biological approach

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sufi

Cards (63)

What are the two key assumptions?
>behaviour is influenced by the central nervous system, genes and neurochemistry.
>behaviour is a product of evolution
What are the key concepts? 
>genetics and inheritance
>neuroanatomy
>evolutionary psychology
the influence of biology on behaviour and traits
>organisation of the nervous system
>neurochemistry
What's the definition of a phenotype? 
The expression of genes that are affected by experience. The physical observable traits
Example's of a phenotype? 
In humans examples include: height, blood type, eye colour, freckles, and hair colour. And phenotypes aren't just physical traits. Personality/ behaviour are also examples.
Define genotype 
genetic makeup of an individual that is present since birth. An organism's genetic make up.
An example of a genotype 
facial features, hair texture, skin colour, height. shoe size etc
What is an SRY gene? 
A gene that initiates the development of the male genitalia
What are genes? 
segments of DNA/ building blocks of life
3 factors of evolutionary psychology 
- survival of the fittest,
- genome lag,
- environment of evolutionary adaptation
neurotransmitters 
allows communication between nerve cells. chemical messengers. They are the molecules used by the nervous system to transmit messages between neurons, or from neurons to muscles eg. serotonin
Central Nervous System 
consists of the brain and spinal cord and coordinates all of the body's activities
peripheral nervous system (PNS) 
the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
2 systems within the PNS 
1) Somatic branch- delivers messages to the brain from senses (eyes, ears, nose) and control of voluntary movement (muscles)

2) Autonomic branch- sends/ receives signals to bodily organs (involuntary, flight or flight). Sympathetic division and parasympathetic division.
Personality Traits 
Extraversion- outgoing, loud, sociable etc
Introversion- withdrawn, shy, quiet etc
Biological Approach assumes personality traits are.... 
personality is innate, has a biological basis. It is inherited from your parents and this determines your degree of introversion and extroversion
two biological approach 
- behaviour is influenced by central nervous system (CNS) , genes and neurochemistry.
- behaviour is a product of evolution
nervous system 
a complex network of nerve cells that carry messages to and from the brain and the spinal cord to different parts of the body and so helps the brain to communicate with each other.
two main function of the central nervous system 
- the control of behaviour
- the regulation of the body's psychological processes
function of the spinal cord
to relay information between the brain and the rest of the body which allows the brain to monitor and regulate bodily processes such as digestion and breathing and to coordinate voluntary movements.
what happens if the spinal cord is damaged?
areas supplied by spinal nerves below the damaged site will be cut off from the brain and will stop functioning.
cerebrum 
largest part of the brain
cerebellum 
it sits beneath the back of the cerebrum and is involved in controlling a person's motor skills, balance and coordinating the muscles to allow precise movements. therefore, responsible for balance and coordination.
Diencephalon 
lies beneath the cerebrum and on top of the brain stem. there are two main structures within the diencephalon, thalamus and hypothalamus
Thalamus 
acts as a replay station for nerve impulses coming from the senses, routing them to the appropriate part of the brain where they can be processed.
Hypothalamus 
it regulates body temperature, hunger and thirst. it also acts as a link between the endocrine system and the nervous system, controlling the release of hormones from the pituitary gland.
brain stem 
it is responsible for regulating the automatic functions that are essential for life This includes breathing, heartbeat, temperature and swallowing.
function of peripheral nervous system
to relay nerve impulses from the CNS to the rest of the body and from the body back to the CNS.
somatic nervous system 
it has both sensory and motor neurons. the sensory neurons relay messages to the CNS, and motor neurons relay information from the CNS to other areas of the body.
autonomic nervous system 
it controls involuntary actions such as heart beat and your intestine digests food.
sympathetic nervous system 
involved in responses that helps us deal with emergencies (fight or flight) such as increasing heart rate and blood pressure and dilating blood vessels in the muscles.
what neurotransmitters does SNS and PNS have?
the SNS uses the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which has stimulating effects and the Parasympathetic nervous system uses acetylcholine, which has inhibiting effects.
parasympathetic nervous system 
it relaxes the body once the emergency has passed. for example, heartbeat slow down and reduces blood pressure.
Neurons 
Specialized cells whose function is to move electrical impulses to and from the central nervous system.
myelin sheath 
it is an insulating layer that forms around the axon which allows nerve impulses to transmit more rapidly along the axon.
what happens if the myelin sheath is damaged?
Impulses slow down
action potential 
the dendrites of neurons receive information from sensory receptors or other neurons. this information is then passed down to the cell body and on the axon. once the information has arrived at the axon, it travels down its length in the form of an electrical signal known as action potential.
Broca's area 
This is located in the frontal lobe, it is responsible for speech production, speaking in the correct manner that makes sense.
Wernicke's area 
This is located in the temporal lobe, it is responsible for speech comprehension, speech processing and understanding language.
temporal lobe 
responsible for hearing, learning and feelings
parietal lobe 
responsible for language and touch