Summary AQA Psychology A-Levels - 4.2.2 Biopsychology

4.2.2
BIOPSYCHOLOGY


CONTENT
THE DIVISIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM .................................................................................... 2
The central nervous system .................................................................................................................3
Brain .................................................................................................................................................3
Spinal cord .......................................................................................................................................3
The peripheral nervous system ...........................................................................................................4
Somatic nervous system ..................................................................................................................4
Autonomic nervous system .............................................................................................................4
NEURONS .................................................................................................................................... 5
The structure of the neurons ...............................................................................................................5
The function of neurons ......................................................................................................................5
The process of synaptic transmission ..................................................................................................6
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM.............................................................................................................. 8
Glands and their Hormones .................................................................................................................8
The fight or flight response........................................................................................................... 9

,THE DIVISIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
The nervous system is a specialised network of neural cells in the human body and is our primary
internal communication system. It has two main function:

• To collect, process and respond to information in the environment.
• To co-ordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body.



NERVOUS SYSTEM



Central Nervous Peripheral
System Nervous System
(CNS) (PNS)


Somatic Nervous Autonomic
Spinal Cord Brain System Nervous System




Sympathetic Parasympathetic
Nervous System Nervous System

,The central nervous system
The central nervous system has two main functions:

• The control of behaviour.
• The regulation of the body's physiological (biological) processes.

Brain
Cerebrum (or • Largest part of the brain
cerebral cortex)
• Two hemispheres joined the
corpus callosum
• Each hemisphere has four lobes
Cerebellum • Associated with motor skills and
balance
• Allows us to make precise
controlled movements
Brain stem • Connects spinal cord to the rest of
the brain
• Regulate automatic functions (e.g.
breathing, swallowing)


Cerebrum is made up of four lobes: frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe and occipital lobe.

Frontal Lobes are involved with higher order functions
such as planning, logic, reasoning.

Parietal Lobes process sensory information such as touch,
temperature and pain. They also process spatial
information.

Temporal Lobes process auditory information.

Occipital Lobes process visual information.

Spinal cord
• The main function of the spinal cord is to relay information
between the brain and the rest of the body
• Pairs of spinal nerves branch from the spinal cord and connect
with different organs, muscles and glands.
• The spinal cord is also responsible for simple reflex actions and
allow movement to be performed without the involvement of
the brain.

, The peripheral nervous system
The peripheral nervous system relay nerve impulses from CNS the to the rest of the body and
then back to the CNS.

• It consists of the somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system.

Somatic nervous system
• Associated with voluntary movements and reflex actions.

• Maintains communication between the central nervous system and the outside world.

o It consists of sensory receptors which carry information to the spinal cord and brain;
motor pathways which allow the brain to control movement.

Autonomic nervous system
• Associated with processes we are not consciously aware of (homeostasis) including the flight or
fight response.

o It only consists of motor pathways and has two components of sympathetic nervous
system and parasympathetic nervous system.

Sympathetic nervous system & Parasympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for preparing for the body to
nervous system deal with emergencies and threats. It brings about the flight and fight
response.


Parasympathetic The parasympathetic nervous system calms the body and is involved with
nervous system energy conservation and digestion and it is sometime called the “rest and
digest” system.


Area of the Sympathetic nervous system Parasympathetic nervous system
body Emergency situations Body at rest
Heart Accelerates heart rates Deaccelerates heart rates

Increases breathing rate/ Decreases breathing rate/
Lungs Relaxes airway Constricts airway

Eyes Dilates pupils Constricts pupils

Inhibits digestion Stimulates digestion
Digestion (e.g. inhibits salivation) (e.g. stimulates salivation)
Increases blood flow to skeletal
Muscles Reduces blood flow to skeletal muscles
muscles