Biopsychology

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  • Created by: AlexLacey
  • Created on: 23-05-18 20:20
Central nervous system
Comprises the brain and spinal chord; it is the origin of all complex commands and decisions
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Peripheral nervous system
Sends information to the central nervous system from the environment and transmits messages from the central nervous system to muscles and glands
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Somatic nervous system
A subdivision of the peripheral nervous system, which transmits information from receptor cells in the sense organs to the central nervous system; it also receives information from the CNS that directs muscles to act
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Autonomic nervous system
Transmits information to and from internal organs and operates involuntarily
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Parasympathetic state
The resting state of the autonomic nervous system
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Sympathetic state
The aroused state of the autonomic nervous system
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Endocrine system
One of the body's major information systems that instructs glands to produce and secrete hormones
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Gland
An organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones
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Hormones
Chemical substances that circulate in the blood stream and only affect target organs
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Fight or flight response
The way in which the body responds when stressed, becoming physiologically aroused in order to fight an aggressor or flee
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Adrenaline
A hormone produced by the adrenal glands that is part of the body's immediate stress response system; it has a strong effect on the cardiovascular system
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Neuron
Nerve cells that process and transmit messages through both electrical and chemical signals
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Sensory neurons
Carry messages from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system
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Relay neurons
Connect sensory neurons to motor or other relay neurons
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Motor neurons
Connect the central nervous system to effectors such as muscles and glands
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Action potential
The inside of a resting neuron is negatively charged; if the inside of a neuron becomes positively charged, an electrical impulse is sent down the axon
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Synaptic transmission
The process by which neighbouring neurons communicate with each other through chemical messages
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Neurotransmitter
Brain chemicals that are released from synaptic vesicles and relay signals across the synapse
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Excitation
An increase in the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron, which increases the likelihood that the neuron will fire
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Inhibition
An increase in the negative charge of the postsynaptic neuron, which decreases the likelihood that the neuron will fire
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Presynaptic terminal (terminal buttons)
Located at the end of the axon, these communicate with the next neuron across the synapse
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Postsynaptic receptor sites
The dendrites of the next neuron in a chain, where the chemical message is converted back to an electrical signal
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Localisation
The theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities
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Motor area
A region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement
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Somatosensory area
An area of the parietal lobe that processes sensory information
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Visual area
A region of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual information
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Auditory area
An area of the temporal lobe concerned with the analysis of speech-based information
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Broca's area
A region of the frontal lobe in the brain's left hemisphere responsible for speech production
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Wernicke's area
An area of the temporal lobe in the brain's left hemisphere responsible for language comprehension
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Plasticity
The brain's tendency to change an adapt as a result of experience or new learning
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Functional recovery
A form of plasticity that follows trauma; this is the brain's ability to redistribute or transfer functions from damaged areas to other, undamaged ones
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Axonal sprouting
A structural change in functional recovery where the growth of new nerve endings forms new neuronal pathways
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Reformation of blood vessels
A structural change in functional recovery where damaged blood vessels are repaired and new ones are formed
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Recruitment of homologous areas
Where similar areas in opposite hemispheres of the brain take over the performance of specific tasks
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Hemispheric lateralisation
The idea that the two halves of the brain are functionally different; certain mental processes and behaviours are mainly controlled by one hemisphere rather than the other
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Split-brain research
Sperry (1968) studied epileptic patients who had undergone surgical separation of the brain's hemispheres to investigate the extent of lateralisation
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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
A method used to measure brain activity that detects changes in blood oxygenation and flow that occur as a result of neural activity in certain parts of the brain
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Electroencephalogram (EEG)
A scan recording of patterns and impulses produced by brain activity, used to diagnose neurological conditions
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Event-related potentials (ERPs)
The brain's response to a specific task, created by filtering the results of an EEG using statistical analysis
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Post-mortems
The analysis of a person's brain following their death to determine whether behaviours or experiences can be attributed to neural abnormalities
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Biological rhythms
Distinct patterns or changes in body activity that conform to cyclical periods of time
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Circadian rhythms
A type of biological rhythm that is subject to a 24-hour cycle, which regulates a number of processes such as the sleep/wake cycle and core temperature
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Infradian rhythms
A type of biological rhythm with a frequency of less than one cycle in 24 hours (e.g. menstruation and seasonal affective disorder)
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Ultradian rhythms
A type of biological rhythm with a frequency of more than one cycle in 24 hours (e.g. stages of sleep)
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Endogenous pacemakers
Internal body clocks that regulate biological rhythms
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Suprachiasmatic nucleus
A bundle of nerve cells located in the hypothalamus of each hemisphere, influential in regulating the sleep/wake cycle
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Exogenous zeitgebers
External cues that may affect of entrain our biological rhythms (e.g. light and social cues)
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Sends information to the central nervous system from the environment and transmits messages from the central nervous system to muscles and glands

Back

Peripheral nervous system

Card 3

Front

A subdivision of the peripheral nervous system, which transmits information from receptor cells in the sense organs to the central nervous system; it also receives information from the CNS that directs muscles to act

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Transmits information to and from internal organs and operates involuntarily

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

The resting state of the autonomic nervous system

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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