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Pschology > Biopsychology > Flashcards

Biopsychology Flashcards

1
Q

Nervous system

A

Complex network of nerve cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to the different parts of the body

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2
Q

Central Nervous system

A

Receives info and processes it to bring about responses

Controls behaviour and the regulation of the body’s physiological processes

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3
Q

Spinal cord

A

Collection of nerves collected to the brain - relay signals from brain to body

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4
Q

Peripheral Nervous System

A

All nerves outside the CNS

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5
Q

Automatic nervous system

A

Actions without conscious control e.g. heart beating, digestion
This is necessary as these vital bodily functions would not work as efficiently if we had to think about them

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6
Q

Somatic Nervous System

A

Receives signals from CNS directly muscles to act

Made up of 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves

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7
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A 
‘Fight or flight’
Adrenaline released 
Heart rate increases
Blood pressure increases
Pupils dilate
Digestion halted 
Inhibits saliva production
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8
Q

Parasympathetic Nervous system

A 
‘Rest and digest’ - involved with energy conservation 
Heart rate slows 
Digestion increases 
Constricts pupils 
Stimulates saliva production 
Decreases breathing rate
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9
Q

Neurons

A

Specialised cells that carry electrical impulses to and from the CNS

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10
Q

What does action potential create

A

An electrical signal travelling down the axon of a neuron

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11
Q

What is the CNS made up of

A

Brain

Spinal cord

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12
Q

What is the PNS divided into

A

Somatic nervous system

Automatic Nervous system

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13
Q

What’s the ANS divided into

A

Parasympathetic Nervous system

Sympathetic nervous system

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14
Q

Sensory neurons

A

Carry nerve impulses from sensory receptors (PNS) to the spinal cord and brain (CNS) in the form of neural impulses
Some of these neurons only take info to the spinal cord

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15
Q

Relay neurons

A

Transfer impulses from the sensory to the motor neurons

These neurons all lie within the brain or spinal cord

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16
Q

Motor neurons

A

Originate in CNS and project their axons outside CNS
Deliver impulses from the CNS to the PNS
Form synapses with muscles to control contraction
When they are excited they cause contraction, when inhibited cause muscle relaxation

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17
Q

Cell body (soma)

A

Contains nucleus

Controls neuron

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18
Q

Dendrites

A

Receive signals from other neurons

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19
Q

Axon

A

Long thin extension of cytoplasm where the action potential travels down

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20
Q

Myelin sheath

A 
Insulates axon (fatty layer) 
Speeds up electrical impulse
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21
Q

Nodes of Ranvier

A

Section of axon without myelin sheath

Impulse jumps along the nodes

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22
Q

Terminal button

A

End of neuron forms synapses with other neurons or an effector

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23
Q

When does an action potential occur

A

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

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24
Q

Synaptic transmission

A

Action potential arrives at the end of pre-synaptic neuron
Neurotransmitter in vesicles is released into synapse
Neurotransmitter diffuses across synapse
Neurotransmitter binds to specific receptors on the post synaptic neuron
A post synaptic potential is generated
Neurotransmitter is removed from synapse by enzymes or is taken back to be reused

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25
Q

Types of neurotransmitters

A

Excitatory or inhibitory

These generate either excitatory post synaptic potential (EPSPs) or IPSPs

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26
Q

What will a post-synaptic neuron often receive

A

Several presynaptic inputs. EPSPs increase the likelihood of the neuron firing an action potential, IPSPs decreases the likelihood

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27
Q

Types of summation

A

Spatial

Temporal

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28
Q

Spatial summation

A

Multiple pre-synaptic neuron firing
High conc. of neurotransmitter in synapse
Strong EPSP in post-synaptic neuron

29
Q

Temporal summation

A

One pre-synaptic neuron with lots of action potential travelling down it

30
Q

Examples of excitatory neurotransmitter

A

Acetylcholine

Noradrenaline

31
Q

Examples of inhibitory neurotransmitters

A

Serotonin

GABA

32
Q

What are inhibitory neurotransmitters reponsible for

A

Calming the mind and body
Inducing sleep
Filtering out unnecessary excitatory signals

33
Q

Endocrine system

A

Network of glands throughout the body that manufacture and secrete chemical messengers (hormones)
Uses blood vessels to deliver hormones

