4.2.2 Biopsychology

AQA A-Level Biopsychology

Peripheral Nervous system

Carries information to the CNS, or from the CNS to the rest of the body.

What is the Central nervous system made up of?

The Brain and Spinal cord

Central nervous system

Spinal cord sends information to the brain from the outer parts of the body & sends signals to the PNS from the brain.

What is the peripheral nervous system made up of?

The somatic nervous system and Autonomic nervous sytem

Somatic Nervous System

Responsible for conscious perception & voluntary movement of skeletal muscles.

What does SNS receive?

sensory information from the outside world & sends this to the brain.

What does SNS send?

A signal is sent to the muscles (motor neurons) to bring about action.

Autonomic Nervous System

Responsible for involuntary control of the body including reflex movements & organ function.

What is the autonomic nervous system made up of?

The sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous sytem.

Sympathetic nervous system

Fight or flight

Parasympathetic nervous system

Rest and digest

Endocrine system

A network of glands throughout the body that manufacture and secrete chemical messengers known as hormones.

What does the endocrine system do?

• Provides a chemical system of communication via the blood stream.

• Secrete the hormones which are required to regulate many bodily functions.

Pituitary Gland

• Located below hypothalamus

• Aka Master Gland

• Produces Oxytocin

• Pineal Gland

• Produces hormone melatonin

• Helps to regulate sleep

• Found in the brain

Thyroid Gland

• Produces hormone thyroxine

• Found in the front of the neck

Adrenal gland

• Produces hormone adrenaline

• Located in kidney

Testes

• Produces the hormone testosterone

• Located in the testes

Oxytocin (Hormone)

• Involved during childbirth

• Sends signals to uterus to contract

• Influences bonding between mother and infant during breastfeeding

Melatonin (hormone)

• Helps regulate sleep

• synchronises our sleep-wake cycle with night and day

• As it increases, body temperature and blood pressure drop, preparing body for sleep

Thyroxine (hormone)

• Controls how much energy your body uses (metabolic rate)

• Involved in digestion, how your heart works, & brain development

• Decreases = body functions slow down

Adrenaline

• Stimulates sympathetic nervous system

• Activates fight or flight response

Fight or flight response

• Adrenal gland releases hormone adrenaline into blood stream

• Adrenaline cause changes in the body

• Sympathetic nervous ssytem is activated

• Once stress has passed, transfers to parasympathetic nervous system

What changes does adrenaline make to the body?

• Heart rate increases

• Breathing rate increases

• Digestion inhibited

• Saliva production inhibited

• Pupils dilate

• Sweating activated

What changes happen in the parasympathetic nervous system?

• Returns body to its natural state

• Rest & digest response