Biopsychology Flashcards

Flashcards covering the key concepts in Biopsychology, including the nervous system, endocrine system, neurons, synaptic transmission, brain localization, plasticity, functional recovery, split-brain research, biological rhythms, and endogenous/exogenous factors.

What makes up the central nervous system (CNS)?

The brain and the spinal cord.

What is the role of the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

Relays messages from the environment to the CNS (via sensory neurones) and from the CNS to effectors (via motor neurones).

What is the function of the autonomic nervous system?

Controls involuntary, vital functions (e.g., heart rate, breathing rate).

What is the function of the somatic nervous system?

Receives information from sensory receptors; stimulates effectors via motor neurons.

What are the effects of the sympathetic nervous system?

Increases heart rate, breathing rate, causes vasoconstriction and pupil dilation.

What are the effects of the parasympathetic nervous system?

Decreases heart rate, breathing rate, causes vasodilation and pupil constriction.

How do hormones operate within the endocrine system?

Secreted into the bloodstream from glands and transported to target cells with complementary receptors.

Why is the pituitary gland considered the 'master' gland?

It controls the release of hormones from all other glands in the body.

What is the function of thyroxine?

Increases heart rate and the rate of growth.

What is the function of adrenaline?

Creates the physiological arousal preceding the fight or flight response.

Describe the process of synaptic transmission.

An action potential arrives at the presynaptic membrane, causing depolarization and influx of calcium ions. Vesicles fuse with the presynaptic membrane and release neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft. Neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the postsynaptic membrane, causing an inhibitory or excitatory effect.

What effect do inhibitory neurotransmitters have?

Reduce the potential difference across the postsynaptic membrane, reducing the likelihood of an action potential.

What effect do excitatory neurotransmitters have?

Increase the potential difference across the postsynaptic membrane, increasing the likelihood of an action potential.

What is localisation theory?

Certain areas of the brain are responsible for certain processes, behaviours, and activities.

What is the function of the motor area and what happens when it is damaged?

Regulating and coordinating movements; damage results in an inability to control voluntary fine motor movements.

What is the function of the auditory area and what happens when it is damaged?

Processing auditory information and speech; damage can cause hearing loss or Wernicke’s aphasia.

What is the function of the somatosensory area and what happens when it is damaged?

Processes information associated with the senses e.g. touch, heat, pressure etc. Lesions in this area result in a loss of ability to denote sensitivity to particular bodily areas.

What is the function of Wernicke’s area and what happens when it is damaged?

Responsible for speech comprehension; damage results in Wernicke’s aphasia.

What is the function of Broca’s area and what happens when it is damaged?

Responsible for speech production; damage results in Broca’s aphasia.

What did Tulving et al. demonstrate about memory recall using PET scans?

Semantic memories were recalled from the left prefrontal cortex, whilst episodic memories were recalled from the right prefrontal cortex.

What is plasticity?

The brain's ability to physically and functionally adapt and change in response to trauma, new experiences, and learning.

What is the Law of Equipotentiality in functional recovery?

Secondary neural circuits surrounding the damaged area become activated.

What is axonal sprouting?

Formation of new synapses and strengthening of axonal connections between damaged and healthy areas.

Can brain functions be relocated to other hemispheres after trauma?

Function is not always lateralised to specific hemispheres.

How does Ramachandran explain phantom limb syndrome?

Cortical reorganisation in the cortex and thalamus.

What is hemispheric lateralisation?

Each hemisphere (half) of the brain is mainly responsible for certain behaviours, processes, and activities.

What is the result of a cerebral commissurotomy?

Information processed by one hemisphere cannot be relayed to the other hemisphere.

What differences in function were shown in split-brain research?

The left hemisphere is dominant for language tasks, whereas the right hemisphere is dominant for visuo-spatial tasks.

What are event-related potentials (ERPs)?

Brainwaves that are triggered by particular events.

How do fMRI scans work?

Areas of the brain with high levels of activity have a larger requirement for oxygenated blood, leading to a higher rate of blood deoxygenation.

How do EEG scans work?

Measures and amplifies the electric activity across the whole brain.

What do post-mortem examinations involve?

A comparison of the patient’s brain with that of a healthy, neurotypical brain.

What are biological rhythms?

Periodic biological fluctuations in an organism that corresponds to, and is in response to, periodic environmental change.

What are exogenous zeitgebers?

External changes in the environment which affect or ‘entrain’ our biological rhythms.

What are circadian rhythms?

A type of biological rhythm which completes one full cycle every 24 hours.

What are endogenous pacemakers?

Internal bodily regulators of biological rhythms.

Which area of the brain receives information about day light and day length from the eyes ?

SCN.

What describes a 'free-running' circadian rhythm'

Internal clock independent of natural terrestrial day/night cycle.

What is Infradian Rhythm?

One of 3 types of biological rhythms, with a frequency of one complete cycle occurring less than once every 24 hours.

What is Ultradian Rhythm?

One of 3 types of biological rhythms, with a frequency of one complete cycle occurring more than once every 24 hours.

Give an example of Ultradian Rhythm.

The stages of sleep, where a full sleep cycle takes 90 minutes to complete.