PSYC 1010 Midterm: PSYC 1010 - Test 2 Notes (Summer 2011)

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1010
• Professor: Jennifer Steele

Document Summary

The nature of consciousness / biological rhythms and sleep. Consciousness is the continually changing stream of mental activity. Circadian rhythms influences the cycles of sleep and wakefulness (occurs about once per day). Exposure to light resets biological clocks by affecting the activity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (in the hypothalamus) and the pineal gland (which secretes melatonin at night). Jetlag and sleep deprivation is often the byproducts of unsynchronized circadian rhythms and can cause serious implications in memory and attention. Melatonin can be used to treat such byproducts of synchronization difficulties. If no natural light exist, then our natural clocks are affected and possibly altered. During sleep, our brain remains active and has its own cues. Infradian rhythms occurs less than once a day, but more than once a year. Ultradian rhythms occur more than once a day. Heartbeat and respiration are also common examples of such. Electroencephalogram (eeg) can measure sleep through voltages and waveforms.