Name:

Biopsychology

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AS syllabus

The divisions of the nervous system: central and peripheral (somatic and autonomic). The structure and function of sensory, relay and motor neurons. The process of synaptic

transmission, including reference to neurotransmitters, excitation and inhibition. The function of the endocrine system: glands and hormones. The fight or flight response including the role of adrenaline.

Biopsychology Paper 2AS LevelYear 12

Paper 2A LevelYear 13

Practise Questions

KnowledgeAO1

CanApplyAO2

Can Evaluate

AO3

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/The division of the nervous system: central and peripheral (somatic and autonomic)

Structure and function of sensory, relay and motor neurons, process of synaptic transmission – reference to neurotransmitters, excitation and inhibition

The function of the endocrine system: glands and hormones

The fight or flight response including the role of adrenaline

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ContentsNeurons: types, structure and function.............................................................................................10

The neuron......................................................................................................................................11

The synapse.....................................................................................................................................12

Action potentials.............................................................................................................................14

The endocrine system.........................................................................................................................15

Fight or flight response.......................................................................................................................16

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What is biopsychology?

All animals have two major systems that allow them to gain information from the environment and respond to this information:

the nervous system the endocrine system.

Biopsychologists use their knowledge of these system to explain normal and abnormal behaviour.

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Note 5 facts about the nervous system that could affect people’s behaviour

Divisions of the nervous system

We divide the nervous system by function (by what the different parts do)

The first obvious division is between the central and peripheral nervous system.

Complete the table

FunctionCentral nervous system

Peripheral nervous system

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Central nervous system

Label the diagram below then complete the table

FunctionBrain

Spinal cord

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The peripheral nervous system

The peripheral nervous system is further divided into two main parts:

The somatic nervous system The autonomic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system is further divided into two branches:

The sympathetic nervous system The parasympathetic nervous system

The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system work together to maintain the body at an optimum level of functioning. This is called homeostasis.

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Somatic nervous system

Autonomic nervous system

Sympathetic nervous system

Parasympathetic nervous system

Summary

Complete the diagram below

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Neurons: types, structure and function

The nerve cells are called neurons. The average human brain has about 100 billion neurons.

There are different types of neurons:

Structure FunctionSensory neuron

Long dendrites and short axon Conduct impulse to the spinal cord

Relay neuron Short dendrites and short or long anxon

Interconnect the sensory neuron with appropriate motor neuron

Motor neuron

Short dendrites and long axons Conduct impulse to an effector (muscle or gland)

Now complete the following diagram:

The reflex arc: reflexes are to protect us from danger. The response has to be very fast so the relay neuron is situated in the spine in order to save time.

Label the diagram bellow using the following words: sensory neuron, relay neurone, synapse, motor neuron, effector.

Stimulus

The neuron

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Stimulus Sensory receptor

Effector Response

Apply Now

The brain is made of nerve cells called neurons, which process and transmit information in the form of electrical currents.

Read the text below and label the diagram using the words in bold.

Then draw arrows on the diagram to show the direction of the nerve impulses.

The cell body contains the nucleus (chromosomes), from the cell body. The dendrites extend from the cell body. They carry electrical impulses from other neurons towards the cell body. The axon is an extension of the neuron, it carries the impulses away from the cell body. It is covered by a sheath of myelin, a fatty substance. The main purpose of the myelin sheath is to increase the speed at which impulses propagate. There are breaks of between 0.2 and 2 mm. in the myelin sheath, these are called nodes of Ranvier. Action potentials (nerve impulses) travelling down the axon "jump" from node to node. This speeds up the transmission.

The synapseHow do neurons transmit signals?

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Neurons do not make direct contact (they do not touch each other). There is a very small gap between neurons called a synapse. The signal needs to cross this gap to continue on its journey to, or from, the CNS. This is done using chemicals which diffuse across the gap between the two neurons. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

This can be described a series of stages.

1.

2.

3.

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Synapses in a nutshell

Synapse

4.

5.

We have encountered two neurotransmitters in the psychopathology module.

Which neurotransmitters?

What did they do?

Before we look at how neurotransmitters work we need to have a look at how nerve impulses travel in the neurons.

Action potentials

When a neuron is not sending a signal, it is "at rest." When a neuron is at rest, the inside of the neuron is negative relative to the outside. Although the concentrations of the different ions attempt to balance out on both sides of the membrane, they cannot because the cell membrane allows only some ions to pass through channels (ion channels).

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Negative chargeK -

When a neuron is activated by a stimulus, the inside of the cell becomes positively charged for a short time, this is the action potential/ it creates the electrical impulse that travels through the axon to the end of the neuron.

So what do neurotransmitters do?

Some neurotransmitters act by making the neuron more negatively charged so less likely to fire. This is an inhibitory effect. This is the case for serotonin.

Other neurotransmitters increase the positive charge so make the neuron more likely to fire. This is the excitatory effect. Adrenalin is which is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone has an excitatory effect.

The endocrine system

The endocrine system consists of glands which produce hormones which are released in the blood stream to the target organs which contain receptors for specific hormones.

The pituitary gland controls the release of hormones from all the other endocrine glands.

Hormones work more slowly than nerve impulses but often together with the nervous system.

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Positive chargeNa+

Can you think of hormones other than sexual hormones?

The strange case of adrenaline

Adrenaline is a hormone produced by the adrenal medulla (the middle part of the gland) but it is also a neurotransmitter (neurotransmitters are produced by the neurons).

Fight or flight response

The nervous system and the endocrine system work together to produce the flight or fight response.

When we are threatened by an immediate and serious danger the two systems work together to produce a fast and intense response so we can escape the danger or fight it. This is called the “fight or flight” response.

As this response needs to be very rapid so the nervous system is involved in sending a message for adrenalin to be produced by the adrenal gland.

Complete the activity p.17

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The Body’s response to ACUTE stress (the body’s IMMEDIATE response to stress)

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Situation is appraised and perceived as Stressful

Hypothalamus is alerted. This recognises the stress is ACUTE so it activates the SYMPATHOMEDULLARY (SAM) Pathway

This activates the SYMPATHETIC branch of the ANS. ANS stands for A__________________ N_______________ S___________

This then stimulates the A_______________ M______________ which is part of the A________________ G_________________. These are located just above the K_______________

Apply Now

Abdul was walking to college this morning; he was on the pavement when he saw a car coming straight at him. He jumped out of the way. Afterwards he noticed that his heart was beating very fast, he was sweaty and felt very sick. Within a few minutes these symptoms had disappeared.

Using your knowledge of the fight or flight response, explain what happened to Abdul.

6 marks

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The A__________________ M__________________ secretes the hormones A_______________________ and N_______________________ into the bloodstream.

This prepares the body for F_____________ or F____________ and as such causes a number of physical (bodily) changes, including...

The P_____________ N____________ S______________ part of the A__________________ N________________ S_____________ then brings the body to an optimum level of functioning. The bodily changes caused by the release of adrenalin include..

Pupils D_______________

Reduced activity in Digestive system and to conserve energy

Increase in R________________ (breathing) R_____

Increase in H________ R_______ and raised b_______ P__________

Increase in B___________ F_________ (and oxygen) to M___________

Increased ALERTNESS

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However, the body cannot maintain this increased level of activity for long periods of time (as it takes too much energy). So, after a few minutes, (or when the stressor has been dealt with) the PARASYMPATHETIC branch of the nervous system is activated.

This is a COUNTERSHOCK response and serves to return the body back to its N___________________ resting state (e.g it reduces heart rate and breathing rate, restores activity in the digestive system...)