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biopsychology - Coggle Diagram
biopsychology
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localisation of function
the theory that different parts of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities
- Paul Broca and Karl Wernicke discovered that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular physical and psychological functions
- before these investigations scientists believed the holistic theory of the brain that all parts of the brain were involved in the processing of thoughts and actions
- this is where Broca and Wernicke argued that different parts of the brain are involved with different functions and that if a certain area becomes damaged so does the function associated with it too
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areas of the brain
motor area = a region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement - damage to this area of the brain may result in a loss of control over fine movements
somatosensory area = an area of the parietal lobe that processes sensory information from the skin such as touch, heat, pressure etc
- it is separated from the motor area by a valley
Visual area = a part of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual information
- each eye sends information from the right visual field to the left visual cortex and the left visual field to the right visual cortex
- damage to the left hemisphere can produce blindness in part of the right visual field of both eyes
auditory area = located in the temporal lobe and concerned with analysis of speech based information
- damage may produce partial hearing loss meaning that the more extensive the damage the more extensive the loss
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Synaptic transmission
- neurons communicate with each other in groups
- each neuron is separated from the next by a tiny cap called the synapse
- signals within neurons are transmitted electrically
- once the electrical impulse reaches the end of the neuron it triggers the release of the neurotransmitters
neurotransmitters = these are chemicals which diffuse across the synapse to the next neuron in the chain
- once the neuron has been passed across the synapse the chemical message is converted back into the electrical impulse
Excitation = when a neurotransmitter increases the positive charge of the postsynaptic neuron
- this increases the likelihood that the neuron will fire and pass on the electrical impulse
Inhibition = when a neurotransmitter increases negative charges of the postsynaptic neuron
- this decreases the likelihood that the neuron will fire and pass on the electrical impulse
The nervous system
main functions:
- to collect, process and respond to information in the environment
- to coordinate the working of different organs and cells in the body
Central nervous system
- made up of the brain and the spinal cord
Brain:
- the centre of all conscious awareness
- outer layer is called the cerebral cortex and is highly developed in humans
- it is divided into two hemispheres
Spinal cord:
- is an extension of the brain
- responsible for reflex actions such as pulling your hand away from a hot plate
- it passes messages to and from the brain and connects nerves to the PNS
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endocrine system
glands and hormones
the main endocrine glands:
- hypothalamus
- pituitary
- thyroid
- parathyroid
- adrenals
- pancreas
- ovaries
- testes
- glands produce hormones
- these hormones are secreted into the bloodstream and affect any cell in the body that has a receptor
Thyroid gland = produces the hormone thyroxine
- this hormone affects the heart and the cells throughout the body increasing metabolic rate
Pituitary gland = called the master gland which is located in the brain
- controls the release of hormones from all other endocrine glands in the body
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