The Biology of Mind

Biological Psychology

The scientific study of links between biology and psychology

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to recover after damage or improve by experiencing new things

Glial Cells

Provides nutrients, insulates the myelin, guides neural connections, and cleans ions and neurotransmitters for other brain cells

Resting Potential

The electrical potential difference across the plasma membrane when a neuron isn’t excited ( positive outside and negative inside)

Action Potential

The temporary inflow of positive ions as a neural impulse travels down an axon

Threshold

The amount of stimulation needed to trigger a neural impulse

All or nothing response

A neuron’s reaction of either firing with full strength or not at all

Refractory period

When a neuron is unable to fire another action potential

SSRI

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor; Inhibit the reupatake up serotonin so depressed people can have extra

Agonist

Similar to a naturally occurring neurotransmitters and can activate their pathways

Antagonists

Decreases a neurotrannsmitte’s ability to do its job by blocking its production or release

Nervous System

The body’s electrochemical communication network

Central nervous system

The decision maker (spinal cord and brain)

Peripheral nervous system

Responsible for gathering information and transmitting information from the CNS to other body parts; contains the automatic and somatic nervous systems

Sensory neurons

Carry messages from the body’s tissues and receptors to the brain and spinal cord; afferent

Motor neurons

Carries instructions from the CNS to muscles and glands; efferent

Interneurons

Connect motor and sensory neurons

Somatic nervous system

Enables voluntary control of out skeletal system; part of the peripheral nervous system

Automatic nervous system

Controls our involuntary action related to glands and internal organs; part of the peripheral nervous system and contains the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems

Sympathetic nervous system

Arouses the body and mobilizes its energy when threatened

Parasympathetic nervous systems

Calms the body and conserves its energy

Reflex

A simple and automatic response to stimuli

Endocrine system

The body system that deals with hormones; contains glands and fat tissues that secrete hormones

Hormones

Chemical messengers that are created by glands and travel via the bloodstream

Hypothalamus

The brain region that controls the pituitary glands; controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, sexual behavior

Pituitary gland

The powerhouse of the endocrine system; secretes hormones that will affect other glands in the endocrine system

Thyroid gland

Secretes hormones that affect metabolism

Adrenal gland

Triggered by the sympathetic nervous system to release hormones during a fight or flight movement

Optogenetics

A technique that allows scientists to control a few neurons and their activity

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity across the brain’s surface

MEG (Magnetoencephalography)

A brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields of the brain’s natural electrical activity

PET (Positron emission tomography)

A technique for showing brain activity while performing a certain task

MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging)

A technique that uses magnetic and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissues in the brain

fMRI

A technique that shows blood flow in the brain

Brainstem

The oldest and most central core of the brain; it is responsible for automatic survival functions and connects each side of the brain to the opposite side of the body

Medulla

The base of the brain stem; controls heart rate and breathing

Pons

Above the medulla; controls sleep and coordinates movement

Thalamus

Located at the top of the brainstem and coordinates messages from the sensory areas of the cortex to the medulla and cerebellum

Reticular Formation

A nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; filters information and helps with arousal

Cerebellum

Controls processing of sensory information, coordinates movement + balance, and enables nonverbal learning+ memory

Limbic System

Associated with drive and emotions; contains the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus

Amygdala

Two lima bean sized cluster that enable fear and aggression

Hypothalamus

Important in the chain of command in governing bodily maintenance; some of its neural clusters influence hunger, regulate thirst+ body temperature+ sexual behaviors

Hippocampus

A neural center that helps process conscious memories, facts and events for storage with the help of the amygdala

Cerebral cortex

Integrates information; a relatively new part of the brain that covers the cerebral hemispheres

Frontal lobe

Portion of the cerebral cortex just behind the forehead; involved in speaking, muscle event, planning, and judgement

Parietal lobe

Portion of the cerebral cortex at the top of your head; receives sensory input for touch and body position

Occipital lobe

Portion of the cerebral cortex at the back of your head; has areas that receive visual information

Temporal lobe

A portion of the cerebral cortex near the ear; includes auditory areas that process information from the opposite ear

Motor cortex

A cortex behind the frontal lobe; right hemisphere receives input from the body’s left side

Somatosensory cortex

An area in front of the parietal lobe and behind the motor cortex; left hemisphere receives input from the body’s right side

Association areas

Areas of the cerebral cortex that aren’t involved with primary or sensory functions but instead enable other mental functions: learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Prefrontal cortex

Enables judgement, planning, social interactions, and the processing of new memories

Neurogenesis

The formation of new neurons

Corpus callosum

A bundle of axon fibers that connect the two hemispheres of the brain

Split brain

A condition that results from a surgery that separates the hemispheres of the brain via cutting the corpus callosum

Cell Body

A cell’s life-support center; contains nucleus

Dendrites

Recieves messages from other cells

Axon

Sends messages from the cell to other neurons

Myelin Sheath

Covers the axon and speeds up neural impulses

Reuptake

When excess neurons are absorbed by the sending neuron

Excitatory Synapse

Fire

Inhibitory Synapse

Don’t fire

What are neural networks?

When neurons cluster into work groups so those who fire together are wired to each other

Testis

Secrete male hormones

Ovary

Secrete female sex hormones

What’s the difference between complex and non-complex animals when thinking of association function?

More complex animals have more cortical space devoted to integrating/ associating information

Whole Brain Association Activity

Complex activities require communicating among association areas in the brain

Left hemisphere

More logical, calculating

Right hemisphere

More intuitional, feelings and emotion

What hormones are produced by the adrenal gland?

Cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine