Notes on The Biology of Mind - PSYC-112

Peripheral Nervous System

• Composed of somatic and autonomic systems.

• Somatic: Controls voluntary movements, sensory input, and motor output.

• Autonomic: Controls self-regulated actions of internal organs and glands.

  • Sympathetic: Mobilizes body for action (fight or flight).

  • Parasympathetic: Conserves energy (calming effects).

Central Nervous System

• Includes the brain and spinal cord.

• Sensory neurons receive signals; motor neurons send signals.

Structures of the Brain

• Divided into four lobes:

  • Frontal: Muscle movements, judgment, language.

  • Parietal: Touch, body position.

  • Occipital: Visual processing.

  • Temporal: Auditory processing.

Brain Functions

• Cerebellum: Coordinates voluntary movement and balance.

• Medulla: Controls heartbeat and breathing.

• Thalamus: Relay center for sensory information (except smell).

• Hypothalamus: Regulates hunger, body temperature, circadian rhythms.

• Limbic System: Involved in emotion and memory (includes amygdala and hippocampus).

Brain Hemispheres

• Left Hemisphere: Language, logic, computation.

• Right Hemisphere: Nonverbal tasks, visual recognition, emotions.

• Both hemispheres communicate via the corpus callosum.

Brain Imaging Techniques

• EEG: Measures electrical activity in neurons.

• MRI: Provides structure maps of the brain.

• fMRI: Measures brain activity based on blood flow changes.

• PET: Tracks radioactive glucose uptake during tasks.

Key Terms

• Lesion studies: Examining the effects of brain damage on function.

• Neural activity: Increased blood flow correlates with increased neural activity.