Biospychology (PAPER 2) Flashcards
(AO1) What are the 2 main parts of the nervous system?
Central Nervous System (CNS) — brain + spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) — everything else
(AO1) What are the 2 parts of the PNS?
Somatic: Controls voluntary movements
Autonomic: Controls involuntary actions (e.g. breathing, heart rate)
(AO1) What are the 2 parts of the autonomic nervous system?
Sympathetic (fight-or-flight)
Parasympathetic (rest and digest)
(AO1) What happens in the fight-or-flight response?
Hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system
Adrenal medulla releases adrenaline
Body prepares for action (↑ HR, ↓ digestion, etc.)
(AO3) One weakness of the fight-or-flight response?
Doesn’t apply to everyone — some show “freeze” response or “tend and befriend” (especially females).
(AO1) What are the 3 types of neuron?
Sensory – from PNS to CNS
Relay – within CNS
Motor – from CNS to muscles/glands
(AO1) What is synaptic transmission?
The process of transmitting a signal from one neuron to another via neurotransmitters.
(AO1) What is a neurotransmitter?
A chemical messenger that crosses the synapse (e.g., serotonin, dopamine)
(AO1) What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters?
Excitatory (e.g. adrenaline): increase likelihood of firing
Inhibitory (e.g. GABA): reduce likelihood
(AO1) What is localisation of function?
Different areas of the brain control different behaviours/functions.
(AO1) What are the 4 lobes of the brain and one function each?
Frontal: Decision making/motor cortex
Parietal: Sensory processing
Temporal: Auditory/language (incl. Wernicke’s)
Occipital: Vision
(AO1) What is Broca’s area responsible for?
Speech production (left frontal lobe)
(AO1) What is Wernicke’s area responsible for?
Language comprehension (left temporal lobe)
(AO3) What is a strength of localisation theory?
Brain scan evidence (e.g., Peterson et al. found Broca’s active during speech tasks)
(AO1) What was Sperry’s split-brain research?
Studied patients with severed corpus callosum. Found left hemisphere = language, right = spatial tasks.
(AO3) Strength of Sperry’s study?
Controlled lab setting — highly replicable.
(AO3) Limitation of Sperry’s study?
Small, unusual sample → limits generalisability.
(AO1) What is brain plasticity?
The brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.
(AO1) What is functional recovery?
After damage (e.g., stroke), the brain rewires and other areas take over lost function.
(AO3) What factors affect functional recovery?
Age, rehabilitation, extent of damage, education level.
(AO3) Strength of plasticity research?
Real-world applications in neurorehabilitation + stroke recovery.
(AO1) What is a circadian rhythm?
A 24-hour biological cycle, e.g., sleep-wake cycle.
(AO1) What was Siffre’s cave study?
Lived without natural light — sleep-wake cycle settled around 25 hrs → shows internal clock.
(AO3) Weakness of Siffre’s study?
Case study → lacks generalisability.
