Summary AQA Alevel Psychology Biopsychology Full exam notes
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Course
Biopsychology
Institution
AQA
Easy to read, detailed exam notes for the Biopsychology topic in AQA Psychology A level. Written by a four A* student. Covers the entire memory spec with detailed examples, positives and negatives and full evaluations.
Central
Primary internal communication system - receives info from senses and controls the
behaviour and regulation of the body’s psychological processes.
CNS = brain and spinal cord.
The brain receives information from sensory receptors and sends messages to
muscles and glands.
Centre of all conscious awareness and is divided into different lobes with different
functions. It contains the cerebrum which makes up about 85% of the total mass.
The forebrain is divided into 2 parts.
The diencephalon contains the:
Thalamus: relaying sensory info from brainstem to cortex.
Hypothalamus: basic functions such as hunger, thirst, sexual behaviour, pituitary
gland.
The cerebral hemispheres control higher level cognitive and emotional processes:
Limbic system is involved in learning, memory and emotions
Basal ganglia is involved in motor activities and movement
Neocortex/cerebral cortex - planning, problem-solving, language, consciousness and
personality
,Peripheral
The peripheral nervous system transmits information to and from the CNS.
From sensory receptors in the eyes, ears, skin, nose and tongue, as well as stretch
receptors and nociceptors in muscles, glands and other internal organs.
31 spinal nerves divided into:
Somatic Nervous System
Controls voluntary movements – transmits/receives messages from the senses - involved in
reflex actions without the involvement of the CNS so the reflex can occur very quickly.
Sensory nerve pathways bring information to the CNS from sensory receptors,
dealing with touch, pain, pressure, temperature etc.
Motor nerve pathways which control bodily movement by carrying instructions
towards muscles
Autonomic Nervous System
Involuntary actions such as bodily arousal, temperature, homeostasis, heart rate, digestion
and blood pressure. Composed of 2 parts:
Sympathetic nervous system - responses which help us deal with emergencies -
slows bodily processes that are less important in emergencies such as digestion.
Increased arousal - increase in heart rate and blood pressure, pupil dilation,
reduction in digestion and salivation.
Parasympathetic nervous system - relaxes the individual once the emergency has
passed (eg. slows the heart rate down and reduces blood pressure) and conserves
the body’s natural activity by decreasing activity/maintaining it. Decreased arousal.
, Neurons
Motor neurones–
Sensory convey
neurones – instructions for
convey physical
operations: e.g.
information
release of
about sensory
hormones from
stimuli: vision, glands, muscle
touch, taste, movement,
etc. towards digestion, etc.
the brain.
Relay neurons – connect different
parts of the central nervous system
(CNS).
Dendrites - receive
input from many Axon - release the
other neurons and neurotransmitters of
carry those signals to the presynaptic cell.
the cell body
Cell body - Provide
structure for the body,
take in nutrients from
food, convert those Node of Ranvier - speed up
nutrients into energy, and Myelin sheath - fatty- propagation of action
carry out specialized protein coating provides potentials along the axon
functions. protective insulation for via saltatory conduction.
your nerve cell.
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