psych 101 biopsychology

Biological psychology

The study of how biological systems give rise to mental activity and behavior.

Neuroscience

Scientific study of the structure, function, development, and biochemistry of the nervous system.

Nervous system

A network of billions of cells in the brain and the body. Complex, high interconnected, adaptable (plasticity).

Functions of the nervous system

Recieve sensory input, process information in the brain, and respond to information by acting on it.

Somatic nervous system

Controld voluntary movement of the skeletal muscles and sensory input.

Autonomic nervous system

Controls self-regulated actions of internal organs and glands. Broken down into sympathetic and parasympathetic.

Sympathetic nervous system

Flight or fight response. Pupils dilate, RR increases, HR increases, digestion decreases.

Parasympathetic nervous system

Rest and digest response. Pupils constrict, RR decreases, HR decreases, and digestion increases.

Neuron

Basic building blocks of the nervous system, use electrochemical signals.

What are the structures of a neuron?

Dendrites, Soma, Myelin sheath, Axon, and Terminal buttons.

What do dendrites do?

They receive info from other cells.

What does the soma do?

It keeps the cell alive and is the cell body.

What does the myelin sheath do?

It insulates the axon and helps speed impulses.

What does the axon do?

It conducts the electrical signals.

What do the terminal buttons do?

They form synapses with other neurons.

Action potential

A neural impulse or brief electrical charge that travels down the axon.

Synapse

Junctions between the terminal button of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving neuron.

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, and sleep.

Not enough serotonin?

Linked to depressive disorders.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Block the reuptake of serotonin so that the cells can use it.

Dopamine

Motivation and reward, movement, learning, and attention.

Too much dopamine?

Linked to schizophrenia.

Not enough dopamine?

Linked to tremors and Parkinson’s disease.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Enables muscle action, learning, and memory.

What happens as ACh neurons deterioate?

Alzheimers disease progresses.

What is one of the most common antagonist for ACh?

Botox, it causes a paralyzing effect when the ACh receptors are inhibited.

Hindbrain

Deals with survial functions/movement.

Midbrain

Deals with movement/alertness.

Forebrain

Deals with complex thought, emotions, and motivation.

Medulla oblongata

Controls the most basic functions such as heart beat and breathing.

Pons

It regulates sleep and arousal and connects spinal cord, hindbrain to midbrain.

Cerebellum

Helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance. Involved in non-verbal leanring and memory (implicit memory).

Limbic system

Deals with emotions such as fear and aggression, basic sex drives like hunger and sex, and memory formation. It includes the forebrain and midbrain.

Amygdala

It is the emotional evaluator and detects threatening or emotional stimuli. Also helps form emotional memories.

Hippocapus

Formation of new, conscious memories. Works hand in hand with the amygdala to form emotionally charged memories.

Thalamus

The sensory switchboard or router of the brain. Deals with all the senses except smell and directs messages/transmits replies.

Hypothalamus

The master regulatory structure. Regulates body temperature and involved in sex drive (4 F’s).

What are the 4 F’s

Fighting, fleeing, feeding, and fornication.

Cerebral cortex

Divided into two hemispheres, the right and left.

Gray matter

Made up of neural cell bodies.

White matter

Bundles of myelinated axons.

Frontal lobes

Involved in speaking, muscle movements (motor cortex), making plans/judgment, and personality.

Parietal lobes

Include the sensory cortex (touch); spatial processing.

Occipital lobes

Include visual areas (primary visual cortex); receives visual information.

Temporal lobes

Include the auditory processing areas (primary auditory cortex); recognizing objects; face recognition.

Motor cortex

Sends messages to move muscles.

Sensory cortex

Processes information from touch stimuli.

What side of the body does the left hemisphere of the brain control?

The right side of the body.

What side of the body does the right hemisphere of the brain control?

The left side of the body.

What does the cortex of a more sensitive and needing more control body part look like?

The cortex is larger.

Prefrontal cortex (PFC)

Important for rational thought (planning and decision making), maintaining social relationships, and directing and maintaining attention.

What does damage to the prefrontal cortex do?

It can change someones personality; loss of inhibition and inappropriate behavior.

Lateralization

Each hemipshere has some specialized functions.

Corpos collosum

The part of the brain that connects the two hemispheres. Consist of millions of axon (white matter).

Broca’s area

Found in the left hemipshere of the brain and is responsible for producing speech.

Brain plasticity

The ability for the brain to form new connections, reorganize, and reassign brain areas to new functions.

Neurogenesis

Production of new neurons.

Brain reorganization

Substitution of function.

Neural connections

Forming and refining parts of the brain and neural pruning.

Lesions

Impairments indicate function of area that was damaged.

EEG: Electroencephalograph

Records electrical communication (action potentials). Strength: “When”” temporal resolution. Weakness: “Where” spatial resoultion.

fMRI: Functional MRI

Measures changes in the blood’s oxygen levels. Strength: “Where"?” temporal resoultion. Weakness: “When?” temporal resolution.

TMS: Transcranial magnetic stimulation

Uses a magnetic field to interrupt function in specific regions of the brain.