Download The Biological Bases of Behavior

Biology and Behavior
Unit 2
Chapter 3
Neuron Diagram
Neurotransmitters and Behavior
Acetylcholine


motor neurons and voluntary
muscles
contributes to attention,
arousal and memory
GABA


responsible for inhibition in
central nervous system
regulates anxiety and
modulates sleep
Monoamines



Dopamine, norepinephrine,
serotonin
controls voluntary movements
abnormal levels contribute to
psychological disorders
Endorphins

contributes to modulation of
pain
The Peripheral Nervous System
Somatic Nervous
System


responsible for voluntary
movement
carry information in skin,
muscles, joints to CNS
and from CNS to muscles
Autonomic Nervous
System



controls automatic,
involuntary visceral
functions
mediates physiological
arousal (emotions)
Fight-or- flight response
Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic


mobilizes body’s
resources for
emergencies
fight-or-flight response


releases hormones
activation slows digestion
and drains blood from
periphery
Parasympathetic

conserves bodily
resources


slow HR, reduce BP
activates processes that
allow the body to save
and store energy
Central Nervous System

lies within the skull and spinal column


Brain and spinal cord
protected by meninges and cerebrospinal
fluid
The Spinal Cord




connects brain to body
carries brain’s
commands to peripheral
nerves
relays sensations from
periphery of body to
brain
transmits signals from
brain to motor neurons
to move body’s muscles
The Brain
The Hindbrain


Medulla
attached to spinal
cord
controls unconscious
functions


Pons
bridge of fibers
connecting brainstem
to cerebellum

circulating blood,
breathing

coordination of
movement and sense
of equilibrium
clusters of cell bodies
controlling sleep and
arousal
The Midbrain


lies between the
hindbrain and forebrain
integrates sensory
processes


hearing + vision
reticular formation
contributes to muscle
reflexes, breathing, pain
perception, and arousal
The Forebrain
Thalamus
 composed of somas
 relays all sensory
information except smell
Hypothalamus



controls autonomic nervous
system
links brain and endocrine
system
regulates basic biological
drives
Limbic system
 regulates emotion,
memory and motivation
 hippocampus + memory
Cerebrum
 responsible for complex
mental activities

learning, thinking,
remembering
The Cerebrum
Occipital lobe
 back of the head
 primary visual cortex
receives and processes
visual information
Parietal Lobe
 forward of occipital lobe
 primary somatosensory
cortex registers sense of
touch
Temporal Lobe
 below parietal lobe
 primary auditory cortex
devoted to auditory
processing
Frontal Lobe
 largest lobe at front
 primary motor cortex
controls muscle
movement
Right Brain/Left Brain:
Cerebral Laterality
Unit 2
Chapter 3
Right Hemisphere

Nonverbal processing


Intuitive


follow “gut feeling”
Thoughtful


spatial, musical, visual
recognition tasks
sense others feelings
Imaginative

creating images
Left Hemisphere

Verbal processing


Logical


decisions based on
facts
Analytical


language, speech,
reading, writing
follow fine details
Memory

processing symbols
Bisecting the Brain

Each hemisphere’s primary connections
are to the opposite side of the body



L hemisphere = R hand
R hemisphere = L hand
Both eyes and ears deliver information to
both hemispheres

Auditory input stronger/ more immediate for
opposite hemisphere
Handedness


the hand that performs faster or more
precisely on manual tests
the hand that one prefers to use,
regardless of performance



either left or right
either right or non-right
ambidexterity
Brain lateralization & Handedness

handedness was opposite from the
specialized hemisphere


majority of left-handers also seem to have a
left-hemispheric brain specialization
genetic factors, brain injury
Problem Solving Tasks


Males
rely heavily on left
brain
solve problems step
by step


Females
greater access to
right brain
focus on more than
one problem at a time
The Endocrine System
Unit 2
Chapter 3
Endocrine System: Another Way to
Communicate

consists of glands that secrete hormones
into the bloodstream that help control
bodily functions



digestion
blood pressure regulation
pulsatile- released several times/day in
brief bursts or pulses that last only
minutes