Biological bases pyschology

Phrenology

Bumps of skull represented mental abilities

Founder of phrenology

Franz Gall

Neural communication

Humans and animals operate similarly when processing information

Brain wrinkles and intelligence relationship

The more wrinkles the more smart you are

Neurons

100 billion of them, serves as messenger, is unique because of their shape and function

Dendrites

recieve messages from other cells

Axon

Sends messages to other neurons

Myelin sheath

Substance that covers axon

Neural impulse

Signal traveling from dendrite to axon

Gilal cells

Cells that support/protect neurons

Astrocytes

Nutrition to neurons

Oligodendrocytes/schwann

Insulate neurons as myelin

Polarized neuron

When neuron is not firing, sodium flows in, outside is more positive charged inside is more negative charged

Axon surface is...

Selectively permeable

When a neuron fires, it has an...

neural impulse, caused by movement of positive ions in and out of membrane

Sodium potassium pumps

Pump sodium ions out of neuron making them ready for another neural impulse

All or none response

Neurons either fire or they don’t once they reach an absolute threshold

Synapse

Gap between two cells where they can pass messages to communicate

Neurotransmitters

How neurons communicate

Reuptake

Neurotransmitter's reabsorption by sending neuron

Lock and key mechanism

Neurotransmitters bind to receptors of receiving neuron in key lock mechanism

Excitatory vs inhibitory neurotransmitter

Excitatory opens neuron to fit key to promote action potential, inhibitory fits one key and stops others depressing action potential

Acetylcholine

E Neurotransmitter that helps motor movement and memory. Undersupply results in alzheimers/paralysis

Dopamine

E/I Neurotransmitter that helps alertness and pleasure. Undersupply results in parkinson’s disease. Oversupply results in schizo

GABA

Most common inhibitory neurotransmitter. Undersupply results in anxiety or epilepsy

Glutamate

Most common exhibitory neurotransmitter important for memory. Oversupply results in ALS and seizures

Endorphins

I neurotransmitter that alleviates pain. Undersupply results in chronic pain

Serotonin

I neurotransmitter that helps with mood and sensory perception. Undersupply results in depression. Oversupply results in anxiety

Substance P

Neurotransmitter relates to pain

Norepinephrine

E neurotransmitter that relates to arousal. Undersupply results in depression

Vesicles

Store neurotransmitters which are released at synaptic cleft

Agonists

Mimic neurotransmitters

Antagonists

Block neurotransmitters

Psychoactive drugs

Tolerance, physical dependence, withdrawal

Depressants

Slow down central nervous system (alcohol, opiates)

Opiates

Suppress pain, induce sleep and euphoria (opium, oxy, heroin)

Hallucinogens

Alter perception and create hallucination (LSD, shrooms)

Stimulants

Speed up activities (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine)

Reuptake inhibitor

Antidepressant

Nerves

Neural cables containing many axons

Sensory (Afferent) neurons

Sensory organs to brain (INPUT)

Motor (Efferent) neurons

Brain to muscles (OUTPUT)

Effector cells

Respond to stimulus at end of neuron

Interneurons

Carry information between other neurons

Autonomic nervous system

Regulates function of internal organs and involuntary responses

Somatic nervous system

Regulates voluntary movements

Sympathetic nervous system

Arousing nervous system

Parasympathetic nervous system

Calming nervous system

Central nervous system

Brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system

Nerves

Refractory period

After a neuron fires an action potential it pauses for a short period to recharge itself again

Endocrine system

Body’s chemical commmunication system

Hormones

Carries out communication

How do hormones affect your behavior?

They affect energy levels, mood, growth of body structures

Pituitary gland

Produces many hormones

Thyroid gland

Affects metabolism

Parathyroids

Regulates level of calcium in blood

Adrenal glands

Triggers sympathetic system

Pancreas

Regulates level of sugar in blood

Brain lesion

Destroys brain tissue to study animal behaviors

Autopsy

Post death study of brain to compare brain changes with behavior

Clinical observations

They shed light on number of brain disorders

EEG

Amplified recording of electrical waves across brain surface

CT scan

Xray photograph

PET scan

Radioactive form of glucose

MRI

Magnetic fields and radio waves to examine different types of brain tissue

fMRI

Looks at brain functioning by examining changes in blood flow

Brainstem

Oldest part of brain responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla

Basic life functioning and reflexes

Pons

Sleep wake cycle

Reticular formation

Alertness to incoming stimuli

Cerebellum

Movement

Thalamus

Sensory except smell

Limbic system

Doughnut shaped system associated with fear, aggression, and drives for food and sex

Amygdala

Clusters linked to fear and aggression

Hypothalamus

Controls 4 F’s, body temperature, and endocrine system

The 4 F’s

Fight, flee, feed, fornicate

Ventromedial hypothalamus

Suppresses hunger

Lateral hypothalamus

Increases hunger

An increase in ghrelin…

Increases hunger

An increase in insulin

Decreases hunger

Reward deficiency syndrome

People crave whatever provides missing pleasure

Hippocampus

Associated with memory

Cerebral cortex

Body’s ultimate control and processing center

Frontal lobes

Decision making and movement

Parietal lobes

Spatial processing

Occipital lobes

Visual info

Temporal lobes

Auditory processing and facial recognition

Motor cortex

Control voluntary movements

Somatosensory cortex

Body sensations

Association areas

Areas of cerebral cortex that are involved in higher mental functions

Animals and association areas

More intelligent animals have increased association areas

Aphasia

Impairment of language

Broca’s area

Impaired speaking

Wemicke’s area

Impaired understanding

Plasticity

Brain’s ability to modify after an injury

Neurogenesis

Formation of new neurons wihch happens from adulthood

Long term potentiation

The more you use a neural pathway, it creates dendrites

Neural networks

Interconnected neural cells

Splitting brain

Isolating two hemispheres by cutting connecting fibers from corpus callosum