1. Biological Psychology
Introduction to Biological Psychology
CSN
Structure of the Brain
Role of the Neuron
The Function of Neurotransmitters
Synaptic Transmission

2. Biological psychology
What is Biological psychology?
What are the main assumptions of Biological psychology?
What do we need to know?

3. What is Biological psychology?
It looks at chemical activity in the brain (neurotransmitters) .
It looks at how messages are transmitted through hormones.
It looks at how characteristics are inherited via genes (evolutionary perspective).

4. Key Assumptions
Behaviour can be explained with reference to specific structures in the brain.
Aspects of behaviour can be explained by the action of neurotransmitters.
Behaviour can be explained with reference to human evolutionary history.

5. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The Nervous System has 2 main parts – the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System.
The CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord.
The brain is within the skull and the spinal cord is within the vertebrae.

6. CNS
The CNS is the main control centre of the body—it takes in sensory information, organizes and synthesizes data, then provides direction for motor output to the rest of the body.
The CNS is made up of the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord.
The brain is the main data centre of the body and consists of the cerebrum which regulates higher level functioning such as thought, and the cerebellum which maintains coordination.
The brain stem includes the midbrain, pons, and medulla, and controls lower level functioning such as respiration and digestion.
The spinal cord connects the brain and the body's main receptors, and serves as a conduit for sensory input and motor output.

7. What happens when brains get ‘broken’?
Read the two articles ‘Phineas Gage
and the effect of an iron bar
through the head on personality’
and ‘'There was a lot more to fix than I thought‘.
What do these articles tell us about the
structures and functions of the brain?

11. Cerebrum
Brain Stem
Cerebral Cortex

12. Find out the location and function of the following brain parts:
Pre-frontal cortex
Corpus callosum
Limbic System
Ventricles
Thalamus
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Hypothalamus
Midbrain
If you cannot find the location just define.
Stretch and challenge:
Find out about 5 other brain structures and their functions.
Stretch and challenge:
Research 1 example of brain injury and how this has affected the individual’s functionality.

13. Parts of the brain and spinal cord
Hippocampus
Limbic System
Prefrontal Cortex

14. Describe the structure and role of a Nueron

15. What is a neuron?
Cell in nervous system which sends processes and sends information within the body.
Sensory neurons
Receive messages from senses
Touch
Light
Sound
Motor neurons
Muscle movement

16. Different parts of the neuron
Cell body
Axon
Dendrites
Terminal buttons

17. How brain messages are sent using neurons
Messages in the brain are sent by using electrical impulses and chemicals called neurotransmitters

18. How brain messages are sent using neurons
Step one:
In one neuron, in the cell body, an electrical impulse (can also be called an action impulse) is triggered. This travels down the axon to the end.

19. How brain messages are sent using neurons
Step two:
At the end of the axon and the terminal branches are the terminal buttons here the electrical impulse releases a chemical called a neurotransmitter

20. How brain messages are sent using neurons
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that act between the neurones in the brain. This allows the brain to process thoughts and memories.
Dopamine
Serotonin
Noradrenaline
Acetylcholine

21. How brain messages are sent using neurons
Step three:
This neurotransmitter now has to cross a gap called a synapse or a synaptic gap to get to the dendrites on the next neuron to continue the message. The neurotransmitter can get lost in the gap.

22. How brain messages are sent using neurons
Step four:
If the receptors at the dendrites of the next neuron are suitable to receive the neurotransmitter in the gap it will get picked up by them. LOCK AND KEY

23. Lock and Key Lock and Key diagram
Receptors at a dendrite will be a certain shape (a lock) which can only take a certain neurotransmitter (key)
Lock and Key diagram

24. How brain messages are sent using neurons
Step five:
The neurotransmitter changes the chemical balance (this is called the synaptic transmission) at the receptor which sets off an electrical impulse whilst the neurotransmitter drops back into the synaptic gap. And the process starts all over again!

25. WHEW! Stop and make sure we understand
Label the structure of a neuron.

26. Exam Prep
Describe the role of a neuron.

27. Describe the process of synaptic transmission.
First a quick recap!

28.
Synaptic Gap

30. Exam question
Label the following diagram:

31. Place the following in the correct order
The axon terminal of one neuron reaches the dendrites of another.
Dendrites surround the nucleus which is connected to a long extension called an axon, which reaches the axon terminal.
On one side, at the dendrites, there are receptors of a certain shape, prepared to receive the neurotransmitter from another neuron.
If the neurotransmitter fits the receptor the message is passed on; if it does not, the message is blocked.
Between the terminal and the dendrites, there is a gap called a synapse.
A neurotransmitter travels down the pre synaptic neuron, across the synapse and binds in a lock and key effect to a receptor on the post synaptic neuron.
A neuron is made up of dendrites, a nucleus, an axon and an axon terminal.

32. Describe the process of synaptic transmission.