©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010 CHAPTER 2 Neuroscience & Biological Foundations PowerPoint Lecture Notes Presentation

©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010

CHAPTER 2

Neuroscience & Biological

Foundations

PowerPoint Lecture Notes Presentation


Lecture Overview

Neural Bases of Behavior

Nervous System Organization

A Tour Through the Brain

Our Genetic Inheritance


Neural Bases of Psychology

Neuroscience: interdisciplinary field studying how biological processes relate to behavioral & mental processes


Neural Bases of Psychology (Continued)

Our nervous system consists of neurons (cells responsible for receiving & transmitting electrochemical information).


Neural Bases of Psychology: The Structure of a Neuron


Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication

Within a neuron, communication results from an action potential (a neural impulse that carries information along the axon of a neuron).


Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication (Continued)

Between neurons, communication occurs through transmission of neural information across a synapse by neurotransmitters (chemicals released by neurons that alter activity in other neurons).


Receiving neurons receive multiple messages from other neurons. These multiple messages then determine if an action potential occurs or not.

Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication

(Continued)


Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication (Continued)

Note how the axon terminals of sending neurons almost completely cover the cell body of the receiving neuron.


Pause & Reflect:

Assessment

What happens to excess neurotransmitters or to those that do not “fit” into the adjacent receptor sites? (Answer appears on the next slide.)


The sending neuron normally reabsorbs the excess (called “reuptake) or they are broken down by special enzymes.

Pause & Reflect:

Assessment


Neural Bases of Psychology: Applying Psychology to Everyday Life

Key neurotransmitters: • Serotonin• Acetylcholine (ACh)• Dopamine (DA)• Norepinephrine (NE)• Epinephrine (adrenaline)• GABA (gamma aminobutyric

acid)• Endorphins


Neural Bases of Psychology: How Hormones Affect Us

Endocrine System: collection of glands that manufacture & secrete hormones into the bloodstream


Why Do We Need Two Communication Systems—Neurotransmitters + Hormones?


Pause & Reflect:

Assessment

1. _____ receive information from other neurons. The _____ carries the neuron’s messages to other body cells.

2. How does neural communication within neurons differ from communication between neurons?


Nervous System Organization Central Nervous System (CNS):

brain & spinal cord Peripheral Nervous System

(PNS): all nerves & neurons connecting CNS to the rest of the body PNS is subdivided into the somatic

& autonomic nervous systems Autonomic nervous system

subdivided into sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous systems



Central Nervous System: Important Terms

Neuroplasticity: brain’s lifelong ability to reorganize & change its structure & function throughout the life span

Neurogenesis: process by which new neurons are generated

Stem Cells: immature (uncommitted) cells with the potential to develop into almost any type of cell


Pause & Reflect: Critical Thinking

Understanding neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, & stem cells helps make us better informed consumers of scientific research & more knowledgeable participants in political debates. Can you explain why?


Nervous System Organization: Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain

Spinal Cord (transmits information into & out of the brain )


Nervous System Organization: Central Nervous System (CNS)

The spinal cord is also responsible for involuntary, automatic behaviors called reflexes.


Nervous System Organization: Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

PNS connects CNS to the rest of the body & is subdivided into:

Somatic Nervous System (SNS): connects to sensory receptors & controls skeletal muscles

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): controls involuntary bodily functions & is further subdivided into:

Sympathetic Nervous System (arouses)Parasympathetic Nervous System

(calms)


Nervous System Organization

Anatomy & functions of the sympathetic (arouses) & parasympathetic (calms) nervous systems


Pause & Reflect:

Assessment

1. You touch a hot stove & then immediately & reflexively pull away. This action was controlled by _____.

2. After being startled by the sight & sound of a fierce dog rushing toward you, it is most likely that your _____ is dominant.


A Tour Through the Brain


A Tour Through The Brain: Hindbrain

Three key structures & functions of the hindbrain: Medulla: life survival functions Pons: respiration, movement, waking,

sleeping, & dreaming Cerebellum: coordination of fine

muscular movement, balance, & some aspects of perception & cognition


A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)

Midbrain: collection of brain structures in the middle of the brain; coordinates movement patterns, sleep, & arousal

Reticular Formation: runs through the hindbrain, midbrain, & brainstem; screens incoming information & controls arousal



Forebrain: collection of upper-level brain structures, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, & limbic system Thalamus: relays sensory messages to

the cerebral cortex Hypothalamus: responsible for drives,

hormones, & regulating the body’s internal environment


Structures of the Forebrain



Limbic System: interconnected group of forebrain structures involved with emotions, drives, & memory


Pause & Reflect:

Assessment

1. What are the three key structures of the hindbrain?

2. The _____ includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, & limbic system.


Pause & Reflect:

Assessment


A Tour Through The Brain: Cerebral Cortex

Cerebral Cortex: thin surface layer on the left & right cerebral hemispheres; regulates most complex behavior, including sensations, motor control, & higher mental processes


A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Continued.)


A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex

Frontal Lobes: receive & coordinate messages from other lobes; responsible for motor control, speech production, & higher functions, such as thinking, personality, emotion, & memory



Phineas Gage’s mining accident sent a 13-pound tamping iron through his frontal lobes. How did this affect his short- & long-term behavior & mental processes?


A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Continued)

Parietal Lobes: located at the top of the brain directly behind the frontal lobes; responsible for interpreting bodily sensations

Temporal Lobes: located on each side of the brain above the ears; responsible for audition, language comprehension, memory, & some emotional control


A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Continued)

Occipital Lobes: located at the back of the brain; responsible for vision & visual perception


A Tour Through The Brain: Motor Cortex & Somatosensory Cortex



Why are the hands & face on this drawing so large? What do they represent?


A Tour Through The Brain: Split-Brain Research

Severing the corpus callosum provides information on the role & functions of the left & right hemispheres.


A Tour Through The Brain: Split-Brain Research (Continued)


A Tour Through The Brain: Lateralization

The left & right hemispheres of your

brain each specialize

in particular (but often overlapping) operations.


Pause & Reflect:

Assessment

1. What are the major functions of the four lobes of the brain?

2. The _____ hemisphere is primarily responsible for language, & it controls the right side of the body.



Behavioral Genetics: studies the relative effects of nature (heredity, genes, & chromosomes) & nurture (environment) on behavior & mental processes


Our Genetic Inheritance: Genes & DNA

The nucleus of every cell contains genes, which carry the code for hereditary transmission. These genes are arranged along chromosomes (strands of paired DNA).


Our Genetic Inheritance: Genes & DNA

Tongue-curling is one of the few traits that depends on a specific dominant gene.


Our Genetic Inheritance: Twin Research



Evolutionary Psychology: studies how natural selection & adaptation help explain behavior & mental processes



Sex differences in lateralization. Note how activation (red color) is confined to only one hemisphere in the male brain on the left, & how it occurs on both hemispheres in the female brain on the right.


End of CHAPTER 2

Neuroscience & Biological

Foundations

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©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2010 CHAPTER 2 Neuroscience & Biological Foundations PowerPoint Lecture Notes Presentation