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12 PSYCHOLOGY ATAR > CH 1 BIOLOGICAL INFLUENCES > Flashcards

CH 1 BIOLOGICAL INFLUENCES Flashcards

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1
Q

The CNS is composed of the…

A

brain
- control and decision making centre of the CNS

spinal cord

  • extension of brain stem
  • channels communication between brain and peripheral nerves; coordinates reflexes
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2
Q

The brain is divided into the…

A
  • forebrain (cerebrum, thalamus, limbic system, hypothalamus)
  • hindbrain (brainstem, pons, reticular system, medulla
  • midbrain
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3
Q

discuss the features of the cerebellum

A
  • has nerve connections to sense organs and motor cortex
  • contributes to making movements and coordinated actions
  • makes our movements smooth; not jerky
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4
Q

what are the parts of the brainstem?

A
  • midbrain: vision and hearing, muscular movement
  • pons: eye movement, chewing, facial expressions
  • reticular system: sleep, arousal and attention
  • medulla: heart rate respiratory rate, blood pressure
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5
Q

discuss the features of the spinal cord

A
  • highway for messages between brain and rest of body
  • involves motor neurons (away from brain) and sensory neurone (towards brain)
  • organised into 31 segments
  • PNS originates in the 31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 pairs of cranial nerves
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6
Q

PNS nerves

A
  • 31 pairs of spinal nerves
  • 12 pairs of cranial nerves
  • dorsal root: sentry info and ventral root : motor info
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7
Q

discuss the key features of the PNS

A
  • carries information b/w the CNS and rest of the body (limbs, skin, muscles & organs)
  • all the nerves that extend from the SC and brain > carrying msgs to and from various muscles, glands and senses
  • divided into somatic NS and autonomic NS
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8
Q

SNS

A
  • conveys sensory info (from skin, ears, eyes) to the CNS and motor msgs to the muscles
  • sensory functions gathers information from the sense receptors across the body > sending info to the brain via spinal cord
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9
Q

PNS

A
  • Serve to regulate basic life functions (eg. HR, BP, respiration, digestion) and connects the CNS via nerves to internal organs
  • Self regulating/involuntary functions
  • At work when we experience stress, fear or anger
  • separated into sympathetic and parasympathetic
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10
Q

SYMPATHETIC

A
  • Dominates when under stress/threats (either by physiological or psychological stimuli)
  • Activates internal muscles to act quickly (fight or flight response)
  • Responses: Pupils dilate (allow more light in), Digestion slowed, Release of endorphins (pain relieving hormones) to prepare for injury, Change in electrical properties of skin (GSR)
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11
Q

PARASYMPATHETIC

A
  • Maintains the steady state of balanced normal functioning = homeostasis (maintenance of a constant internal env.)
    • Regulation of blood sugar levels, waste elimination
  • Restores body to calmness after threat
    • Decreasing HR, contracting pupils
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12
Q

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

A
  • contains all of the nerve cells (neurons) in the body
    • individual nerve cell that receives, transmits and
      processes information
    • convey msgs to each other in the form of neural impulses/electrochemical msgs
    • basic building blocks of NS
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13
Q

4 BASIC PARTS OF NEURON

A
  • nucleus (control centre)
  • cell body (contains nucleus)
  • dendrites (receive msgs from other neurons; transmit them toward cell body for processing)
  • axon (fibres that carry msg away from cell body - allows info to pass from neuron to neuron)
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14
Q

THE NEURON

A
  • Axon is covered with myelin sheath
    • insulates and protects axons
    • speeds up electrical signals
  • neurons do not physically connect to another
    • synapse = gap between one neuron’s dendrites and another neuron’s axons
  • chemicals released at synapse
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15
Q

NEUROTRANSMITTERS

A
  • chemical substances that carry msgs across the synapse to the dendrite of the receiver neuron
  • Instant, very fast action time.
  • many drugs target the action of neurotransmitters
  • Exercise increases the productions of neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, serotonin, endorphins).
  • The excess of neurotransmitters causes a mood boost. eg. “runners high” after vigorous aerobic exercise
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16
Q

MOTOR AND SENSORY

A
  • motor: convey msgs AWAY from the brain —> TO the skeletal muscles —> movement
  • sensory: carry msgs AWAY from axon TOWARDS the brain to be interpreted/processed
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17
Q

SYNAPSE ROLE

A
  • gap between one neuron’s dendrites and another neuron’s axons
  • synaptic transmission relies on chemical balances in the cell and electrical transmission of impulses through the neutron
  • chemicals released at synapse are…?
18
Q

MOVING ACROSS THE SYNAPSE STEPS

A
  1. Action potential/electrical charge travels down the axon to axon terminal/ synaptic knob of the pre- synaptic neuron
  2. causes calcium ions to enter into the terminal/knob
  3. his causes the vesicle containing the neurotransmitter to move to the pre- synaptic membrane and release the neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft
  4. The neurotransmitter diffuses/travels across the synaptic cleft
  5. The neurotransmitter attaches to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane
  6. This initiates the post-synaptic neuron to move potassium and sodium ions across the membrane.
  7. Generating another action
    potential
19
Q

SERATONIN

A
  • Involved with the onset of sleep and moods.

- Used in medication for people suffering severe depression.

