Your nervous system is basically your body's electrical wiring and... Show more
Psychology2,040 views·Updated May 26, 2026·3 pagesAQA A-Level Biopsychology Mind Map Overview
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The Nervous System and Fight or Flight Response
Think of your nervous system as having two main parts: the CNS (central nervous system) which includes your brain and spinal cord, and the PNS (peripheral nervous system) that carries messages everywhere else. The PNS splits into two branches - one controls voluntary movements like picking up your phone, whilst the other handles automatic functions like breathing.
The autonomic nervous system has two opposing teams: the sympathetic nervous system (your "fight or flight" mode) and the parasympathetic nervous system (your "rest and digest" mode). When you're stressed, your sympathetic system kicks in through the SAM pathway - your amygdala spots danger, tells your hypothalamus, which then triggers your adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline.
During fight or flight, your body becomes a survival machine. Your heart pounds faster, breathing quickens, muscles tense up, and pupils dilate - all so you can either face the threat or leg it. Non-essential systems like digestion get put on hold because who needs to worry about lunch when there's danger about?
Quick Tip: Remember that acute stress can actually help you focus and perform better, but chronic stress is when things get problematic for your health.
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Brain Structure and Research Methods
Your brain isn't just one blob - it's organised into specialised areas that handle different jobs. The motor cortex controls voluntary movement, whilst the somatosensory cortex processes touch sensations. Broca's area handles speech production (damage here makes speaking difficult), and Wernicke's area deals with understanding language (damage creates word salad speech that makes no sense).
Brain plasticity is your brain's superpower - its ability to rewire and adapt throughout your life. During infancy, you've got about 15,000 neural connections per neuron (double what adults have), but through synaptic pruning, unused connections get deleted whilst important ones get strengthened. After brain injury, functional recovery can occur through neuronal unmasking, axon sprouting, and functional compensation.
Researchers study brains using different techniques. Post-mortems examine dead brains to spot abnormalities, whilst fMRI scans show brain activity in real-time by detecting blood flow changes. EEGs measure general brain electrical activity, and ERPs look at brain responses to specific stimuli.
Remember: fMRI has great spatial resolution (shows exactly where activity occurs) but poor temporal resolution (slow to detect changes), whilst EEG and ERPs have excellent temporal resolution but rubbish spatial resolution.
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Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Your body runs on biological clocks called circadian rhythms , ultradian rhythms (less than 24 hours), and infradian rhythms (more than 24 hours). The SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) in your hypothalamus acts as your master clock, controlling when you feel sleepy or alert.
Sleep happens in cycles with five distinct stages. You start awake with beta waves, then drift into light sleep (N1 with theta waves), deeper into N2 , then into deep N3 sleep with slow delta waves where your body repairs itself. Finally, REM sleep brings vivid dreams and rapid eye movements whilst your brain buzzes with activity.
Your sleep-wake cycle gets controlled by internal endogenous pacemakers like the SCN and external exogenous zeitgebers like light. The pineal gland releases melatonin when it's dark (making you sleepy), whilst adrenal glands pump out cortisol to wake you up. The raphe nuclei produce serotonin - less serotonin kicks off REM sleep, more serotonin promotes waking.
Top Tip: Light is the most powerful zeitgeber - it suppresses melatonin production, which is why scrolling your phone before bed can mess up your sleep cycle!
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Psychology2,040 views·Updated May 26, 2026·3 pagesAQA A-Level Biopsychology Mind Map Overview
L
Ly@caelestisilva
Your nervous system is basically your body's electrical wiring and chemical messaging service rolled into one incredibly sophisticated network. It controls everything from your heartbeat to your thoughts, working alongside your hormonal system to keep you functioning 24/7.
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The Nervous System and Fight or Flight Response
Think of your nervous system as having two main parts: the CNS (central nervous system) which includes your brain and spinal cord, and the PNS (peripheral nervous system) that carries messages everywhere else. The PNS splits into two branches - one controls voluntary movements like picking up your phone, whilst the other handles automatic functions like breathing.
The autonomic nervous system has two opposing teams: the sympathetic nervous system (your "fight or flight" mode) and the parasympathetic nervous system (your "rest and digest" mode). When you're stressed, your sympathetic system kicks in through the SAM pathway - your amygdala spots danger, tells your hypothalamus, which then triggers your adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline.
During fight or flight, your body becomes a survival machine. Your heart pounds faster, breathing quickens, muscles tense up, and pupils dilate - all so you can either face the threat or leg it. Non-essential systems like digestion get put on hold because who needs to worry about lunch when there's danger about?
Quick Tip: Remember that acute stress can actually help you focus and perform better, but chronic stress is when things get problematic for your health.
2
of 3Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
Brain Structure and Research Methods
Your brain isn't just one blob - it's organised into specialised areas that handle different jobs. The motor cortex controls voluntary movement, whilst the somatosensory cortex processes touch sensations. Broca's area handles speech production (damage here makes speaking difficult), and Wernicke's area deals with understanding language (damage creates word salad speech that makes no sense).
Brain plasticity is your brain's superpower - its ability to rewire and adapt throughout your life. During infancy, you've got about 15,000 neural connections per neuron (double what adults have), but through synaptic pruning, unused connections get deleted whilst important ones get strengthened. After brain injury, functional recovery can occur through neuronal unmasking, axon sprouting, and functional compensation.
Researchers study brains using different techniques. Post-mortems examine dead brains to spot abnormalities, whilst fMRI scans show brain activity in real-time by detecting blood flow changes. EEGs measure general brain electrical activity, and ERPs look at brain responses to specific stimuli.
Remember: fMRI has great spatial resolution (shows exactly where activity occurs) but poor temporal resolution (slow to detect changes), whilst EEG and ERPs have excellent temporal resolution but rubbish spatial resolution.
3
of 3Sign up to see the content. It's free!
- Access to all documents
- Improve your grades
- Join milions of students
Biological Rhythms and Sleep
Your body runs on biological clocks called circadian rhythms , ultradian rhythms (less than 24 hours), and infradian rhythms (more than 24 hours). The SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) in your hypothalamus acts as your master clock, controlling when you feel sleepy or alert.
Sleep happens in cycles with five distinct stages. You start awake with beta waves, then drift into light sleep (N1 with theta waves), deeper into N2 , then into deep N3 sleep with slow delta waves where your body repairs itself. Finally, REM sleep brings vivid dreams and rapid eye movements whilst your brain buzzes with activity.
Your sleep-wake cycle gets controlled by internal endogenous pacemakers like the SCN and external exogenous zeitgebers like light. The pineal gland releases melatonin when it's dark (making you sleepy), whilst adrenal glands pump out cortisol to wake you up. The raphe nuclei produce serotonin - less serotonin kicks off REM sleep, more serotonin promotes waking.
Top Tip: Light is the most powerful zeitgeber - it suppresses melatonin production, which is why scrolling your phone before bed can mess up your sleep cycle!
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
Most popular content in Psychology
9Most popular content
9Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.
Students love us — and so will you.
4.6/5App Store
4.7/5Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan SiOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha KlichAndroid user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
AnnaiOS user