Topic 7- Biopsychology

Question 1

What is the nervous system divided into?

Answer 1

The central nervous system - brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system - somatic and autonomic nervous systems

Question 2

Which nervous system contains the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

Answer 2

AUTONOMIC

Question 3

What does the central nervous system do?

Answer 3

Processes, interprets, stores information;issues orders to muscles, glands, organs

Question 4

What does the peripheral nervous system do?

Answer 4

Transmits information to and from the CNS

Question 5

What does the somatic nervous system do?

Answer 5

Controls skeletal muscles

Question 6

What does the autonomic nervous system do?

Answer 6

Regulates glands, blood vessels, internal organs

Question 7

What does the sympathetic nervous system do?

Answer 7

Mobilises body for action, energy output

Question 8

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

Answer 8

Conserves energy maintains quiet state

Question 9

What are neurons?

Answer 9

The Nervous system carries messages from one part of the body to another using individual nerve cells known as neurons. Neurons transmit nerve impulses in the form of electrical signals

Question 10

What does a typical neuron include? draw a diagram

Answer 10

Dendrite, nucleus, cell body, node of ranvier, myelin sheath, axon, axon terminal

Question 11

Outline the functions of the endocrine system

Answer 11

To provide a chemical system of communication via the blood stream.- occurs through glands secreting hormones

To secrete the hormones which are required to regulate many bodily functions

Endocrine system works alongside the nervous system to control vital functions in the body.
Endocrine system acts more slowly but has very widespread and powerful effects. Hormones are secreted into the bloodstream and affect any cell in the body that has a receptor for that particular hormone.

The major gland is the pituitary gland which is located in the rain and controls the release of hormones from all other endocrine glands in the body

Question 12

What is the endocrine system

Answer 12

Works with the NS to regulate physiological processes of the human body, glands secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream.
It is controlled by the hypothalamus

Question 13

Outline the structure and function of neurons

Answer 13

They transmit electrically and chemically to allow communication in the nervous system

They vary in size- can be a millimetre up to a metre long- but all share the same basic structure

-the cell body (soma) includes a nucleus, which contains the genetic material of the cell. Branch-like structures called dendrites protrude from the cell body, these carry nerve impulses to the cell body. The axon carries the impulses away from the cell body, down the length of the neuron. The axon is covered in a fatty layer of myelin sheath that protects it and speeds up electrical transmission of the impulse. The myelin sheath has gaps called nodes of Ranvier in it, which also speeds up the transmission of impulses by forcing it to “jump” across gaps along the axon. The end of the axon there are terminal buttons which communicate with the next neuron in the chain across the gap (synapse)

Question 14

What is a motor neuron?

Answer 14

It connects the CNS to muscles and glands

• short dendrites
• long axons

Primarily concerned with generating movement

Question 15

What is a sensory neuron

Answer 15

They carry messages such as sight, sound and sensations from the PNS to the CNS

• long dendrites
• short axons

Question 16

What is a relay neuron

Answer 16

It connects sensory neurons to motor neurons or to other relay neurons

• short dendrites
• short axon

Makes up 97% of the CNS -only found here too

Question 17

Outline the process of synaptic transmission- refer to neurotransmitters, excitation and inhibition

Answer 17

When a neuron is in a resting state- the inside of the cell is negatively charged compared to the outside.

When a neuron is activated by a stimulus- the inside of the cell becomes positively charged for a split second causing an action potential to occur.

NEURONS DO NOT DIRECTLY TOUCH AND COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER CHEMICALLY THROUGH THE RELEASE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS AT THE NERVE ENDINGS

Neurotransmitters relay signals between neurons and affect mood - an imbalance can explain certain mental disorders

Excitatory neurotransmitters- increase the chance of adjacent neurons firing

Inhibitory neurotransmitters- decrease the chance of adjacent neurons firing

The excitatory and inhibitory influences are summed and if the net effect is inhibitory, the neuron will be less likely to “fire” and if the net effect is excitatory, the neuron will be more likely to fire

Question 18

What is the fight or flight response?

Answer 18

The response which occurs when we are threatened/ stressed and our body reacts in specific ways

(muscles tense, breathing becomes faster + heart beats rapidly)

It has evolved as a survival mechanism and is activated in any stressful situation

Question 19

Outline the role of the amygdala (in relation to fight or flight)

Answer 19

It associates what we hear/see/feel with emotions e.g fear/anger and it sends distress signals to the hypothalamus

In turn, activating the sympathetic branch of the ANS which sends a signal to the Adrenal medulla which secretes Adrenaline leading to f/f

Question 20

Outline the role of the sympathetic nervous system (in relation to fight or flight)

Answer 20

It immediately prepares us for action and is designed to deal immediately with short-lived stress by channeling resources into the areas of the body where they are needed and diverting resources from areas not needed

Question 21

Outline the role of adrenaline ( in relation to fight or flight)

Answer 21

Prepares the body for fight or flight by making it ready to run faster or be as strong as possible.

It acts on various organs throughout the body- increased heart rate, constriction of blood vessels, increased rate of blood flow and raised blood pressure, diversion of blood from the skin, kidneys and digestive system, increased blood to brain and skeletal muscle and increased respiration and sweating

Question 22

Outline the role of the parasympathetic nervous system (in relation to fight or flight)

Answer 22

This returns the body to its resting state.

It works in opposition to the sympathetic division

Often referred to as the rest and digest response