Biopsychology

• What are the two main components of the Central Nervous System (CNS)?


  Brain and spinal cord
• What is the role of the Central Nervous System?


  It is the origin of all complex commands and decisions for life functions and psychological processes.
• What does the Human Nervous System provide?


  The biological basis of psychological experience.
• What is the function of the Peripheral Nervous System?


  It transmits information to and from the CNS and the body.
• What does the Somatic Nervous System control?


  Muscle movement and transmits information to and from senses and the CNS.
• What is the role of the Autonomic Nervous System?


  It transmits information to and from internal organs to sustain life processes.
• What does the Sympathetic Nervous System generally do?


  It increases bodily activities.
• What is the function of the Parasympathetic Nervous System?


  It generally maintains or decreases bodily activities.
• What are the three types of neurons and their functions?

  • Sensory Neurons: Process information from the senses and relay it to the brain.
  • Relay Neurons: Carry messages between different parts of the CNS.
  • Motor Neurons: Transmit signals from the CNS to muscles and glands.
• What is the process of synaptic transmission?


  It is the process by which nerve impulses are carried across the synapse between neurons.
• What triggers the release of neurotransmitters during synaptic transmission?


  Electric impulses reaching the presynaptic terminal.
• What is the effect of excitation in synaptic transmission?


  It increases the likelihood that the post-synaptic neuron will fire.
• What is the effect of inhibition in synaptic transmission?


  It decreases the likelihood that the post-synaptic neuron will fire.
• What is summation in the context of synaptic transmission?


  It decides whether a post-synaptic neuron will fire based on excitatory and inhibitory influences.
• What is the resting state charge of a neuron?


  Inside of the cell is negatively charged.
• What happens when a neuron is activated by a stimulus?


  The inside of the cell becomes positively charged for a split second.
• What is the function of the endocrine system?


  • Instructs glands to release hormones into the bloodstream.
  • Hormones are carried to target organs in the body.
• What is a gland?


  An organ in the body that synthesizes substances such as hormones.
• What are hormones?


  Chemical substances that circulate in the bloodstream and affect target organs.
• What is the function of the axon?


  It carries impulses away from the body down the length of the neuron.
• What is the myelin sheath?


  A fatty layer that protects the axon and speeds up electrical transmission of impulses.
• What are the Nodes of Ranvier?


  Segmented gaps in the myelin sheath that speed up transmission by forcing impulses to jump across gaps.
• What does the cell body of a neuron contain?


  A nucleus and two main extensions.
• What is the function of the terminal buttons?


  They communicate with the next neuron in the chain across the synaptic gap.
• What do dendrites do?


  They carry nerve impulses from neighboring neurons towards the cell body.
• What are the functions of the major glands in the endocrine system?

  • Pituitary: Master gland, releases important hormones.
  • Adrenal: Facilitates release of adrenaline for fight-or-flight response.
  • Testes: Facilitate release of testosterone.
  • Ovaries: Facilitate release of oestrogen and progesterone.
• What is the fight-or-flight response?


  A reflex response designed to help an individual manage physically when under threat.
• What activates the fight-or-flight response?


  The autonomic nervous system, specifically the sympathetic nervous system.
• What happens when the hypothalamus is activated during a threat?


  It sends messages to the adrenal gland to trigger the release of adrenaline.
• What physical changes occur during the fight-or-flight response?


  Increased heart rate, faster breathing, muscle tension, pupil dilation, and reduced digestive function.
• What happens after the stressor is removed in the fight-or-flight response?


  The parasympathetic branch of the ANS returns the body to its normal state.
• What is the role of the hypothalamus?


  It deals with basic survival functions and is activated during threats.
• What is the adrenal gland responsible for?


  Releasing adrenaline during the fight-or-flight response.
• What is the adrenal medulla?


  The central part of the adrenal gland that triggers the release of adrenaline.
• What is the concept of localization of function in the brain?


  • Different parts of the brain perform different tasks.
  • Damage to a specific area affects the function associated with that area.
• What is the motor area responsible for?


  Voluntary movements by sending signals to muscles in the body.
• How did Hitzig and Fritsch contribute to our understanding of the motor area?


  They discovered that different muscles are coordinated by different areas of the motor cortex through electrical stimulation.
• What does the somatosensory area do?


  Receives incoming sensory information from the skin to produce sensations.
• How is the somatosensory area organized?


  Different parts receive messages from different locations of the body.
• What did Robertson (1995) find about the somatosensory area?


  It is highly adaptable, with Braille readers having larger areas for their fingertips.