4 page Psychology paper
Chapter 2
The Role of Biology in Psychology
Jo-Anne D. Petrie, M.Ed.
September 2018
Psych 206
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Consists of a network of billions of cells in the brain and body
Responsible for what we feel, think and do.
Basic Functions:
Receive sensory input through the senses
Process information in the brain by being aware, perceiving and memory.
Respond to information by acting on it.
The Nervous System
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Watch and discuss
https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=44B0ms3XPKU
Let’s play!!
Understanding the functions of the brain
1. Sensory input
2. Mode of processing information
3. Responses of input
Think about what your want to use for this experiment. It could be a fidget, something you have in front of you, or something you find. You have 3 minutes to decide then follow the steps above and record the sensory input you receive, how you processed that information, and your responses of input.
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To Solidify your examination of the Nervous System…..
Central Nervous system- The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System- enables nerves to connect the central nervous system with the muscles, organs and glands.
The Nervous System
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Neurons
They receive integrate and transmit information in the nervous system
Operate through electrical impulses, communicate with other neurons through chemical signals and from neural fireworks
They only reason why we can think and act is because neurons are able to process information with power and efficiency.
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Basic units of our Nervous Systems are :
Your brain on communication- A TED Talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/uri_hasson_this_is_your_brain_on_communication
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Firing and Communicating Neurons
1. Transmission
Begins when there is enough stimulation in the presynaptic neuron to create action potential.
This potential travels quickly down the myelinated axon to the terminal buttons.
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3 Steps of neural communication
2. The action potential causes chemicals (neurotransmitters) to be released from the terminal buttons at the end of the axon. The neurotransmitters cross the synapse and fit into the receptors of the dendrites of the postsynaptic neuron.
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Reception
3. Each neurotransmitter has either excitatory or inhibitory effects on the postsynaptic neuron. The effects are “summed” together in the cell body. If there is not enough activation it will lead to another action potential- the process will start again.
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Integration
Remember as the text states in the case of integration it is dependent if the molecules respond correctly to the neurotransmitter. Do you remember the lock and key example in your text?
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Attaching or binding of neurotransmitters with receptors can produce either of two signals:
Excitatory-The signal excites the neuron increasing the likelihood it will fire.
Inhibitory- Signal decreases the likelihood the neuron will fire.
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Excitatory and Inhibitory Signals
Research comes from how drugs and other substances affect emotion, thought and behavior.
Drugs that enhance the actions of neurotransmitters are called agonists.
Those that do not are called antagonists.
Addictive drugs re: heroin, cocaine are chemically similar to naturally occurring neurotransmitters.
Receptors can not sense the difference between the drug and real neurotransmitters released from the presynaptic neuron.
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Neurotransmitters
Assessment of neurotransmitters affect behavior. Researchers often inject agonists or antagonists into animals brains. These studies help in the development of drug treatments for many psychological and mental disorders.
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More about neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine- motor control over muscles
Attention Memory, learning and sleeping
Acetylcholine antagonists can cause temporary amnesia. Diminished acetylcholine function is associated with Alzheimer's (severe memory deficits.
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Neurotransmitters and their major functions
Responsible for arousal and alertness
Important for noticing things around you
Related substance is called epinephrine was originally called adrenaline.
Have you heard of an adrenaline rush?
Let’s break up into groups take 15 minutes. Count off by 5’s
Share what the situation was and what happened?
Did you experience a dangerous situation? Fight or flight?
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Norepinephrine
Important for emotional states, impulse control and dreaming
Lack of serotonin is thought to contribute to sad and anxious moods, food cravings and aggressive behaviors.
Meds like Prozac leave more serotonin in the synapse to bind with the postsynaptic neurons giving that person extra serotonin.
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Serotonin
Most important for motivation and reward
Eat- hungry
Drink- thirsty
Sleep – tired
Aroused- Sex
Lack of dopamine may be connected to problems with movement.
