Biopsychology of Stress

Biopsychology of
Stress

1.1a) Label the following diagram of the brain:
Number Function
1
Frontal lobe- important for many voluntary movement, expressive language
and for managing higher level executive functions like capacity to plan,
organise, initiate, self-monitor and control responses in order to attain a
goal.
2
Thalamus- It controls many unique role, like relaying of many sensory and
mortar signals and relay station filtering information between the brain and
body.
3
Corpus Callosum- Ensuring communication between Left and Right
Hemisphere of brain. It is large connective pathway in brain made up of
nearly 200 million fibres.
4
5 Hypothalamus- supportive in many routine work activities maintaining
body temperature, drinking, eating, energy maintenance and stress control.
6
Pituitary Gland- Also called Master gland because it is involved in many
functions, like release of hormones, secretion of hormones produced from
Hypothalamus.
7 Middle brain- motor movement, visual processing. It acts as a relay station
between visual and auditory systems.
8 Pons- critical role in generating rhythms of breathing
9 Medulla- passing messages between spinal cord and brain
10 Brain system- regulates all actions of human body
11 Spinal Cord- channelises peripheral nervous system
12 Cerebellar Cortex- attention, perception, thoughts, memory etc.
1.1b) 4 Lobes of Cerebral cortex and their associated functions
A) Frontal lobe: Largest lobe, have functions of keeping prospective memory and retaining
Speech and language.

B) Parietal lobe: Posterior to frontal lobe and superior to temporal lobe consists two regions.
Superior lobe, have higher level functions like Motor Planning action. And, Inferior lobe having
functions like Sensorimotor planning, learning, Spatial recognition and differentiations of size,
shape, weight etc.
C) Temporal lobe: Second most substantial portion, have range of functions performed by its
lateral and medial surfaces. They include sound recognition, semantic retrieval, semantic
memory and control, recognition memory, recollection, familiarity and episodic memory.
D) Occipital lobe: Smallest lobe, have functions of visual processing and interpretations.
1.2a) Purpose of Peripheral Nervous system and role played by each branch
Peripheral nervous system is a system of different nerves that are spread across an animal
body starting from Brain and Spinal cord. Nerves that are are released from Brain and Spinal
cord carries various type of information that are generated by brain, as a response to a particular
situation either, or regarding basic and general functions of body. In this way these nerves
maintain communication between brain and different parts of body and thus forms a
communication network system (CNS). Peripheral Nervous system consists two branches which
are helpful in their individual important roles in human body, these are Somatic Nervous system
and Autonomic Nervous system.
Somatic Nervous system- Somatic nerve system further comprises cranial nerves and
optic nerves. Cranial nerves are part of Peripheral nervous system but optical nerves are not
which are connected to retina. Somatic nerves system in network of those nerves which go into
skin and muscles and which are involved in conscious activities.
Autonomic nervous system- This system involves those nerves which are engaged in
sending motor impulses to visceral organs. This system includes automatic functions of body like
heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, body temperature and other functions that work together
with homeostasis.
 Sympathetic system: Sympathetic Nervous System is a part of Autonomic Nervous
System. Like every other part of the body, this system works through the series of
interconnected neurons. Sympathetic Nervous is helpful in body for activating what is
generally considered as Fight response.
 Parasympathetic System: Parasympathetic Nervous system is another part of the three
parts of Autonomic Nervous system. This system is helpful in offering control over many

important tissues in body, however this system is not considered crucial for maintenance
of life, where Sympathetic Nervous system is. Its primary function is to modulate
Visceral organs, such as glands.
1.3a) How nervous system communicate.
Nervous system is the channel that helps in transmission of information that is generated
in brain through chemical reactions. Communication between two neurons is supported by
electrical events called Action potentials and transmission of chemical reactors called
Neurotransmitters. In between two neurons, existed gap is called synapse. Through synapse,
neurotransmitters are seen travelling other neuron containing information. In second neuron,
these neurotransmitters could either be received or incited, or could be hindered or excited. Or is
well to be noted that not all neurotransmitters are accepted or travels to second neuron.
Therefore, in a brain hundreds of events of incitement or excitement results yield of action
potentials.
Neurons Communicate with each other with the help of special supporting chemicals
called Neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters acts a chemical words, carriers of information which
could be comprehended by the receiver Neuron when passed through the Sender Neuron. There
are several types of Neurotransmitters: some are called stimulate neurons, making them more
active; others are known to inhibit them, making them relatively less active.