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Psychology Lesson 2.02 Study Guide
2.02: More about the brain, glands, neurons, dendrites, and four neurotransmitters. Be sure you have
good notes. You will need them all for this quiz. You also will need them for the final exam as well, so
keep them safe!
02.02 Communication in the Brain: Without It, you have nothing.
Assessment: 02.02 Communications in the Brain – Exam Auto-graded
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter Function
Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine (ACH) regulates basic body processes, such as movement.
When a brain produces too much ACH, a person’s muscles will tighten up.
When there is too little ACH in the brain, a person will experience some
drowsiness, poor memory, and learning at a slower rate.
Serotonin
Serotonin is involved in sleep, depression, and memory. When your brain
produces too much serotonin, you will likely feel less hungry, get
headaches, and feel sick. When your brain produces too little serotonin,
you will feel depressed or very sad and lethargicLethargic A state of
abnormal drowsiness..
Dopamine
Dopamine is involved in the control of body movements. Too much
dopamine will result in schizophreniaSchizophrenia A mental disorder
characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality.
and too little dopamine will result in Parkinson’s diseaseParkinson’s
disease A degenerative disorder of the central nervous system..
Norepinephrine
Norepinephrine controls arousal in the brain and the ability to use your
memory to learn tasks. Too much norepinephrine can cause a person to
feel jittery or anxious. Too little norepinephrine in the brain can cause
depression, lethargy, low blood pressure.
Pituitary gland
The pituitary gland is the master gland of the body. As you can see, it is a bean shaped gland that seems
very small. However, this gland has two big responsibilities:
1. To send messages to all of the other glands.
2. To decide how tall you are going to be.
This gland is the one you want to talk to if you choose to be as tall as Michael Jordan!
Thyroid gland
The thyroid gland looks like a bow tie around the neck. This can certainly be a pain in our neck as this is
the gland that regulates your metabolism. Your thyroid can cause you to be overweight or underweight.
In addition, people who tend to be hyperactive tend to have an overactive thyroid. So, this leaves us
with a question to ponder, "Do we have a high metabolism because we are so active or are we so active
because we have a hyperthyroid?"
Adrenal glands
The adrenal glands are located on the right and left sides of the body, above the belly button, and
towards the back of the body. These glands are responsible for excitement in order to prepare us for an
emergency situation. So, if you have ever heard about people getting into car crashes and walking
around in shock, lifting their cars, and helping others in the car— this is their adrenaline. The person has
superhuman strength that was produced in the adrenal glands.
Gonad glands
The gonads are the sex glands. They are located in the pelvic area of the body. In women, the gonads
are filled with the hormone estrogen and are located in the ovaries. In men, the gonads are filled with
the hormone androgen and are located in the testes. But hold on one second, both male and female
bodies produce both estrogen and androgen. However, women have more estrogen and men have
more androgen. That is what makes each gender so unique. For example: if a woman was injected with
more androgen, she would grow facial hair. So, if you wondered why men are the ones who have the
facial hair— this is why!
Vocabulary—Text Version
Cerebral Cortex: The outer layer of front of brain.
Corpus Callosum: A bundle of fibers that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain
allowing communication between the two.
Temporal Lobe: Contain the auditory centers responsible for hearing.
Occipital Lobe: The pyramid-shaped area at the back of each hemisphere of the brain that deals
with the interpretation of vision.
Parietal Lobe: The middle region of either of the two hemispheres of the brain, lying beneath the
crown of the skull.
Frontal Lobe: The front part of each hemisphere of the brain.
Pons: Band of nerve fibers in the brain connecting the lobes of the midbrain, medulla, and
cerebrum.
Thalamus: Either of a pair of egg-shaped masses lying beneath each cerebral hemisphere in the
brain.
Cerebellum: Coordinates voluntary movements, posture, and balance in humans.
Hypothalamus: A central area on the underside of the brain, controlling involuntary functions
such as body temperature and the release of hormones.
Pituitary Gland: Small bean shaped gland that is the master gland.
Medulla Oblongata: The lowest part of the brain; connects the spinal cord to the brain.
RAS: Your sleep-cycle clock that governs the energy that is used by other brain and body
functions.
Dendrite: The end of a neuron; branchy looking fibers that receives information from other nerve
cells and sends this information through the cell body to the neuron.
Neuron: Nerve cell which transmits electrical and chemical information (through the
neurotransmitters) throughout the body.
Synapse: The junction between two neurons.
Action Potential: Part of the firing of a neuron process; the process when one cell body has the
chance to connect with another cell body.
Vesicles: Small bubbles within the cell which are filled with lipid; their purpose is to transport
the lipid within the cells and between the outside environment and the cell.
Endocrine System: body’s second form of communication system; it utilizes hormones to secrete
fluid into the blood stream and is responsible for our interest in sex, hunger, and aggression.
Neural Pathways: A neural tract connecting one part of the nervous system with another.