MCAT Behavioral Sciences: Chapter 1

Main Contribution of Franz Gall

phrenology: the idea that different traits of a person are housed in different parts of the brain.

Main Contribution of Pierre Flourens

idea that different parts of the brain have different functions by surgically removing parts of the brain and seeing what effects it had

Main Contribution of William James

Functionalism: the idea that the brain should be understood by the function they play in the bigger picture rather than individually. Mental processes are used to help humans adapt to their environment

Main Contribution of John Dewey

criticized the idea that humans react to a stimulus in different parts; focused on the idea of studying an organism as a whole as it adapts to their environment.

Main Contribution of Paul Broca

linked speech dysfunction to damage on a specific part of the left part of the brain, now known as Broca’s Area

Main Contribution of Herman Helmholtz

the first to measure the speed of a nerve impulse and connected it to reaction time. transitioned psychology/philosophy into quantifiable science

Main Contribution of Sir Charles Sherrington

inferred the idea of synapses being run by electrical processes.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

cranial and spinal nerves

Afferent Neurons

sensory neurons: sends sensory information to the spinal cord & brain

Efferent Neurons

motor neurons: sends motor information to the muscles and glands

Somatic Nervous System Function

consists of sensory and motor neurons distributed throughout the muscles, joints, and skin

Autonomic Nervous System Function

maintains homeostasis of the body by regulating heartbeat, respiration, digestion.

Sympathetic Nervous System

fight/flight; activated by stress

Parasympathetic Nervous System

rest/digest; functions to conserve energy and maintain resting/sleeping stages