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Endocrine system
AQA A-level psychology biopsychology year 13
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Endocrine system | Network of glands in our body that releases hormones into the bloodstream for the purpose of homeostasis (regulation) |
| Hormones | Fat-based chemical signals which travel in the blood stream to cause specific physiological changes to certain organs and organ systems |
| Hormone produced and overall functions: pituitary gland | Many hormones including LH, FSH, ACTH & more; regulates the function of all glands in the body |
| Hormone produced and overall functions: adrenal gland | Corticoid hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline & noradrenaline; regulates blood pressure, inflammatory response, the immune system in order to respond to stress & danger |
| Hormone produced and overall functions: pineal gland | Melatonin; regulates sleep-wake cycle as well as menstruation and immune function |
| Hormone produced and overall functions: pancreas | Produces insulin, glucose, and somatostatin; regulates glucose levels in the blood and absorption in the small intestine |
| Hormone produced and overall functions: testes/ovaries | Produces sex hormones testosterone, oestrogen & progesterone; needed for gamete production, sex differentiation, & mood regulation |
| Hormone produced and overall functions: thyroid gland | Various forms of thyroxine; regulates metabolism |
| Short term stress response | The stressor is recognised by the amygdala & signals the hypothalamus to excite the sympathetic nervous system. This triggers the adrenal gland to release adrenaline leading to increased heart & breathing rate amongst other symptoms |
| Long term stress response | Some stressors don’t go away quickly and can sometimes remain for years, the body can’t survive the fight or flight response for this long so we go into hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis |
| Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA) | Hypothalamus signals pituitary to release CRH and ACTH to the adrenal cortex which releases cortisol into the bloodstream which converts glycogen into glucose however, it weakens the immune system |
| Why it takes longer to overcome an endocrine response than a nervous impulse | The endocrine system has widespread physiological effects effects on the body and it takes a long time for hormones to be metabolised out of the bloodstream whereas a nervous impulse is contained within the neural pathways and is fast to break down |
| Circadian rhythms | Daily sleep/wake cycles during 24 hour period, regulated by internal body clock & external factors like daylight. It affects body temperature with the lowest 36C at 4:30 & 38C at 6pm. Involves antagonistic hormones cortisol & melatonin |
| Ultradian rhythms | Biological cycles occurring more than once every 24 hours such as sleep cycle & Basic Rest-Activity Cycle (BRAC) |
| Stages of sleep (1-3) | Stage 1 - light sleep, activity slows, occasional muscle twitching Stage 2 - breathing pattern & heartrate slows, body temp. lowers Stage 3 - deep sleep begins, slow delta waves |
| Stages of sleep (4-5) | Stage 4 - very deep sleep, rhythmic breathing, limited muscle activity Stage 5/REM - Rapid Eye Movement, brainwaves speed up, dreaming occurs, muscles relax, heartrate increases, breathing is rapid & shallow |
| Infradian rhythms | Biological cycles occurring less than every 24 hours such as menstrual cycle, hibernation, migration & breeding |
| Endogenous pacemakers | Internal body clock, anything that regulates rhythms from within. Controlled by SCN (part of hypothalamus) through use or absence of light, uses cells in retina to send protein melanopsin to SCN to trigger pineal gland to produce less melatonin |
| Exogenous zeitgebers | External timekeepers that help us synchronise our biological rhythms with the external environment. This includes light, noise, & social cues |
| Siffre et al. (1972): cave guy | Spent 7 months in a cave without exogenous zeitgebers & found daily cycle became 25 hours. When he repeated this at 60 he found it was significantly longer |
| Morgan (1885): brain surgery on hamsters | Bred hamsters to have a 20-hour sleep cycle & transplanted their SCN into unborn control hamsters. These hamsters had a 20-hour sleep cycle |
| Czeisler (1999): controlling human sleep cycles | ‘Entrained’ participants’ circadian rhythms by exposing them to certain amounts of artificial light. It went as low as 22 hours & as high as 28 hours |
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