Question 54

What does SAM stand for?

Answer 54

Sympathomedullary pathway

Question 55

What is the sequence of the SAM pathway (fight or flight)? (6 steps)

Answer 55

-When stressor is present the hypothalamus is activated -This activates autonomic branch of the NS -Stimulation of the sympathetic branch triggers activation of adrenal gland -Adrenal medulla activated -Adrenal medulla produces adrenaline and noradrenaline -This leads to increased heart rate, breathing and blood flow to muscles. As well as dilated pupils/sweat

Question 56

What are the 10 simple steps for the fight or flight?

Answer 56

-Threat/Stressor -Hypothalamus activated -Autonomic NS -SAM pathway activated -Sympathetic NS -Adrenal Gland -Adrenal Medulla -Produce adrenaline/noradrenaline -Bodily functions e.g. breathing, heart rate, pupils dilate, blood to muscles -Parasympathetic NS