Download Chapter 2: Neuroscience and Biological Foundations

Chapter 2: Neuroscience and
Biological Foundations
Chapter 2 Summary
Chapter 2 will talk about the brain
– The functions of the brain
– The names of different parts of the brain
– How the brain communicates with the body
The Central Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System
Genetic Inheritance
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
Neuroscience: field studying how
biological processes relate to behavioral
and mental processes
Neurons: cells that communicate
information by sending and receiving
signals to other neurons
– There are as many as 1 TRILLION neurons
within the nervous system
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
Glial Cells  Provide structural support for
the neurons
The main parts of the neuron are:
– Dendrites
– The Soma (cell body)
– The Axon
– Axon Terminals
– Myelin
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
Dendrites
– Small branching structures attached to the soma that
receive info from other neurons
– Transmit info received to the soma
Soma (cell body)
– Determines whether or not to transmit info on to the
axon
Axon
– Carries info away from cell body (soma) toward other
neurons or to muscles and glands
– May be covered with myelin (insulating substance)
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
Myelin
– White substance that covers the axon,
insulating and protecting it.
– Helps speed up work of the neurons
Axon Terminal
– Branch out at the end of the axon
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
The Communication Process
– Messages are sent from the axon terminals of
one neuron to the dendrites of another neuron
– In order for this process to happen, the
message must cross a synapse
A synapse is a junction between the axon
terminals of one neuron and the dendrites of
another
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
Communication (cont)
Messages travel in only one direction
Messages must:
– enter the dendrites
– travel through the cell body and axon to the
axon terminals
– cross the synapses to the dendrites of other
neurons
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
Communication (cont)
Neurons send messages across synapses
through the release of neurotransmitters
– Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are stored
within the axon terminals
There are several kinds of neurotransmitters
– Acetylcholine is involved in the control of muscles and
in learning and memory
– Dopamine is involved primarily in motor behavior
I. Neural Bases of Behavior
Review
The field studying how biological processes relate to
behavioral and mental processes is known as:
1.
–
–
–
–
A.
B.
C.
D.
Neuroscience
Biology
Psychological sciences
Chemistry
Messages from neurons travel in how many
directions?
2.
–
–
–
–
A.
B.
C.
D.
3
6
1
2
II. Nervous System Organization
II. Nervous System Organization
Central Nervous System
– Consists of the brain and the spinal cord
(brain will be discussed later)
– The spinal cord is a column of nerves about
as thick as a thumb that extends from the
brain down the back
– Spinal cord is responsible for:
Transmitting messages between the brain and the
muscles and glands in the body
The spinal cord is also involved in spinal reflexes
II. Nervous System Organization
Central Nervous System
II. Nervous System Organization
Peripheral Nervous System
– Includes all nerves going to and from the
brain and spinal cord
– There are two major subdivisions within the
PNS.
1. Somatic nervous system 
Includes all nerves carrying afferent (incoming)
sensory information and efferent (outgoing)
motor information to and from the sense organs
and skeletal muscles
II. Nervous System Organization
Peripheral Nervous System  Second
major subdivision:
2. Autonomic nervous system:
–
Includes nerves outside the brain and spinal cord
that maintain homeostasis (normal functioning of
the body’s glands)
–
Autonomic nervous system is divided into two
different branches
II. Nervous System Organization
The two branches of the Autonomic
nervous system are:
Parasympathetic
– This is exposed when a person is relaxed
and not under any physical or mental
stress
– Main function is to slow the heart rate and
lower blood pressure
II. Nervous System Organization
The second part of the Autonomic
Nervous System is:
– Sympathetic Nervous System
– Exposed when a person is under physical or
mental stress
– Main function is to increase heart rate and blood
pressure
– Mobilizes the body for “Fight or Flight”
II. Nervous System Organization
Review
The brain and spinal cord make up the…
–
–
–
–
A.
B.
C.
D.
Central NS
Peripheral NS
Autonomic NS
Somatic NS
Which nervous system is activated when your body is
under physical stress?
–
–
–
–
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic
Central
Peripheral
III. Tour through the Brain
Alzheimer's
Disease and
its Effects
III. Tour through the Brain
There are three Major Brain Regions
1. Hindbrain
–
Found at the rear base of the skull
2. Midbrain
–
Located just above the hindbrain
– Plays a critical role in attention and stimulation
3. Forebrain
–
Area in the brain that is the most forward in the
skull
III. Tour through the Brain
Hindbrain consists of
– Medulla, pons and cerebellum
Midbrain consists of
– The reticular formation of the brain
Forebrain consists of
– Thalamus, hypothalamus, and limbic system
All of these structures will be discussed
III. Tour through the Brain
Hindbrain Structures
1. The Pons  sleeping, arousal (mental),
waking, dreaming
2. Cerebellum  regulation and coordination
of body movement.
–
Also plays a role in learning
3. Medulla  controls breathing, heart rate
swallowing, and digestion.
 Also allows you to maintain an upright posture
 YouTube - waterboy medulla oblongata
III. Tour through the Brain
Midbrain structures

Reticular Formation  regulation and
maintenance of consciousness and sleep.



