chapter 2 biological

bioloigical psycologists

study links between biological activity and psycological events

neurons

nerve cells that consist of DCA

dendrites

recieve information

cell body

where the information is processed

axon

where the information is released, longest part

myelin sheath

fatty acid that insulates axons speeding up transmitions up to 200 mph

muliple sclerosis

myelin sheath begins to break down and muscles sommunication slows down and eventually can lead to loss of muscle control

neural transmission

transmission of information between neurons

synapse

space between neurons (they dont touch)

neurotransmitters

chemical messangers

resting potential

positive ions outisde axon, negative ions inside axon

action potential

first bit of axons gates open up and positive ions go in pushing negative ions out

chemicals used in neurotranmission

sodium and potassium

polarization

when the ions are seperated

depolarization

ions are mixing and no longer seperated

refractory period

time inbetween firing when positive ions are going back out and negative ions are going back in

threshold

how excited a neuron must be to fire

excitatory signals

accelerate neurons

inhibititory signals

slow neurons down

reuptake

neurotransmitters reabsorbed by the sending neuron

agonist drugs

excite firing by mimicking a particular neurotransmitter or blocking reuptake

antagonist drugs

inhinit firing by blocking neurotransmitters or my diminishing release

dopamine

influences movement, learning, attention, and emtion

oversupply of dompanie

schizophrenia

undersupply of dopamine

parkinsons disease, neurons deteriorate

serotonin

influences mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal

under supply of serotonin

depression

antidepressants/ selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

raise serotonin by blocking reuptake leaves some in synapse

norepinephrine

helps control alertness or arousal

undersupply of norepinephrine

depression

oversupply of norepinephrine

mania

fluctuations in norepinephrine

bipolar disorder, switch between manic and depressed

GABA (gamma-amniobutyric acid)

major inhibitory neurotransmitter

undersupply of GABA

seizures, tremors, insomnia, eating disorders, medication is over the counter

glutamate

a major excitatory neurotransmitter, involved in memory

oversupply of glutamate

overstimulate brain producing mirgranes and seirzures, msg food can trigger thiin some people

acetylcholine (ACh)

enables muscle action, learning, and memory

2 ms for acetylcholine

memory and movement

ACh neurons deteriorating

alzheimers

ACh is the ___________ at every junction between motor neuron and skelatal muscle, when relaseased the muscle ____________

messenger; contracts

if ACh is blocked

muscles cannot contract, paralysis, botox, used to hunt or help big game

too much ACh

seizures, violent muscle contractions, possible death, black widow spider bite

endorphins

naturally occuring opiates that ease pain and elevate mood

when the brain is flooded with outside opiates it

stops producing its own which cause the proscess of withdrawl to be increadily painful

nervous system

our bodys primary information system

central nervous system CNS

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system PNS

links CNS with body’s sense receptors, muscles, glands

sensory neurons

carry incoming info from sense receptors to brain, afferent

interneurons

part of CNS that take information up and down spinal cord, intercept/ intervene, pain reflexes,

motot neurons

carry outgoing info, Efferent

somatic controls

voluntary movement of skelatal muscles

autonomic controls

controls glands and muscles of our internal organs, own influence without thinking, can sometimes be overridden like holding breath

homeostasis

steady internal state

sympathetic system

denfensive action, fight or flight, increases heart reate, pupils dialate, bladder relaxes, salivation and digestions INHIBITED

parasympathetic

when stress subsides, rest or digest, calms us down, salivation and digestion STIMULATED, heart rate down,

oppsoing tendencies

the bodies way of maintianing homeostasis

spianl cord

information highway connecting PNS to brain

pain reflexes

body reacting before our brain recieves the information, say ow and feel pain after body has removed itself from the danger

phrenolgy

detailed study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental studies, outdated and not accurate

brain

recieves information, interprets it, and decides it

lesions

damade to the brain that effects something, can be caused by brain disaeses or injuries

EEG (electroencephalogram)

amplified recoring of electrical activity that sweeps across the brain’s surface (no picture)

CT (computed tomography)

x-rays of the brian that can reveal damage

PET (position emission tomograpgy)

sugar glucose injected and lights up where this is more activity, brain, caner cells, like weahter radar

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

brain scans places body in strong magnetic field, more expensive tha CT but more detailed, can see damage to brain’s soft tissue

older brain structures

without any concious effort, all animals have it, 1st floor, hindbrain

brain stem

medula and pons

medulla

heartbeat and breathing

pons

sleeping and cooridnate movements, helps cerebellum

reticular formation

runs through the brain stem, arsousal, awake/coma, if severed can go into coma, concusion is the risk of laspe into coma

thalamus

body’s sensory switchboard, incoming sensory info except for smell

where is smell processes

right behind he nose so it doesn’t need to travel

cerebellum

balance and coordiantion, dexterity and fine motor balance practice in kindergarden

limbic system

2nd floor, midbrain, emotions, all animals also have this

hippocampus

rage and memory

amydala

agression and fear

hypothalamus

helps keep bodys internal enviornment (homestasis), things like hunger, thirst, sexual desire, body temp

lateral hypothalamus

makes you feel hungry, if lesioned straved to death because dont feel hunger

ventromedial hypothalamus

makes you feel full, if lesioned overeat and die

cerebral cortex

like bark on tree, interconnected neural cells is your brain’s thinking crown, ulitmate control, information processing center, 3rd floor, forebrain

each hemisphere is divided into ___ parts

4

frontal lobe

just behind forehead, thinking, speaking, muscle movements, makes you who you are, personality, how you percieve and think about things, memories

parietal lobe

top of head towards rear, sensory information, touch especially, touch

occipital lobe

back of head, vision, eyes at the back of you head, seeing/ sight

temporal lobe

above ears, auditory information, hearing

lateralization

right hemispehere controls left side of body, left hemisphere controls right side of body

motor strip/ cortex

sends messages out to body to make movements

areas that require more precise movements like finger or mouth…

take up more space in cortical space

sensory strip/ cortex

recieves incoming messages from our senses, more sensitive body regions have more cortical space

association areas

other 3/4 of brain no committed to sensory or muscular activity

where are faces recognized

underside of right temporal lobe

prosopagnosa

face blindness, dont recognize peoples faces

association areas in the ______ allow us to plan, judge, and process _________ memories

frontal lobe, new

__________ lobe damage can affect personality and memory

frontal

association areas in the ________ are involved in math and reasoning

pariental lobe

association areas on the ___________ enables recognition of faces

underside of the right temporal lobe

language is in the

left hemisphere

left frontal lobe

broca

broca

speaking words clearly, pronunciation, right next to motor strip

left temporal lobe

wernicke’s