Chapter 2

Chapter 2
Biology and Psychology
The Nervous System:

On Being Wired
Neurons
Neurons
Receive and pass messages
Cell body, dendrites (cellulipetal), axon
(cellifugal)
Glial cells
Nourish and insulate neurons
Direct growth of neurons
Remove waste products
Neurons
Afferent Neurons
Transmit messages from sensory receptors to
the spinal cord and brain
Efferent Neurons
- Transmit messages from brain or spinal cord to
muscles and glands
Interneurons
- form all neural wirings within the CNS
Neurotransmitters
Excitatory neurons
Cause other neurons to fire
Inhibitory neurons
Prevent other neurons from firing
The Anatomy of a Neuron
Firing: Neuron to Neuron

Synapse
Fluid-filled gap (Synaptic cleft) between
Axon terminal from transmitting neuron, and
Dendrite of receiving neuron
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters
Chemical substances that communicate from
one neuron to another
Synaptic vesicles/clefts
Contain neurotransmitters in the axon
terminals
Neural Impulse
Electrochemical messages that travel within
neurons
Resting potential
Neuron is not responding to other neurons
degradation
Action potential
Conduction of neural impulse along axon
depolarization

Firing
Conduction of neural impulse along the length
of a neuron
Threshold
Incoming messages reach a strength at which
neuron will fire

All-or-none principle
Every time a neuron fires, it transmits an
impulse of the same strength.
Refractory period
Period of recovery time between firings
Neurotransmitters
Receptor site
On dendrite of receiving neuron
Reuptake
Neurotransmitters reabsorbed
Neurotransmitters of Interest to Psychologists

Acetylcholine (ACh)
Controls muscle contractions, learning,
remembering, controlling stag of sleep
Paralysis
Epinephrine
Adrenal medulla; central core of the adrenal
glands
Dopamine
Pleasure, voluntary movement, learning,
memory

Norepinephrine
Excitatory neurotransmitter
Accelerates heart rate, affects eating, linked
to activity levels, learning and remembering
Serotonin
Emotional arousal, pain, eating and sleep
Eating disorders, alcoholism, depression,
aggression, insomnia

Glutamic Acid (glutamate)
Direct effects in axos
seizure
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Inhibitory may help relax anxiety reactions
Depression
Endorphins
Occur naturally within the brain and
bloodstream
Inhibit pain
Glycine
Inhibitory
Located at the spinal cord and lower portion
of the brain
The Divisions of the Nervous System
Parts of the Nervous System

Central Nervous System
Brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System
Sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent)
neurons
Peripheral Nervous System

Somatic Nervous System
Sensory and motor neurons
Transmits messages to the brain and
purposeful body movements from the brain
Autonomic Nervous System
Regulates glands and muscles of internal
organs
Contains sympathetic and parasympathetic
divisions
Branches of Autonomic Nervous System

Sympathetic
Most active during emotional responses
Spend the bodys reserves of energy
Parasympathetic
Most active during processes that restore
bodys reserve of energy
The Parasympathetic and Sympathetic

Branches of the Autonomic Nervous System
Central Nervous System

Spinal Cord
Transmits messages from sensory receptors to
the brain and from the brain to muscle and
glands
Spinal Reflex
Simple, unlearned response to stimulus
Gray matter - nonmyelinated
White matter - myelinated
The Reflex Arc
The Reflex Arc. Reflexes are inborn, stereotyped behavior patterns that have
apparently evolved because they help individuals adapt to the environment
even before they can understand and purposefully manipulate the environment.
Here we see a cross section of the spinal cord, highlighting a sensory neuron
and a motor neuron, which are involved in the knee-jerk reflex. In some
reflexes, interneurons link sensory and motor neurons.
The Brain:
Wider Than the Sky
The Parts of the Human Brain
Three layers of the BRAIN

Central core
Limbic System
Cerebral Hemisphere (cerebrum)
Central Core
Functions
Basic life processes, breathing, pulse,
arousal, movement, balance, sleep, early
stage of processing sensory information.
Structures and Functions of the Brain