Extends into the hindbrain and makes up a portion
of the pons
If damaged, a permanent coma can result
Example:
When you are startled by a loud noise, your heightened
mental arousal is due to the reticular formation.
2) Also your reticular formation allows you to sleep through
familiar sounds
1)
III. Tour through the Brain
Forebrain Structures:
1.
Thalamus
–
–
2.
Brain’s sensory relay station
Sorts and sends messages from the eyes, ears,
tongue, and skin to other parts of the brain
Hypothalamus
Most important function is to maintain homeostasis
Constant internal body state
Regulates eating, drinking, and other behaviors
Controls release of hormones from the pituitary
gland
III. Tour through the Brain
Forebrain Structures:
3. Limbic System (doughnut shaped
neural structure)
Two main structures within the Limbic
System are amygdala and hippocampus
– Amygdala controls fear and aggression
– Hippocampus is important in memory formation
III. Tour through the Brain
Cerebral Cortex: Thinking center of the
brain
Coordinates and integrates all other areas
of the brain into a fully functioning unit
Divided into two round halves called
Cerebral Hemispheres
– Hemispheres are connected at the bottom by
the Corpus Callosum
III. Tour through the Brain
Your Brain is
cross wired:
• Right
hemisphere
controls left side
of body
• Left hemisphere
controls right
side of body
III. Tour through the Brain
Cerebral Cortex Hemispheres
– The two hemispheres specialize in different
tasks
– The LEFT specializes in verbal and analytical
function
– The RIGHT in nonverbal abilities such as:
Spatio-manipulative skills
Art
Musical Abilities
Visual recognition tasks
III. Tour through the Brain
1.
2.
3.
4.
There are 4 LOBES located in the
Cerebral Cortex of the Brain
Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
III. Tour through the Brain
The 4 Lobes of the Brain
Meditation
and the
effect is
has on the
brain
III. Tour through the Brain
Frontal Lobes
– Located just behind the forehead
– Control voluntary movement and speech
– Involved with self – awareness, planning
ability, social skills and working memory
Working memory is located in the very front of the
frontal lobes
III. Tour through the Brain
Parietal Lobes
– Located at the top of the brain
– Involved with all types of sensation
information within the brain
– Responsible for receiving and interpreting
body sensations
Information from skin and limbs
III. Tour through the Brain
Temporal Lobes
– Located on each side of the brain
Above the ears (temples)
– Responsible for audition, language,
comprehension, memory and some emotional
control
III. Tour through the Brain
Occipital Lobes
– Located on the back of the cerebral
hemispheres
– Visual regions of the brain
– Allow you to experience shapes, colors, and
motion
– Also involved with information processing
III. Tour through the Brain
Damage to different parts of Cerebral Cortex:
Damage To:
Effects
Occipital Lobe
Blindness
Parietal Lobe
Loss of touch sensation
Temporal Lobe
Inability to understand words
and sentences
Frontal Lobe
Inability to plan and reason. Dramatic
personality changes
III. Tour through the Brain
Your brain can be affected by several
different factors including
– Food  Different food has different affects
– Sleep  Amount of sleep can affect the brain
– Drugs
– Alcohol
– Brain on Drugs
Review
1) All of the following are lobes of the brain except?
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A.
B.
C.
D.
Parietal
Ear
Occipital
Temporal
2) If your occipital lobe were to be damaged what
would be the effects?
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–
–
A.
B.
C.
D.
Loss of touch
Inability to plan
Blindness
Can’t dance
IV. Genetic Background
Heredity is the transmission of
characteristics from parents to offspring
Psychologists study heredity to
understand people’s behavior
Genes are the building block of heredity
IV. Genetic Background
Characteristics of Genes
– Genes are composed of DNA
– Most normal human cells have 46 chromosomes
divided into 23 pairs
– In each pair, one chromosome is from the father and
one is from the mother
– The twenty-third pair determines gender
– When a child is born without all 46 chromosomes,
physical and behavioral disorders may result
IV. Genetic Background
Brothers and sisters of the same parents
share 50% of the same genes
Fraternal Twins develop from the union of
two separate sperms and eggs
– Their genes are no similar or no different from
that of normal siblings (older or younger
brother)
IV. Genetic Background
Identical Twins
– Share the same genes
– They develop from the union of the same egg
and sperm that has split
– They have exactly the same genotype
IV. Genetic Background
Nature vs. Nurture Debate
Nature refers to heredity (biological
makeup)
Nurture refers to the environment (life
experiences, family, education)
Society have been debating this issue for
years
IV. Genetic Background
“Nature” supporters argue that biological
makeup primarily determines people’s traits and
personalities
“Nurture” supporters argue that the environment
and everyday experiences determine how we
behave and think
– Both views are extreme
– Most psychologists think that both nature and nurture
determine psychological traits
– The Nature-Nurture Issue
Review
1) Which of the following is the building block for
heredity?
–
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–
A.
B.
C.
D.
Eggs
Blue jeans
Genes
Favorite color of mom and dad
2) All of the following are characteristics of genes
except?
–
–
–
–
A.
B.
C.
D.
Composed of DNA
Twenty-third pair determines gender
Most normal human cells have 46 pairs
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