Detailed Revision Notes of the Biopsychology topic of AQA A-Level Psychology produced by me using both the textbook and class notes. Has both the AO1 and AO3 needed to gain top marks. Also includes the link and password to my quizlet set on this topic (on the last page). Revision notes from other t...
Biopsychology
THE NERVOUS & ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Central Nervous System
Made up of the brain and spinal cord which
are connected by the brain stem
Controls involuntary functions
Brain
Provides conscious awareness and is involved
in all psychological processes
Occipital Lobe
o Processes visual information
Temporal Lobe
o Auditory information
Parietal Lobe
o Information from different senses & for
spatial navigation
Frontal Lobe
o High order functions
E.g. planning, abstract reasoning & logic
Spinal cord
Transfers messages to & from the brain and rest of the body
Responsible for simple reflex actions
Peripheral Nervous System
Transmits messages (via millions of neurons) to & from CNS
Divided into Autonomic and Somatic Nervous System
Somatic NS
Maintains communication between CNS and outside world
Controls muscle movement and receives information between sensory receptors
Sensory Receptors
o Carry information to spinal cord & brain
Motor Pathways
o Allows brain to control movement
Autonomic NS
Important for homeostasis
Governs vital functions
o E.g. breathing, digestion, sexual arousal
Consists of only motor pathways
Sympathetic NS
o Involved in responses that prepare body for fight or flight
E.g. increases heart rate, blood pressure
Parasympathetic NS
o Returns body to normal state after fight or flight response
o ‘rest and digest’ response
,The Endocrine System
Hypothalamus
Connected to pituitary gland
Responsible for stimulating/controlling the release of hormones from pituitary gland
Control system which regulates the endocrine system
Pituitary Gland
Releases hormones which control and stimulate the release of hormones from other glands in
the system
Anterior Lobe (front)
o Releases adrenocortical trophic hormone (ACTH)
o Stimulates the adrenal cortex and the release of cortisol
Posterior Lobe (back)
o Releases oxytocin
o Responsible for uterus contraction during childbirth
Pineal Gland
Releases melatonin
o Responsible for important biological rhythms e.g. sleep-wake cycle
Thyroid Gland
Releases thyroxine
o Responsible for regulating metabolism
Adrenal Gland
Adrenal Medulla
o Releases adrenaline & noradrenalin (key role in fight or flight)
Adrenal Cortex
o Releases cortisol (stimulates release of glucose while suppressing the immune system)
Testes
Releases androgens (including testosterone)
Responsible for development of male sex characteristics during puberty & muscle growth
Ovaries
Releases oestrogen
Controls regulation of reproductive system (including menstrual cycle & pregnancy)
Fight or Flight System
Amy (amygdala)
Hit (hypothalamus)
Sam (SAM pathway)
Sophie (SNS)
Made (Medulla)
Awful (adrenaline)
Noise (Noradrenaline
What does Adrenaline do?
Body goes into sympathetic state (physiological arousal)
Increases heart rate
o Increases blood flow to organs & increases movement of adrenaline around the body.
Increases breathing rate
o To increase oxygen intake.
Pupil dilation
o To increase light intake and vision (especially in the dark).
Sweat production
, o To regulate temperature.
Reduction of non-essential functions (e.g. digestive system, urination, salivation)
o To increase energy for other essential functions.
AO3 PARAGRAPHS
P- One issue with the fight or flight explanation is that human behaviour is not limited to just two
responses.
E- For example, Gray (1988) suggested that the first response to danger is to avoid confrontation
altogether, which is demonstrated by a ‘freeze’ response.
E- During the freeze response humans are hyper-vigilant while they appraise the situation to decide
the best course of action for that particular threat.
L- Therefore, the fight or flight explanation of behaviour is limited and doesn’t fully explain the
complex cognitive and biological factors that underpin the human response to stress/danger.
P- A final issue with the fight or flight response is that it can have a negative/detrimental effect on
health, especially in modern day life.
E- While the fight or flight response may have been a useful survival mechanism for our ancestors
who faced genuinely life-threatening situations (e.g., from predators), modern day life rarely requires
such an intense biological response.
E- Therefore, the activation of the fight or flight response can increase blood pressure and cause
damage to blood vessels and contribute to heart disease.
L- This suggests that the fight or flight response is a maladaptive response in modern-day life.
NEURONS & SYNAPTIC LINKS
Sensory Neurons
Found in receptor cells e.g. eyes & skin
Carry messages from PNS to CNS
These impulses are translated as ‘sensations’
e.g. touch
Not all sensory neurons reach the brain, some
stop at the spinal cord resulting in reflex actions
Relay Neurons
Found between sensory input and motor
output/response
Found in brain and spinal cord
Allow sensory and motor neurons to communicate
Motor Neuron
Found in CNS
Control muscle movement
When stimulated they release neurotransmitters that
bind to the receptors on muscles to trigger a response
Structure of a Neuron
Dendrites: receive signals from other neurons/sensory receptor cells, connected to the cell body
Axon: long fibre which carries nerve impulses, in the form of electrical signal (action potential)
Myelin Sheath: surrounds most axons, insulating it so electrical impulses travel faster along the axon
Segmented by gaps called nodes of Ranvier, if continuous, it would slow impulses down
because the gaps force the impulse to ‘jump’ across gaps
Axon terminal: connects neurons to other neurons (or directly to organs) using synaptic transmission
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