20
Q

DOPAMINE

A

Involved in complex bodily movements
Regulating emotional responses – particularly pleasure and excitement
Used in the medication for people with Parkinson’s disease – which is characterised by muscle tremors and difficulty in initiating movement.

21
Q

NORADRENALINE

A
  • help body deal with danger

- memory retrieval

22
Q

ENDORPHINS

A
  • regulate feelings and perceptions of pain
  • natural pain killing drugs
  • released when you experience a +ive mood
23
Q

FRONTAL

A
  • primary motor cortex (control of movement)
  • most complex mental behaviours = planning, problem solving, thinking, memory, learning and analysing
  • control of voluntary movement
  • left part - Broca’s Area (language!) controls muscles of throat, mouth, jaw, tongue and face
  • if damaged, individuals personality and emotional life may change
24
Q

PAUL BROCA’S AREA

A
  • examined brains of 2 patients that lost speech
  • common area of damage
  • concluded: area controlled speech!
  • deficit in language called Broca’s aphasia
25
Q

PARIETAL

A
  • primary somatosensory cortex (processes sensory info)
  • sense of touch
  • motion detection in the environment/ location of objects in space
  • spatial awareness
  • enables individuals to read, write and solve maths problems
  • important for processing of sensory info (touch, temp, pressure)
26
Q

OCCIPITAL

A
  • primary visual cortex (processes incoming visual sense info)
  • procession of visual info (seeing colours, perceiving and recognising diff. animals, objects and ppl)
27
Q

TEMPORAL

A
  • primary auditory cortex (received signals from ear receptors; sound processed)
  • processing auditory information
  • 2nd most important language centre - Wernicke’s area
  • comprehensive of speech, formulation of sentences
  • memory
  • facial recognition
  • object identification
  • emotion
28
Q

CARL WERNICKES AREA

A
  • proposed a link between left upper temp. lobe and mimicking words and syllabus associated with images of spoken words
  • wernicke’s aphasia: condition where language comprehension impaired, but speech production normal
29
Q

ROLE OF GENETICS

A
  • Heredity: The process of passing characteristics from one generation to another
  • individuals receive their genes from their parents
  • this occurs when the sperm and egg meet and join to become a zygote
  • hereditary info contained in 46 chromosomes, made up of genes (“recipe’s” for development)
  • heredity sets limits but the environment determines how things turn out within those limits
30
Q

HOW DO GENES AFFECT US

A

these genes affect

  • how we develop physically - eye/hair/skin colour
  • pace and timing of dev.
31
Q

HORMONES

A
  • Hormones are chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands.
  • They travel via the bloodstream.
  • Produce slow messages.
  • Target non-nerve cells
  • Produce outcomes related to things such as: Food
    Sex Moods Growth
  • Adrenal gland important = produces adrenaline & nor- adrenaline
  • work in conjunction with SNS - speed up bodily reactions to danger
32
Q

ADRENALINE

A
  • Produces hormones related to ‘flight’ or ‘fight’ - do you run away or do you stay and fight.
  • Helps to deal with emergency situations
  • Reactions: muscle contraction, increased resp, increased HR, dilation of pupils
33
Q

ADRENALINE: BEHAVIOUR, EMOTION AND THOUGHT

A
  • Behaviour: enhances physical strength
  • Emotion: anxiety or depression, agitation
  • Thought: hormonal imbalances can lead to many mental health issues such as depression
  • Brain’s reaction to stress: makes the individual more fearful
34
Q

NORADRENALINE

A
  • keeps us alert
  • modifies state of target organs to make it more conducive to active body movement
  • increases the rate and force of the heartbeat
35
Q

NORADRENALINE: BEHAVIOUR, EMOTION AND THOUGHT

A
  • Behaviour: promotes stress avoiding behaviours
  • Emotion: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder; euphoria (small bursts)
  • Thought: affects attention and focus
  • Brain’s reaction to stress: makes the individual more alert/more aroused
36
Q

TYPES OF PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS

A
  • Depressants: ‘downers’ calm the nervous system and slow body functions.
  • Stimulants: ‘uppers’ excite the nervous system and arouse body functions.
  • Hallucinogens: change or perceptions and give us sensory images without input from the senses.
37
Q

DEPRESSANTS

A
  • ALCOHOL
  • Most commonly used recreational drug in Australia.
  • Is a depressant: it reduces feelings of self-consciousness and promotes relaxation.
  • Leads to ‘disinhibition’ leading individuals to behave in ways that they would not normally do.
  • Alcohol affects motor control and hence the problems with drink driving.
38
Q

STIMULANTS

A
  • CAFFEINE & NICOTINE
  • increase heart and breathing rates
  • increased energy and self-confidence levels
  • used to stay away, lose weight and boost athletic performance
39
Q

HALLUCINOGENS

A
  • Mind altering drugs
  • Change perceptions —> vivid images
  • Can be natural (marijuana) or synthetic (LSD)
  • Effects: reduces inhibitions, increases sensitivity to sounds, colours, tastes and smells
  • LSD; “trip” effects: euphoria with intense pleasant images or intense terror and panic
40
Q

CEREBRUM

A
  • controls motor and mental activity

- divided into left and right hemisphere

12 PSYCHOLOGY ATAR (10 decks)

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