Severe loss of dopamine connected to Parkinson’s. Parkinson's is when the dopamine producing neurons in the brain slowly die off affecting motor, balance, rigid muscles.
Later stages people experience severe cognitive and mood disturbances.
Can get injections of DOPA – chief building block of dopamine to help surviving neurons produce more dopamine.
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Dopamine
Main inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).
Distributed throughout the brain than most other transmitters.
GABA drugs are Valium which are used to treat anxiety disorders by calming the person down.
Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter. .
Glutamate receptors aid learning and memory by strengthening synaptic connections.
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Gaba and Glutamate
Neurotransmitter involved in reward- “runners high”
What to you like to do to get your endorphins going. How does it make you feel. Think if you could not get that high?
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Endorphins
Brain weighs approximately 3 lbs.
Evolved through time
Adaptable in environments
Most psychologists agreed many studies conducted in the early19 th century believed mental processes were a result of brain function; example singer or dancer.
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The Brain over time
Psychographs posed by Johann Spurzheim. were sold to the public –
Claimed to do the work of a psychologist
Showed “weak” traits of an individuals abilities etc . They were mapped out by measuring bumps or configurations on the skull
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Phrenology
First came about from the work and anatomist Paul Broca.
Performed an autopsy on a patient who lost the skill of language.
After brain was examined he discovered a large section of damaged tissue in the left front side.
Concluded the left hemisphere was important for speech thus know as Brocas area.
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Regions of the brain
Late 1930’s mental health professionals developed lobotomy's to help those to control their emotions
Deliberate damaging of the prefrontal cortex
Left people lethargic and emotionless and disconnected from the social world.
Lobotomy phased out with the introduction of drugs to help control behaviors.
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Lobotomy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RfJv4zGpkw
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Lobotomy
EEG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXS268XsRic
Main brain imaging today is called MRI or magnetic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwXJNXNcLNs
resonance imaging Measures changes in blood oxygen level to assess blood flow in the brain and can map out the working brain.
TMS Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkNbYHu_STU
Momentarily disrupts the brain in a specific region to measure brain activity Can be used for only short durations
Powerful for examining brain regions necessary for psychological functions.
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Contemporary Brain Research
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Let's take a closer look at the brain
Located at the base of the skull
Divided into 3 structures
1. Medulla responsible for breathing, heart rate, vomiting, urination, and orgasm and other survival devices.
A blow can cause death.
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Hindbrain- 3 structures
2. Pons
Responsible for sleep, arousal, left-right body movement and coordination.
3. Cerebellum
Large extension in the hindbrain
Located behind the medulla and pons.
Comes from the Latin work small brain
Essential for proper motor function
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Hindbrain
Located above the pons.
Consists of several structures involved in the reflexive movement of eyes and body.
Critical for the production of dopamine- neurotransmitter that motivates behavior an controls normal function.
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Midbrain
Above the midbrain
Contains two main areas:
Cerebral cortex and five subcortical structures.
Outermost part of the forebrain is called the cerebral cortex.
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Forebrain
Thalamus-gateway to the cortex
Receives almost all incoming sensory information
Organizes the information and relays it to the cortex
The exception to the rule is sense of smell
Smell has a direct route to the cortex
During sleep the thalamus partially shuts out incoming sensations to help the person stay asleep.
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Within the forebrain
Master of the regulatory structure
Essential to body's survival
Located below the thalamus
Receives input from almost everywhere in the body and brain
Sends it messages almost everywhere in the body and brain
Affects functions of many internal organs
Regulates body temperature
Sleeping
Waking
Blood pressure
Blood sugar
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Hypothalamus
Helps in the formation of new memories
Comes from the Greek word seahorse because of its shape
Forms new memories by creating new neural connections within the cerebral cortex for each new experience
Ability to remember maps- London Taxi Cab drivers
Fun Study- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfy9j0h9_O8
Hippocampus
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Comes from the word almond in Latin due to the amygdala’s shape
In front of the hippocampus
Relates experiences with emotions
Such as:
Fear-
Happiness-
Sadness-
Pain-
Amygdala
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Processes more positive feelings
Increases when people see things visually stimulating to them
Amygdala activity higher in men than women
Basal Ganglia
Planning and producing movement
Taking something hot off the stove
Crossing the street
Damage to the basal ganglia can impair learning of habits such as looking for cars before crossing the street.