Hindbrain
Medulla
Breathing, swallowing, digestion, heart rate
posture
Pons
sleep
Cerebellum
Little brain
muscle coordination and balance

Middle of Central Core
Thalamus
Relay station for sensory stimulation
Transmit message from sense organs to
cerebral cortex & from cerebral cortex to
cerebellum and medulla

Middle of Central Core
Hypothalamus
Regulates body temperature, motivation
and emotion, autonomic function control,
endocrine function control, homeostasis,
motor function control
Hunger, thirst, sexual behavior, caring for
offspring, aggression, sleep-wake cycle

Reticular Activation System
From hindbrain, ascends through midbrain into
lower part of forebrain
Vital to attention, sleep, arousal

Forebrain
Limbic System
Amygdala, hippocampus and parts of
hypothalamus
Involved in memory and emotion

Cerebrum
Responsible for thinking and language
Cerebral Cortex
the wrinkled surface area (gray matter) of the
cerebrum
Corpus Callosum
Connects two hemispheres
The Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer of cerebrum
Two Hemispheres
Four Lobes
Frontal, Parietal, Temporal and Occipital
The Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex

Occipital Lobe
Vision
Temporal Lobe
Hearing and Auditory functions
Parietal Lobe
Somatosensory Cortex, speech centers
Frontal Lobe
Motor Cortex, memory processing, emotion
Thinking, Language, and the Cortex

Association areas
Not primarily involved in sensation or motor
activity
Responsible for learning, thought, memory and
language
Association areas in frontal lobe
Responsible for executive functions
Association Areas
Posterior association areas
senses
Association areas of the parietal lobe

Locating objects in sensory space and
maintaining maps of the environment
Left Brain, Right Brain

Hemispheres do not act independently
Functions overlap and they respond
simultaneously
The Endocrine System
Endocrine System
Comprised of ductless glands that release
hormones into the bloodstream
Hormones
Regulate growth, metabolism and some
behaviors
Maintain steady bodily states
The Endocrine Glands
Pituitary and the Hypothalamus

Pituitary gland
Lies below hypothalamus
Labeled as master gland
Hormones secreted by pituitary gland
Hypothalamus regulates pituitary gland activity
Pineal Gland
Pineal gland
Secretes melatonin
Helps regulate sleep-wake cycle
May affect onset of puberty
Adrenal Glands
Adrenal glands
Located above the kidneys
Cortical steroids
increase resistance to stress, anxiety, pain
and emotional events
promote muscle development
Epinephrine and norepinephrine
Helps arouse body in threatening situations
Testes and Ovaries

Testosterone
produced by testes (smaller amounts from
adrenal gland)
male sex characteristics
Estrogen and progesterone
produced by ovaries (smaller amounts from
testes)
female sex characteristics
Evolution and Heredity
Chromosomes
Receive 23 chromosomes from fathers sperm
and 23 chromosomes from mothers egg cell
23rd pair of chromosomes are sex chromosomes
XX female
XY male
Down syndrome
Chromosomal abnormality

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Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Biology and Psychology

The Nervous System:

The Anatomy of a Neuron

Firing: Neuron to Neuron

Firing: Neuron to Neuron

Firing: Neuron to Neuron

Neurotransmitters of Interest to Psychologists

Neurotransmitters of Interest to Psychologists

Neurotransmitters of Interest to Psychologists

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Neurotransmitters of Interest to Psychologists

The Divisions of the Nervous System

Parts of the Nervous System

Peripheral Nervous System

Branches of Autonomic Nervous System

The Parasympathetic and Sympathetic

Central Nervous System

The Reflex Arc

The Parts of the Human Brain

Three layers of the BRAIN

Structures and Functions of the Brain

Structures and Functions of the Brain

Structures and Functions of the Brain

Structures and Functions of the Brain

Structures and Functions of the Brain

Structures and Functions of the Brain

The Cerebral Cortex

The Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex

Thinking, Language, and the Cortex

Association areas of the parietal lobe

Left Brain, Right Brain

The Endocrine System

The Endocrine Glands

Pituitary and the Hypothalamus

Testes and Ovaries

Evolution and Heredity

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