biopysch definitions Flashcards
What is adrenaline?
A hormone involved in the flight or fight response.
Adrenaline plays a critical role in preparing the body to respond to stress or danger.
What does the autonomic nervous system do?
Responsible for automatic responses, including sympathetic and parasympathetic responses.
The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary bodily functions.
What is Broca’s area?
An area in the left hemisphere dedicated to speech production.
Broca’s area is crucial for the motor aspects of language.
Define the central nervous system.
Made up of the brain and spinal cord.
The central nervous system is the main control center for processing information.
What are circadian rhythms?
Biological processes that cycle in about 24 hours, such as the sleep-wake cycle.
Circadian rhythms are influenced by external cues like light.
What does EEG stand for and what is its purpose?
Electroencephalogram; it records electrical activity in the brain.
EEG is often used in sleep studies and to diagnose conditions like epilepsy.
What are endogenous pacemakers?
Internal ‘clocks’ that regulate biological rhythms, like the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
These pacemakers help maintain circadian rhythms even in isolation.
What does ERP stand for?
Event-related potential.
ERP is used to measure brain responses to specific sensory, cognitive, or motor events.
What is excitation in the context of neural signals?
A signal sent to the next nerve making it more likely to fire.
Excitation is crucial for the transmission of nerve impulses.
charge becomes positive, depolarisation
Define exogenous zeitgebers.
External cues that influence biological rhythms, such as daylight.
These cues can help synchronize internal biological clocks with the environment.
What is the fight-or-flight response?
Sympathetic responses that prepare the body for escape or combat.
This includes increased blood flow to muscles and reduced blood flow to non-essential functions.
What does MRI stand for and what is its function?
Functional magnetic resonance imaging; monitors blood flow in the brain.
MRI provides insights into brain activity associated with specific tasks.
What are glands?
Organs that synthesize and release substances, such as hormones.
Glands play a vital role in regulating bodily functions through hormone release.
Define hormones.
Chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream to regulate processes in the body.
Hormones affect growth, metabolism, and mood among other functions.
What are infradian rhythms?
Biological rhythms that occur less often than once a day.
An example is the menstrual cycle, which cycles over a month.
What is inhibition in neural signaling?
A signal sent to the next nerve making it less likely to fire.
Inhibition is essential for regulating neural activity and preventing over-excitation.
charge becomes negative, hyper polarisation
Define lateralisation of function.
The concept that different hemispheres in the brain have different functions.
For example, language functions are typically lateralised to the left hemisphere.
What is localisation of function?
The concept that specific functions in the brain are associated with particular areas.
Broca’s area is a prime example, being specific to language production.
What are motor neurones?
A type of neurone that activates an effector organ.
Motor neurones are essential for movement and muscle control.
cell body, short dendrites and long axon
peripheral nervous system
the nervous system that exists outside the central nervous system, in the periphery; your arms, legs etc
plasticity
specifically brain plasticity; the ability of the brain to adapt to situations, and change its structures- even to potentially regain previously lost function
relay neurons
a neuron found in the CNS which allows communication between sensory and motor neurons
somatic nervous system
the nervous system in control of conscious, voluntary movements of the periphery
superchiasmatic nucleus
two small, paired nuclei in the brain that are responsible for controlling many circadian rhythms in the body
eg. regulating the sleep-wake cycle
ultradian rhythms
biological rhythms that occur more often than 24hrs meaning they cycle in periods shorter than 24 hours
eg. sleep cycle occurring every 90 mins
wernicker’s area
area in the left hemisphere dedicated to speech comprehension
