Biopsychology:
The Nervous System:
Central Nervous System:
● Contains the brain and spinal cord
○ Brain - Epicentre of conscious awareness and controls behaviour
○ Spinal Cord - Responsible for reflex actions and passes messages to and
from brain and connects nerves to the PNS
Peripheral Nervous System:
● Transmitted messages using nerve cells
● Consists of all the nerves outside the CNS
● Communicates with the CNS
● Divided into ANS and SNS
Somatic Nervous System:
● Controls muscle movement
● Contains sensory and motor neurons
● Receives information from sensory receptors
● Allows reflex actions that don't involve CNS
Autonomic Nervous System:
● Controls vital functions and actions that don't have conscious awareness such as heart
rate and breathing
● Divided into Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems
Sympathetic Nervous System:
● Activates fight or flight response
● works with Endocrine system
Parasympathetic Nervous System:
● ‘Rest and digest’ System’
● Returns body to normal state after fight or flight response
● works with Endocrine system
, Fight Or Flight Response:
Amygdala - Area of brain that contributes to emotional processing and sends distress
signals to hypothalamus
Hypothalamus - Area of brain that communicates with the rest of the body through autonomic
nervous system
Adrenaline(Epinephrine) - Hormone that causes physiological changes such as increased
heart rate, faster breathing, sharper hearing/sight and triggers release of blood sugar
Fight or Flight Response:
● Potential threat sent to Amygdala and distress signal sent to hypothalamus
● Hypothalamus activates Sympathetic nervous system through autonomic nerves to
active adrenal glands
● Adrenaline pumped into bloodstream
● Heart beats faster and breathing rate increases
● blood sugar is released to supply energy to body
● When threat passes, parasympathetic nervous system dampens stress response
Endocrine System:
Endocrine System - A series of glands that control
processes in the body through hormones
Hormones - Chemical messengers e.g. epinephrine
Glands - Organs that secrete hormones
Pituitary Gland - Master gland that controls other glands in
the body, releases endorphins
Adrenal Gland - involved in the stress response, releases
epinephrine and norepinephrine
Testes - Release testosterone involved in sexual motivation
and behaviour
Ovaries - Release Oestrogen and Progesterone, involved
in sexual motivation and behaviour
Thyroid - Releases Thyroxine that affects heart rate,
metabolism and growth
The Nervous System:
Central Nervous System:
● Contains the brain and spinal cord
○ Brain - Epicentre of conscious awareness and controls behaviour
○ Spinal Cord - Responsible for reflex actions and passes messages to and
from brain and connects nerves to the PNS
Peripheral Nervous System:
● Transmitted messages using nerve cells
● Consists of all the nerves outside the CNS
● Communicates with the CNS
● Divided into ANS and SNS
Somatic Nervous System:
● Controls muscle movement
● Contains sensory and motor neurons
● Receives information from sensory receptors
● Allows reflex actions that don't involve CNS
Autonomic Nervous System:
● Controls vital functions and actions that don't have conscious awareness such as heart
rate and breathing
● Divided into Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems
Sympathetic Nervous System:
● Activates fight or flight response
● works with Endocrine system
Parasympathetic Nervous System:
● ‘Rest and digest’ System’
● Returns body to normal state after fight or flight response
● works with Endocrine system
, Fight Or Flight Response:
Amygdala - Area of brain that contributes to emotional processing and sends distress
signals to hypothalamus
Hypothalamus - Area of brain that communicates with the rest of the body through autonomic
nervous system
Adrenaline(Epinephrine) - Hormone that causes physiological changes such as increased
heart rate, faster breathing, sharper hearing/sight and triggers release of blood sugar
Fight or Flight Response:
● Potential threat sent to Amygdala and distress signal sent to hypothalamus
● Hypothalamus activates Sympathetic nervous system through autonomic nerves to
active adrenal glands
● Adrenaline pumped into bloodstream
● Heart beats faster and breathing rate increases
● blood sugar is released to supply energy to body
● When threat passes, parasympathetic nervous system dampens stress response
Endocrine System:
Endocrine System - A series of glands that control
processes in the body through hormones
Hormones - Chemical messengers e.g. epinephrine
Glands - Organs that secrete hormones
Pituitary Gland - Master gland that controls other glands in
the body, releases endorphins
Adrenal Gland - involved in the stress response, releases
epinephrine and norepinephrine
Testes - Release testosterone involved in sexual motivation
and behaviour
Ovaries - Release Oestrogen and Progesterone, involved
in sexual motivation and behaviour
Thyroid - Releases Thyroxine that affects heart rate,
metabolism and growth