Fun Fact: When men were shown more expensive cars they had greater activation of pleasure parts of the brain.
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Outer layer called the cerebral cortex
Gives the brain a wrinkled appearance
Cortex is Latin for bark
Human cerebral cortex large
About the size of a large sheet of newspaper
Allows us to comprehend ourselves, people and the outside world.
Divided into two halves;
Left and the Right Hemispheres
Forebrain
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Each hemisphere contains 4 areas called the lobes;
Occipital
Parietal
Temporal
Frontal
Hemispheres are connected by corpus callosum
This bridge contains millions of axons allowing information to flow between both hemispheres.
Forebrain Continued:
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For most people the left is responsible for logic, thought and language
Speaking and writing is left hemisphere dominant
Are you more right or left hemisphere dominant?
Let’s find out!
Hemispheres of the Brain Left Brain
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Spatial relationships
Understanding and reading a map, locating objects around you
Recognizing emotional aspects of language
Abstract thinking
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The Right Brain
Are you more right or left brain?
https://testyourself.psychtests.com/bin/transfer?req=MnwzMTc4fDU0MjM0MDF8MHwxfA==&refempt=
Answer as accurately as possible
Share your results
Do you agree or disagree?
Why?
What do you think?
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Occipital
At the back portion of the head
Devoted primarily to vision
Major place for processing of visual information
Parietal lobes
Devoted primarily to touch
Divided between the left and right cerebral hemispheres
Information received is usually the reverse
Left hemisphere receives touch information from the right and vice versa
Lobes of the cerebral cortex
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Stroke or other damage to the right parietal region can result in a disorder called hemineglect
Patients with this syndrome fail to notice anything on their left sides
If two objects are held up they only see the one on the right omitting the other half.
https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlI7GsBHok8
Lobes continued
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Responsible for hearing
Include visual areas specialized for recognizing detailed objects such as faces
Fusiform face area
activated by objects such as house or cars. If fusiform face areas are damaged you would have trouble recognizing people not objects
Temporal Lobes
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Essential for planning and movement
Rear portion of the frontal lobes – primary motor cortex to the spinal cord to move the bodies muscles
Divided down the middle of the body
Right hemisphere controls the right arm
Frontal Lobes
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30% of the brain
Difference between the human brain and animal brain is not how much of the brain the
prefrontal cortex uses yet how complex the human brain is and how neural circuits are organized.
Bush & Allman, 2004 Schoenemann, Sheehan & Gliotzer 2005)
Psychologists have learned about brains by studying those who have been ill or injured
Prefrontal cortex
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Transmits signals to and from the central nervous system through nerves
Receptors in the skin muscles and joints send sensory information to the spinal cord then relaying it to the brain.
Signals through the somatic nervous system to muscles joints and skin to initiate or inhibit movement.
Somatic Nervous System
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Regulates the bodies internal environment
Carries signals from the glands and internal organs to the central nervous system
Signals provide information about when you think you should go to sleep, you are full, etc..
Sympathetic para sympathetic nervous system
Imagine a fire alarm going off. Your body goes into fight/flight mode epinephrine is released increasing heart rate and blood sugar, lungs take in more oxygen, pupils dilate to make sure your vision is acute and sharp. If the alarm is false your para sympathetic state will return
Also released by someone you feel attracted to.
