10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Module 7 Neural and Hormonal Systems It’s all about Neurons –Neuron = a nerve cell –The basic building block of the nervous system All neurons in the body have the same basic structures and function in the same way
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Neural Anatomy Dendrites Cell Body (Soma) Axon Myelin Sheath Terminal Buttons/Synaptic end-bulbs Synapse Neurotransmitters
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Depolarization (Firing a Neuron) Threshold Resting potential Action potential Depolarization All-or-none principle Refractory period
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Neurotransmitters Excitatory vs. inhibitory neurotransmitters Agonists vs. Antagonists Acetylcholine Endorphins Dopamine Serotonin
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Structure of the Nervous System Central Nervous System brain spinal cord Peripheral Nervous System somatic nervous system autonomic nervous system –sympathetic nervous system –parasympathetic nervous system
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Module 8: The Brain Weight = grams (about lbs.) 500 billion neurons Each neuron may be connected (through a synapse) to up to 10,000 other neurons Has Plasticity –The only organ that can possibly re-establish lost functions –Plasticity lessens as we get older It’s the weirdest thing in the universe
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Autopsy photograph of a damaged brain (Broca’s area)
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology How we study the brain Accidents –- Phineas Gage Lesions e.g. frontal lobotomy Electrical Stimulation EEG scan –Sleep research PET scan CAT scan MRI scan fMRI scan
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Organization of the Brain One way to think about organization of the Brain: New Brain vs. Old Brain Evolutionary model –Brain organization is similar across mammals Old brain = what we had first (evolutionarily) New Brain = what developed later evolutionarily
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Old Brain Structures Brain Stem Reticular activating system (RAS) Medulla Thalamus Cerebellum Limbic System: Hypothalamus Hippocampus Amygdala Corpus Callosum
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology New Brain Structures Cerebral Cortex Right and Left Hemispheres Split Brain Research Lobes: Frontal Parietal Occipital Temporal
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology New Brain Structures, cont’d Cortexes: Sensory Cortex Motor Cortex Speech Cortexes –Broca’s area –Wernicke’s area Visual cortex Hearing cortex Association areas
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
10/5/04Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology Slide 72