Download Part 1: The Strange Tale of Phineas Gage

Mr. Walter
Psychology I
Name:
Period:
The curious case of Phineas Gage/Biology Basics Fact Sheet
For part 1, you will need to read the included link to find the answers to the questions. For part
2, you will just need to read and highlight (and play with the animations at the end- don’t skip
it- it’s very important). Make sure you take care of both.
Tomorrow, you will upload this file to turnitin.com and it will be checked for completion.
Part 1: The Strange Tale of Phineas Gage (the beginning of modern brain science)
Go to: http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=fa/phineas-gage
Read about one of the most famous cases in the history of science: the amazing tale of
Phineas Gage, and answer the questions below. You will need to click through all five short
pages of the story.
1. Describe Gage’s personality and his job.
2. What mistake did Gage make on September 13, 1848? What happened as a result?
3. How did Gage’s personality abruptly change after his accident?
4. By 1868, Dr. Harlow had come to terms with a “surprising message” inherent in Gage’s story.
What was this message?
5. What part of Gage’s brain had been destroyed by the accident? What processes are
controlled by this region of the brain?
6. After reading this story, what did you find most surprising, interesting, or shocking? Why do
you think this single story had such a tremendous impact on science? Why do you think we are
still talking about this story over 160 years later?
Part 2: Biology Basics Fact Sheet
Body Systems:
This is a list of essential bodily systems that strongly influence human psychology and a brief
description of what each one is responsible.
1. Nervous System: thinking, dreaming, feeling, moving, and much more!

Central nervous system: brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system: nerve cells that transmit messages between the central
nervous system and the rest of the body

Somatic nervous system: transmits sensory messages to the central nervous system.

Autonomic nervous system: regulates the body’s vital functions.
2. Endocrine System: glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream to affect growth,
mood, and changes in activity levels (testosterone, progesterone, estrogen)
The Building Block of the Nervous System: The Neuron (nerve cell):
We each have approximately 100 billion neurons in our brains, which weigh an average of 3.5
lbs. Here are the parts of each neuron.
3 major parts

Cell body: produces energy and fuels the neuron

Dendrites: thin fibers that receive information from other neurons and pass it
through the cell body (many)

Axon: a long fiber that carries messages away from the cell body (one).
Synapse: a junction between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrites of another.
Electrochemical messages are sent from the axon terminals of one neuron to the dendrites of
another.
Neurotransmitters: chemicals that are stored in sacs in the axon terminals; used to send
messages across the synapses.
 Neurotransmitters do one of two things: excite or inhibit

Each kind of neurotransmitter acts on its own kind of receptor on the next neuron,
fitting like a key into a lock

Reuptake: neurotransmitter is taken back up again by axon terminals and only gets to
act for a short time

Many drugs change brain chemistry by stopping reuptake, blocking receptors,
stimulating receptors, or forcing the release of more neurotransmitters.
A few Important neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Excitatory
Affects arousal, attention, memory, motivation
Dopamine
Inhibitory
Inhibits a wide range of behaviors and emotions;
strongly involved in feelings of pleasure
Serotonin
Inhibitory
Inhibits almost all activities: important for
sleeping, mood, eating behavior
Norepinephrine
Excitatory
Arousal, wakefulness, learning, mood.
Endorphins
Inhibitory
Inhibits transmission of pain messages.
Part 3: Watch videos and animations of neurons and the nervous system in action.
Videos of neurons in action:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT3VKAr4roo
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5zFgT4aofA
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRYpt8_OJms
Animations of the brain under the influence of drugs:
Please visit this site and play with the animations to see synapses in motion. Click on the
“normal” videos, and then see what happens when drugs are introduced into the system. By
watching these animations, you should understand most of the terms and concepts found
above, because you will be seeing it happen with your own eyes!

http://www.thirteen.org/closetohome/science/html/animations.html