biopsychology year 12

Question 1

what is the peripheral nervous system made up of

Answer 1

somatic and autonomic nervous system

Question 2

what is the autonomic nervous system made up of

Answer 2

sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

Question 3

what is the central nervous system made up of

Answer 3

Spine, Brain

Question 4

what does the somatic nervous system do

Answer 4

connects the central nervous system and the senses and is where the voluntary control of body movements occur

Question 5

what does the autonomic nervous system do

Answer 5

regulation of involuntary actions

Question 6

what does the sympathetic nervous system do

Answer 6

primarily involved in responses that help us to deal with emergencies such as an increase in heart rate and blood pressure

Question 7

what does the parasympathetic nervous system do and what physical changes happen

Answer 7

the parasympathetic nervous system relaxes the body again after the SNS takes action

salivation, lacrimation, urination, digestion and deffrication

Question 8

what is the action potential

Answer 8

information that is passed by an electrical system

Question 9

what happens during presynaptic neuron

Answer 9

at the end of an axon there are synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitters and the action potential causes the neurotransmitters to be released and they diffuse across the synapse and bind to the receptors that recognize it then the chemical message is transferred into action potential again

Question 10

what is the endocrine systems role and what is it made up of

Answer 10

network of glands throughout the body that manufacture and secrete chemical messages

Question 11

what hormones do the pituitary glands produce

Answer 11

ACTH which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol

LH and FSH are produced which are important in controlling the reproductive functioning

Oxytocin is produced which stimulates the contraction of the uterus in childbirth and is important for mother-child bonding

Question 12

what hormones do the adrenal glands produce and in what area

Answer 12

Cortisol is produced in the adrenal cortex

aldosterone is produced in the adrenal cortex

Adrenaline and noradrenaline is produced in the adrenal medulla

Question 13

what is the function of cortisol

Answer 13

cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory functions that control blood pressure, immune system, and ability to deal with stress

Question 14

what is the function of aldosterone

Answer 14

responsible for maintaining blood volume and blood pressure

Question 15

what is the function of adrenaline

Answer 15

helps the body respond to stressful situations like increasing heart rate and blood flow

Question 16

what is the function of noradrenaline

Answer 16

constricts blood vessels causing blood pressure to increase

Question 17

what do ovaries release and what are they responsible for

Answer 17

oestrogen and progesterone which are important in the production of eggs and post ovulation

Question 18

what do the testes release and what is it responsible for

Answer 18

testosterone which is responsible for the development of male characteristics like facial hair, deepening of the voice, growth spurts and sex drive

Question 19

what happens when someone is faces with a threat in terms of the fight or flight response

Answer 19

the amygdala is mobilized which sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus which communicates with the rest of the body by the sympathetic nervous system

Question 20

what is the response to acute stress like in the body

Answer 20

1, The SNS is triggered by the hypothalamus and sends a signal to the adrenal medulla
2, the adrenal medulla releases adrenaline into the bloodstream
3. adrenaline causes physiological changes to the body like increasing heart rate and blood pressure and the volume of glucose in the bloodstream
4. when the stressor has passed the parasympathetic nervous system calms the body down again

Question 21

what is the response to chronic stress like in the body

Answer 21

1. Hypothalamus releases signals to activate the SNS and releases CRH which is released into the bloodstream in response to the stressors
2. The pituitary gland produces ACTH due to the CRH and this is transported via bloodstream to the adrenal glands
3. ACTH stimulates the adrenal cortex to release cortisol which is responsible for positive and negative physiological changes to the body like quick bursts of energy and impaired cognitive function
4. then there is a negative feedback which initiates a reduction in CRH and ACTH which brings the cortisol levels back to normal

Question 22

evaluate the effectiveness of fight or flight

Answer 22

• not everyone responds in the same way to stress as females respond differently to males as females respond by protecting themselves and their children
• there are negative consequences to fight or flight as it can lead to physical damage in the blood vessels and eventually heart disease
• Gray argues that the first phase of the reaction is not to fight or flight its in fact to freeze to determine whats best to do

+ von dawans et al challenge the classical views that men only respond with flight or flight whereas women respond with befriending and found that stress can actually lead to cooperative behavior in both genders which explains the human connection in the response to 9/11