Project Self-Discovery A step-by-step journey through the parts of our bodies that govern our actions, pain, pleasures, thoughts, and emotions

Female vs. Male Brain: the differences finally revealed

You are your brain…or are you? Quick talk: Your living brain is transplanted into another human being. When the operation is over and the anesthetic wears off, the body opens its eyes. Who is looking out of the eyes? Who is processing the information coming into the eyes, ears, skin, nose, mouth? Quick talk #2: You suffer a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. After months of physical therapy in the hospital, you are able to walk, talk, read, and do most of the physical and mental things you used to be able to do. However, friends and family say you aren’t “you” anymore. They say you have a different sense of humor, your temper is more extreme than it was, you show affection in different ways, and all of your old hobbies and interests no longer interest you. Where did “you” go? Who is in your body now, if not “you”?

“You” are a bundle of nerves Neuron AKA nerve cell Human body has 100s of billions; brain has billions 1 sand grain-sized piece of brain can have 100,000 neurons and 1 MILLION synapses (places to receive a message) Function: to send and receive electrochemical messages and electrical pulses between skin, muscles, organs, glands, & brain Axon: sends messages Dendrites: receive messages

Neural impulse Energy that travels up to 200 mph through your body from one neuron to the next (in contrast, electricity travels 3 million times faster in a wire!) The energy carries a message to the brain and other cells in body from external stimuli (heat, pressure, light, sound) OR a message generated within the body Impulse is processed and “translated” into image, sound, emotion, pain, etc in brain—brain can send out response message to muscles and skin Demonstrations: Knee Jerk, poke

Neurotransmitters: The electrochemical language of the body Quick read and notes: neurotransmitter handout: Write down name of each neurotransmitter, what it does, how it interacts with drugs, what happens if not enough or too much Neural impulse (energy messages) are transmitted between neurons across synaptic gap (small space between neurons) by neurotransmitters Different kinds of neurons send different neurotransmitters Some are excitatory (speed up delivery of message), some are inhibitory (slow down or even stop the message from being delivered)

Serotonin-Is there such thing as too much of a good thing?

Neurotransmitters released by axon across synaptic gap (cleft) to neighboring neuron’s dendrite

Neural network: cluster of neurons in brain 1. Networks grow more and stronger synaptic connections as we learn, think, do 2. Connections weaken when not used or damaged by drugs, alcohol, disease Ms. C quick read: article on teens’ brains and alcohol/marijuana

How’s this for some freaky, formal operational thinking?

Practical Applications? If we know thoughts are energy (neural impulses), how can we use this knowledge? Electrodes can deliver energy pulse to areas of the brain to find out what that part does People who are paralyzed can have tiny transmitters implanted in their brains that communicate their thoughts with computers If we know how to replicate neurotransmitters in the chemistry lab, how can that help people who don’t have enough of one? Make drugs to replace the missing neurotransmitter!! Examples Why isn’t injecting someone with a missing neurotransmitter always the answer? Blood-brain barrier prevents many injected chemicals from entering brain