These are detailed notes for the Biopsychology Topic of AQA A-Level Psychology. I wrote them using class notes, revision guides and textbooks. I will also be uploading the other topics and creating bundles.
Topics Included:
- The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
- Neurons and Synaptic T...
Biopsychology
The Nervous System and the Endocrine System:
The Nervous system and the endocrine system
- The nervous system ~ a specialised network of cells in
the human body and is our primary internal Neurons and synaptic transmission
communication system. Localisation of function in the brain
- It is based on electrical and chemical signals.
- It collects, processes and responds to information in the Hemispheric lateralisation and split-brain
environment, and co-ordinates the working of different research
organs and cell in the body.
Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain
- It is divided into the central nervous system and the
peripheral nervous system. after trauma
The Central Nervous System: Ways of studying the brain
- Made up of the brain and the spinal cord.
- It is where all complex processing of information is Circadian rhythms
done, and decisions are made. Infradian and ultradian rhythms
- The outer layer of the brain, called the cerebral cortex,
Endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers
is 3mm thick and is highly developed in humans, this is
what gives us higher mental functions than other animals.
- The brain is divided into two hemispheres.
- The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and is connects
nerves to the peripheral nervous system, it is also responsible for
reflex actions.
The Peripheral Nervous System:
- Brings information from the senses to the central nervous
system and transmits information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands.
- It is split into the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system.
Autonomic Nervous System:
- Controls vital functions such as breathing, heart rate, digestion, sexual arousal and stress responses.
- Split into the sympathetic nervous systems and the parasympathetic nervous system.
Somatic Nervous System:
- Controls muscle movement and receives information from sensory receptors.
- Carries sensory and motor information to and from the spinal cord.
Sympathetic Nervous System:
- Works antagonistically with the parasympathetic system.
- Involved in responses that help us deal with emergencies or threats.
- Neurons from the sympathetic nervous system travel to virtually every organ and gland within the
body to produce the physiological changes for a fight or flight response.
Parasympathetic Nervous System:
- Restores normal physiological functioning after a sympathetic nervous system response after the
threat has passed. It is involved with conservation and digestion.
Endocrine System:
- The endocrine system works with the central nervous system to control vital functions in the body
through hormones.
- It works slower than the nervous system.
- Gland ~ an organ in the body that synthesises substances such as hormones.
- Hormones are secreted into the bloodstream and any cell in the body that has a receptor for that
hormone.
- The pituitary gland controls the release of hormones from all the other endocrine glands in the body.
- The thyroid gland produces thyroxine, which increases heart rate and also cells throughout the body
with increase metabolic rates.
, - The endocrine works together with the autonomic nervous system
during a stressful event producing a fight or flight response. Sympathetic State Parasympathetic State
Fight or Flight Response: Increases heart Decreases heart rate
- Stressor perceived by the hypothalamus which activates the rate
pituitary. Increases breathing Decreases breathing
- The sympathetic nervous system becomes aroused. rate rate
- Adrenaline released from the adrenal medulla, causing changes in Dilates pupils Constricts pupils
target organs, such as increased heart rate, dilation of pupils, Inhibits digestion Stimulates digestion
decreased production of saliva. Inhibits saliva Stimulates saliva
- This response is immediate. production production
- Once the threat has passed the parasympathetic nervous system Contract’s rectum Relaxes rectum
returns the body to its resting state.
Neurons and Synaptic Transmission:
- 80% of neurons are in the brain, they transmit signals
electrically and chemically.
- There are three different types of neurons:
o Sensory neurons ~ carry messages from the
peripheral nervous system to the central nervous
system. They have long dendrites and short axons.
o Relay neurons ~ connect sensory neurons to
motor or other relay neurons. They have short
dendrites and short axons.
o Motor neurons ~ connect the central nervous
system to effectors such as muscles and glands.
They have short dendrites and long axons.
- Cell body (soma) – contain a nucleus with the genetic material
of the cell.
- Dendrites – branch-like structures coming out from the cell body, they carry nerve impulses from
neighbouring neurons towards the cell body.
- Axon – carried electrical impulse away from the cell body down the length of the neuron, it is covered
in a fatty layer of myelin sheath that protects the axon. Gaps in the axon speed up the transmission
of the impulse, these are called nodes of Ranvier
- Terminal buttons – at the end of an axon, communicate with the next neuron in the chain across a
synapse.
- Electrical transmission:
o When a neuron is in a resting state the inside of the cell is negatively charged compared
to the outside.
o When activated, the inside of the cell becomes positively charged for a second causing an
action potential to occur.
o This creates an electrical impulse that travels down the axon towards the end of the
neuron.
- A synapse is a tiny gap between neurons.
- Signals within neurons are transmitted electrically, signals between neurons are transmitted chemically
across a synapse.
- When the electrical impulse reaches the end of the neuron (presynaptic terminal) to triggers the release
of neurotransmitter from tiny sacs called synaptic vesicles. Once the neurotransmitter crosses the gap,
it is taken up by the postsynaptic receptor site on the next neuron. The chemical message is converted
back into an electrical impulse and the process of electric transmission begins.
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