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Biopsychology - Coggle Diagram
Biopsychology
NEURONS: the main components of the nervous system. They are how information is transmitted from one part of the nervous system to another. Signals are passed within neurons electrically. At rest, the neuron is negatively charged but becomes positively charged when activated, which sends an electrical impulse through the axon.
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Excitatory: Increase the likelihood of the neuron firing
Inhibitory: Decrease the likelihood of the neuron firing
Sensory neurons: Transmit information from the senses (e.g. the eyes or fingertips) to the central nervous system
Motor neurons: Transmit information between the central nervous system and the organs and muscles (e.g. an instruction to the adrenals to produce adrenaline)
Relay neurons: Connect neurons to other neurons (e.g. motor neurons to sensory neurons) and transmit information within the central nervous system (also called interneurons)
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THE NERVOUS SYSTEM: is the main system that controls the mind and body. It takes in information from the environment and elsewhere in the body (transmitted across neurons) and co-ordinates a wide range of conscious functions such as thinking and movement, as well as unconscious functions like the control of organs (e.g. heart rate, digestion) and glands
the nervous system is divided into two parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The central nervous system is the main control system of the body. It consists of two parts: the brain and spinal cord.
Brain is responsible for: Perception (i.e. translating information from the senses so it can be understood and processed) Motor control (i.e. sending commands to muscles to move) Regulating bodily processes and maintaining homeostasis (e.g. maintaining temperature and hormone levels based on information from the peripheral nervous system) Sleep
Spinal cord : The spinal cord connects the brain with the peripheral nervous system. In other words, it connects the brain with the rest of the body and with the external world. The spinal cord is also responsible for some unconscious movements, such as reflexes (e.g. the one where you get hit on the knee and your leg kicks).
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The peripheral nervous system goes beyond the central nervous system to connect it with the rest of the body and the external world. It consists of two parts: the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
The somatic nervous system is responsible for voluntary movement (e.g. walking). It transmits information between the central nervous system and the senses (i.e. it connects the brain to the external world) and is under conscious control.
The autonomic nervous system is responsible for transmitting information between the central nervous system and the internal organs (i.e. it connects the brain to the rest of the body). Unlike the somatic nervous system, it is involuntary and not under conscious control.
The functions of the autonomic nervous system can be divided into two categories: sympathetic and parasympathetic, which oppose each other. -sympathetic functions increase bodily activity to prepare for action – an example of this is the fight or flight response. In contrast, parasympathetic functions decrease bodily activity to conserve energy.
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM: a system of glands that are responsible for the release of hormones. The pituitary gland (the ‘master gland’) of the endocrine system is linked to the nervous system via the hypothalamus, which co-ordinates and regulates the release of hormones from glands.
Hormones are chemicals that communicate information throughout the body. Different hormones are produced and released by different glands in the body.
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HEMISPHERIC LATERALISATION:
left and right brain hemispheres. The first way the brain can be divided is laterally, i.e. a left half and a right half. These halves are called hemispheres. Each of the two hemispheres can be further divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal. Information from the left side of the body is processed by the right hemisphere and vice versa (contralateral)
Split-brain research
The two hemispheres of the brain are connected by a bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum.
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When split-brain patients were shown an image to their right visual field, they were able to describe in words what they saw. However, when they were shown the same image to their left visual field, they were not able to describe what they saw. This is likely because visual information from the left side is processed in the right hemisphere (the visual cortex is contralateral) and language processing primarily occurs in the left hemisphere. So, the visual data in the right hemisphere could not be shared to the language processing areas in the left hemisphere in order for the split-brain patient to describe what they saw.
However, despite not being able to describe in words the image shown to the left visual field, the split-brain patients could use their hands to pick an object associated with that image. For example, if the split brain patient was shown a cigarette to their left visual field, they could use their left hand to pick an ashtray. This can be explained by the fact that the left hand is controlled by the right hemisphere (again, the motor cortex is contralateral) and the image that was shown to the left visual field would have been processed in the same (right) hemisphere.
Language centres
As mentioned, language processing primarily happens in the left hemisphere. There are two areas that are particularly important for language: Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area.
The Broca’s area is the main area where speech is produced. It is located in the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere.