Download General Psychology: Biology II

Biology and Behavior
Chapter 2
Part II
A Walk Through the Brain
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The brain stem.
The cerebellum.
The thalamus.
The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
The amygdala.
The hippocampus.
The cerebrum and lobes of the cerebral
cortex..
Mapping the Brain Web-site
• http://www.howstuffworks.com/brain.h
tm/printable
The Brain Stem
• Pons
– involved in sleeping, waking
and dreaming.
• Medulla
– responsible for certain
automatic functions such as
breathing and heart rate.
• Reticular activating system
(or formation)
– arouses cortex and screens
incoming information.
The Cerebellum
• Regulates movement
and balance.
• Involved in remembering
simple skills and
acquired reflexes.
• Plays a part in analyzing
sensory information,
solving problems and
understanding words
The Thalamus
• Relays sensory messages to the cerebral
cortex.
• Includes all sensory messages except those
from olfactory bulb.
Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland
• Involved in emotions and
drives vital to survival
including fear, hunger,
thirst, and reproduction.
• Also regulates
autonomic nervous
system.
• The pituitary gland is a
small endocrine gland
which releases
hormones and regulates
other endocrine glands.
Pituitary Gland
The Amygdala
• Responsible for arousal
and regulation of
emotion and the initial
emotional response to
sensory information.
• Plays important role in
mediating anxiety and
depression.
The Hippocampus
• Responsible for the
storage of new
information in
memory.
• Compares information
with what the brain
has come to expect
about the world.
• “Gateway to memory”
because it enables us
to navigate through
the environment.
The Cerebrum
• Largest brain structure.
• Consists of upper part of brain and divided
into two cerebral hemispheres which are
connected by the corpus callosum.
• In charge of most sensory, motor and
cognitive processes.
• Surrounded by cerebral cortex, a collection
of several thin layers of cells (gray matter).
Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
• Occipital lobes (Latin-in back of head)
– Visual cortex.
• Parietal lobes (Latin-pertaining to walls)
– Somatosensory cortex.
• Temporal lobes (pertaining to the temples)
– Memory, perception, emotion and auditory cortex.
– Left lobe, Wernicke’s area.
• Frontal lobes
– Emotion, planning, creative thinking and motor
cortex.
– Left lobe, Broca’s area.
The Corpus Callosum
• Millions of myelinated
axons connecting the
brain’s hemispheres.
• Provides a pathway for
communication
between the
hemispheres.
• If surgically severed for
treatment of epilepsy,
hemispheres cannot
communicate directly.
Cerebral Hemispheres
Are There “His” and “Hers”
Brains?
• After analyzing 49 studies of sex differences
in brain anatomy, researchers found small
differences between the two groups and
larger differences within groups.
• There does appear to be sex differences in
lateralization of language. Males show left
hemisphere activation only. Females, left and
right.
• There also appears to be differences in
amounts of gray matter. Females have more.
Genes and Behavioral Genetics
• Genes
– The segments of DNA that are located on the
chromosomes and are the basic units for the
transmission of all hereditary traits
• Chromosomes
– Rod-shaped structures in the nuclei of body cells
that contain all the genes and carry all the
hereditary information
• Zygote
– A single cell formed from the union of 23
chromosomes from the male’s sperm and 23
chromosomes from the female’s egg
Genes and Behavioral Genetics
• Sex-linked inheritance
– Involves the genes on the X and Y chromosomes
– In females, the harmful gene is offset by the gene
that is not harmful
– In males, if the single X chromosome carries a
harmful gene, there is no offsetting gene on the Y
chromosome because it is very small and carries
only the genes needed to create the male body type
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• A recording of neural activity detected by
electrodes.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI)
• Method for studying
body and brain tissue.
• Magnetic fields align
certain ions and
compounds
• When field is removed,
these molecules release
energy as radio waves
• Computer calculates
tissue density from radio
waves.
• Provides clear, 3D
Positron Emission Tomography
(PET)
• A method for analyzing biochemical activity in
the brain, using injections of a glucose-like
substance containing a radioactive element.
• Active areas have
increased blood flow.
• Sensors detect
radioactivity.
• Different tasks show
distinct activity
patterns.
The Origin or the CAT Scan
The Lesson of Einstein’s Brain
• Like any muscle,
a life time of
thinking can bulk
up your brain as
well!