34
Q

Major glands of endocrine system

A

Pituitary
Adrenal
Ovaries
Testes

35
Q

Hormones produced by anterior pituitary

A 
Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) 
Luteinising hormone (LH) 
Follicle Stimulating hormone (FSH) 
Prolactin (PRL)
Growth hormone (GH)
36
Q

Hormones produced by posterior pituitary

A

Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)

Oxytocin

37
Q

Hormones produced by Adrenal cortex

A

Cortisol
Aldosterone

Both necessary for life

38
Q

Cortisol

A

Release in response to stress
Suppressed immune system
Increases blood sugar

39
Q

Aldosterone

A

Regulates Na, blood pressure and K levels

40
Q

Hormones produced by Adrenal Medulla

A

Adrenaline

Noradrenaline

41
Q

Fight or flight

A

Stressor —> amygdala —> (distress signal); Hypothalamus —> multiple responses via sympathetic nervous system

42
Q

Response to acute stressors

A

Triggers SNS
SNS sends a signal to Adrenal medulla - releases adrenaline into the bloodstream
When the threat has passed PNS returns body to resting state
It works in opposition to the SNS

43
Q

Response to chronic stressors

A

Hypothalamus - Releases CRH into bloodstream
Pituitary glands - CRH causes ACTH to be produced and released. Transported in bloodstream to target site
Adrenal glands - ACTH stimulates Adrenal cortex to release various hormones e.g. cortisol, can have -ve or +ve affects e.g. impaired cognitive performance or bursts of energy

44
Q

The feedback system

A

Cortisol levels are monitored by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. If it rises, a reduction in CRH and ACTH is initiated

45
Q

Holistic theory

A

All parts of the brain were involved in the processing of thought and action

46
Q

Localisation of function

A

Theory that the different areas of the brain are responsible to different functions

47
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

Outer layer of both hemispheres - this covers the inner parts of the brain

48
Q

Cortex found in frontal lobe

A

Motor cortex

49
Q

Motor cortex

A

Controls voluntary movement in the opposite side of the body

50
Q

Damage to frontal lobe

A

Loss of control over fine motor movement

51
Q

Somatosensory cortex

A

Found in parietal lobe

Where sensory info from the skin is represented

52
Q

Damage to parietal lobe

A

Loss of sense of touch, vibration and temperature

53
Q

Visual cortex

A

Occipital lobe

Each eye sends info from the right visual field to the left and from the left visual field to the right

54
Q

Damage to occipital lobe

A

Can produce blindness in the right visual field of both eyes

55
Q

Auditory cortex

A

Temporal lobe

Analyses speech-based info

56
Q

Damage to temporal lobe

A

Partial hearing loss

The worse the damage, the more extensive the loss

57
Q

Broca’s Area

A

Frontal lobe (left hemisphere)
‘Language centre’
Critical for speech production and responding to demanding cognitive tasks

58
Q

Damage to Broca’s area

A

Unable to speak nor express thoughts in writing

59
Q

Wernicke’s Area

A

Left part of temporal lobe

Processes spoken lang. and helps understand speech

60
Q

Broca’s aphasia

A

Frequently speak in short phrases
Omit small words, “is”, “and”, “the”
Typically understand speech of others fairly well

61
Q

Wernicke’s aphasia

A

Speak in long sentences with no meaning, unnecessary words and create made up word
Difficult to understand them
Great difficulty understanding speech
Unaware of mistakes

62
Q

What has split-brain research discovered

A

Left hemisphere is responsible for speech and language
Right hemisphere specialises in visual-spatial processing
Connectivity between different regions is as important as the different parts

63
Q

Brain plasticity

A

Ability to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning

64
Q

Functional recovery

A

Moving functions from a damaged area of the brain after trauma to other undamaged areas

Spontaneous recovery - quickly after trauma
Rehabilitative therapy - several weeks or months later to further recovery

65
Q

Hippocampus

A

Part of brain associated with the spatial and navigational skills

66
Q

Maguire et al (2000)

A

Found hippocampus is 28% bigger in London taxi drivers that have taken ‘The Knowledge’

67
Q

Michelli et al (2004)

A

Found bilinguals have a larger parietal cortex

68
Q

Wall (1977)

A

‘Dormant synapses’ - synaptic connections that exist anatomically but their function is blocked
Increasing the rate of neural input to these synapses can open or unmask them

69
Q

Structural changes that support opening ‘dormant synapses’

A

Axonal sprouting - growth of new nerve endings with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways
Reformation of blood vessels
Recruitment of homologous areas

Pschology (6 decks)

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