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Biological Psychology
Introduction to Biological Psychology
CSN
Structure of the Brain
Role of the Neuron
The Function of Neurotransmitters
Synaptic Transmission
Biological psychology
• What is Biological psychology?
• What are the main assumptions of Biological psychology?
• What do we need to know?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy1H5uFzZJs
What is Biological psychology?
• It looks at chemical activity in the brain
(neurotransmitters) .
• It looks at how messages are transmitted through
hormones.
• It looks at how characteristics are inherited via genes
(evolutionary perspective).
Key Assumptions
• Behaviour can be explained with reference to specific
structures in the brain.
• Aspects of behaviour can be explained by the action of
neurotransmitters.
• Behaviour can be explained with reference to human
evolutionary history.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
• The Nervous System has 2 main parts – the Central Nervous
System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System.
• The CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord.
• The brain is within the skull and the spinal cord is within the
vertebrae.
CNS
• The CNS is the main control centre of the body—it takes
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in sensory information, organizes and synthesizes data,
then provides direction for motor output to the rest of the
body.
The CNS is made up of the brain, brain stem, and spinal
cord.
The brain is the main data centre of the body and consists
of the cerebrum which regulates higher level functioning
such as thought, and the cerebellum which maintains
coordination.
The brain stem includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla,
and controls lower level functioning such as respiration
and digestion.
The spinal cord connects the brain and the body's
main receptors, and serves as a conduit for sensory input
and motor output.
What happens when
brains get ‘broken’?
• Read the two articles ‘Phineas Gage
and the effect of an iron bar
through the head on personality’
• and ‘'There was a lot more to fix than I thought‘.
• What do these articles tell us about the
structures and functions of the brain?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8NtmDrb_qo
Cerebrum
Cerebral
Cortex
Brain Stem
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Find out the location and function of the following brain parts:
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Pre-frontal cortex
Corpus callosum
Limbic System
Ventricles
Thalamus
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Hypothalamus
Midbrain
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If you cannot find the location just define.
Stretch and challenge:
Find out about 5 other brain
structures and their functions.
Stretch and challenge:
Research 1 example of brain injury
and how this has affected the
individual’s functionality.
Parts of the brain and spinal cord
Hippocampus
The Brain
Limbic System
Prefrontal
Cortex
Describe the structure
and role of a Nueron
What is a neuron?
• Cell in nervous system which sends processes and sends
information within the body.
• Sensory neurons
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Receive messages from senses
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Touch
Light
Sound
• Motor neurons
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Muscle movement
Different
parts
of
the
neuron
• Cell body
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Axon
Dendrites
Terminal buttons
How brain
messages are sent
using neurons
Messages in the brain are sent by
using electrical impulses and
chemicals called neurotransmitters
How brain messages are
sent using neurons
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Step one:
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In one neuron, in the cell body, an
electrical impulse (can also be
called an action impulse) is
triggered. This travels down the
axon to the end.
How brain messages are sent using neurons
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Step two:
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At the end of the axon and the terminal branches are the terminal
buttons here the electrical impulse releases a chemical called a
neurotransmitter
How brain messages are sent using neurons
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Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that act between the
neurones in the brain. This allows the brain to process thoughts and
memories.
Dopamine
Serotonin
Noradrenaline
Acetylcholine
How brain messages are sent using neurons
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Step three:
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This neurotransmitter now has to cross a gap called a synapse or a
synaptic gap to get to the dendrites on the next neuron to continue
the message. The neurotransmitter can get lost in the gap.
How brain messages are sent using neurons
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Step four:
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If the receptors at the dendrites of the next neuron are suitable to
receive the neurotransmitter in the gap it will get picked up by them.
LOCK AND KEY
Lock and Key
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Receptors at a dendrite will be a certain shape (a lock) which
can only take a certain neurotransmitter (key)
• Lock and Key diagram
How brain messages are sent using neurons
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Step five:
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The neurotransmitter changes the chemical
balance (this is called the synaptic
transmission) at the receptor which sets off
an electrical impulse whilst the
neurotransmitter drops back into the
synaptic gap. And the process starts all over
again!
WHEW! Stop and make sure we
understand
Label the structure of a neuron.
Exam Prep
Describe the role of a neuron.
Describe the process of synaptic
transmission.
First a quick recap!
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=WhowH0kb7n0
Synaptic
Gap
Exam question
Label the following diagram:
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Place the following in the correct order
The axon terminal of one neuron reaches the dendrites of another.
Dendrites surround the nucleus which is connected to a long
extension called an axon, which reaches the axon terminal.
On one side, at the dendrites, there are receptors of a certain
shape, prepared to receive the neurotransmitter from another
neuron.
If the neurotransmitter fits the receptor the message is passed on;
if it does not, the message is blocked.
Between the terminal and the dendrites, there is a gap called a
synapse.
A neurotransmitter travels down the pre synaptic neuron, across
the synapse and binds in a lock and key effect to a receptor on the
post synaptic neuron.
A neuron is made up of dendrites, a nucleus, an axon and an axon
terminal.
Describe the process of synaptic
transmission.