Automatic nervous system
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Communication network that influences thoughts and actions
Unlike the nervous system the endocrine system uses hormones (chemicals) to communicate
Both work together to regulate psychological activity
The endocrine system releases hormones that help us deal with threats
Endocrine System
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Chemicals released into the bloodstream by endocrine glands
Endocrine glands include the pineal, adrenal, pituitary thyroid and testes or ovaries
Hormones travel through the bloodstream until they reach where they need to go
Hormones
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Main endocrine glands influencing sexual behavior
Males the gonads testes
Females ovaries
Both males and females produce hormones
The difference is the quantities
Testosterone is more prevalent in males; estrogen female
Gonadal hormones influence the development of secondary sex characteristics breasts females facial hair in men
Hormones and Sexual Development
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Prompts bone cartilage and muscle tissue to grow or regenerate after injury
Remember Lance Armstrong using GH (growth hormones) to gain strength for a cutting edge in cycling?
Hormones and physical growth
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Play the genetic matching game
Do people say you may have a twin? Do you look like someone they know?
Genes affect thoughts and behaviors and can tell us if we are predisposed to certain conditions.
Have you gone for an annual physical and been asked about family history of mental illness, cancer, etc..
Genetic makeup is called your genotype
Observable physical and psychological characteristics are your phenotype
Factors influenced by genotype and environmental factors- eg diet
Psychologists study ways that nature, nurture and their combinator affect psychological characteristics
Nature, nurture and our brains
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Do we have any twins in the group?
Monozygotic twins are identical
Come from one fertilized egg (zygote) diving into two. Because the come from the same egg they will have the same genetic make up
Dizygotic twins are referred to as fraternal or non identical
Two separately fertilized eggs develop in the womb simultaneously
Because they are from two separately fertilized eggs these twins are like two siblings
Twins
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Siblings who are adopted living in the same home have little influence on such things as personality
Minnesota twin project highlights that identical twins whether raised apart or together are likely to be similar.
This study proves genetic make up has a strong effect on molding personality and behavior.
Adoption
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyT2AlzzzQs
Thoughts?
Do you know any identical twins?
Comments you have noticed or observed?
Minnesota Twin Project
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teFzfTI3KMc
Jim Twins
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Over time the brain can change
Take for example in our text the Story about Michelle
Parents felt she was different
Doctors discovered she suffered a stroke in the womb
Her right hemisphere was “chief in command” for processing void in the left hemisphere
This is known as plasticity
Reflective of biological and environmental influences
Environment and the Brain
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Continuous research is going on to understand how the brain works
Map our regions of the brain
Understand mental and behavioral aspects of the brain
Specifically in the areas of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
This is thanks to Obama’s $300 million dollars slated to brain research
Ending words about Brain Plasticity
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Brain plasticity allows us to learn
Memories are reflected in brains physical changes
Psychologists believe changes are mostly in the power of existing connections
For example if two neurons fire together the connection strengthens
Neurons get weaker if they do not consistently fire simultaneously.
Catch phrase as outlined in our text “Neurons that fire together, wire together”.
Strengthening Existing Conditions
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Laws governing learning disabilities
If you believe you have a deficit to learn get a recommendation from an educational neuropsychologist
Can receive untimed testing
Testing in different modalities
Graded fairly taking into account your learning differences
Learning disabilities and support
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Coined by the National Center for Learning Disabilities
Definition- A neurological disorder that affects the brains ability to receive store and process information.
Famous dyslexics
http://www.psychologydegree.com/50-famously-successful-people-who-are-dyslexic
Take a peek
Highlighting dyslexia
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSz_zjiS3E8
Think about yourself
What are your limitations
How do those affect your schoolwork and ability to process or tell about what you learned?
Dyslexia and Learning disabilities
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Terms in chapter 2 on a separate page
Will be posted Wednesday on Blackboard along with the power point
Next week:
Consciousness/development Ch. 3/4
Journal 1 writing quiz Ch. 1/2
(Prompts will be posted by Tuesday evening)
Office hours:
Monday 4:30pm-6:15pm
Downstairs suite B
Ending Remarks
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