Biopsychology

• Brain


  • Spinal Cord
• Divisions of the nervous system

  • Central nervous system
  • Peripheral nervous system
  • Autonomic nervous system
  • Somatic nervous system
  • Sympathetic nervous system
  • Parasympathetic nervous system
• Autonomic nervous system


  • Sends information from the CNS to muscles and glands, and also sends info back to the CNS from the outside world
• Somatic nervous system


  • Sends information from the CNS to muscles and glands, and also sends info back to the CNS from the outside world
• Sympathetic nervous system


  • Part of the autonomic nervous system
• Parasympathetic nervous system


  • Part of the autonomic nervous system
• Central nervous system


  • Controls complex commands and decisions
• Peripheral nervous system


  • Sends information from the CNS to muscles and glands, and also sends info back to the CNS from the outside world
• Hen


  Sends information from the brain to muscles and glands, relays information back to the brain from the peripheral world
• The Nervous System


  • Controls complex commands and decision making
  • Consists of the Central Nervous System (CNS) and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
• Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)


  • Voluntary (under conscious control) and controls smooth muscles and glands
  • Subdivided into sympathetic (leads to arousal) and parasympathetic (reverses the effect) systems
• Motor pathways


  Control the activity of the internal body organs e.g. heart and circulation
• Somatic Nervous System


  • Has motor pathways that control skeletal muscles
  • Also has sensory pathways that communicate between the CNS and the outside world
• Reflex


  Rapid, involuntary response that may be mediated by the spinal cord
• Sympathetic Nervous System


  Activated when physiologically aroused, leads to 'fight or flight' response
• Parasympathetic Nervous System


  Activated when resting, leads to 'rest and digest' response
• Neurons


  • Dendrites receive messages from other neurons
  • Axon carries impulses from the cell body
  • Sensory and motor neurons have a myelin sheath on the axon to speed up transmission
• Synaptic transmission


  1. Electrical impulses reach the presynaptic terminal

  2. Triggers release of neurotransmitters

  3. Neurotransmitters bind to receptors on postsynaptic membrane

  4. Contributes to postsynaptic potential (excitatory or inhibitory)
• Neurotransmitters


  Can be excitatory or inhibitory, GABA is just inhibitory
• Excitatory and inhibitory influences are summed on the postsynaptic neuron
• Information can only travel in one direction at a synapse
• Drugs


  Can mimic the effect of inhibitory neurotransmitters, leading to reduced brain activity and reduced pain
• Endocrine System


  • Network of glands that secrete hormones directly into the bloodstream
  • The pituitary gland is the 'master gland' that controls other endocrine glands
  • The hypothalamus controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland
• Endocrine glands and their hormones

  • Thyroid gland - thyroxine
  • Testes - testosterone
  • Ovaries - oestrogen
  • Pineal gland - melatonin
  • Adrenal medulla - adrenaline and noradrenaline
  • Pancreas - insulin
• Hormonal imbalance


  Can lead to dysfunction e.g. high cortisol may cause Cushing's disease
• Fight or flight response

  1. Hypothalamus prepares the body

  2. Adrenaline released from adrenal medulla

  3. Activates sympathetic nervous system

  4. Increases heart rate, breathing, sweating, directs blood away from digestion/skin/kidneys towards brain and skeletal muscle
• Rest and digest response

  1. Activated when threat has passed

  2. Adrenaline release reduced

  3. Activates parasympathetic nervous system

  4. Sweating stops, breathing returns to normal, digestion returns to normal
• and excess


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