1. Effects of drugs on N.S. Block actions of neurotransmitters
AGONISTS
ANTAGONISTS
Block actions of neurotransmitters
Occupy receptor site & prevent action.
A molecule, that by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response
Botulin (poison found in improperly canned food causes paralysis by blocking ACh release
We call it Botox and inject it into our faces to paralyze underlying facial muscles 
Mimic actions of neurotransmitters
Bind to receptors & generate PSP’s
A molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response
Opiate drugs can produce a temporary “high”

2. Biological Psychology and Neurotransmission

3. WHY STUDY biology IF THIS class IS CALLED Psychology??
Everything psychological is simultaneously biological.
To think, feel or act without a body would be like running without legs. -We are bio-psycho-social systems. To understand our behavior, we need to study how biological, psychological and social systems interact.
The human brain is the most complex system, natural or man made, in the world.
About 3 lbs. About the size of a grapefruit Pinkish/gray in color About 100 billion nerve cells At a loss rate of 200,000 per day during our adult lives we still end up with over 98% of or brain cells.

4. Biopsychology: The specialty in psychology that studies the interaction of biology, behavior and mental processes. -The mind thinking about the mind.
some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists
Neuroscience is a newer field of study in psychology focusing on the brain and our behavior.

5. phrenology
Back in the olden days, we believed many very stupid and silly things about humans and our minds (cough…hindsight bias..)
One of those things was phrenology- the believed that studying bumps on the skull could reveal your mental abilities and skills.

6. Biological psychologists
Today, we now rely on biological psychologists (people who study the links between biological [genetic, neural, hormonal] and psychological processes)

7. Neurons

8. Neurons are super cool
A specialized cell that receives information and transmits it to other cells
Individual nerve cells that receive, integrate, and transmit information
The basic elements of communication in the nervous system, but only the majority communicate with other neurons.
However, there are some exceptions
Approx. 100 billion neurons make up the brain
Millions of neurons are involved in producing a single thought

9. A “typical” Neuron

11. Glia
Cells found throughout the nervous system that provide various types of support for neurons
Outnumber neurons 10-1, 50% of the brains volume
Nourish neurons
Remove waste products
Insulation
The heroes of the nervous system

12. THE CHARGE INSIDE THE NEURON IS NEGATIVE
Resting potential
The imbalanced electrical charge of the axon in its inactive state (when the neuron is ready to fire)
The inside of cell is negative relative to the outside of the axon
OBJECTIVE 4-3| Describe parts of a neuron and explain how its impulses are generated.

13. Polarization
DURING RESTING POTENTIAL the neuron is polarized = opposites of each other.
inside of a neuron’s charge is all NEGATIVE
Outside of a neuron, the charge is POSITIVE
Negatives w/negatives, positives w/positives. “Happy homeostasis” prefers to be this way.

14. Neuron at rest
Inside and outside the neuron are fluids containing electrically charged atoms and molecules called “ions”
Positively charged potassium and sodium and negatively charged chloride ions flow back and forth across the cell membrane, but do NOT cross at the same rate
HIGHER CONCENTRATION of negatively charged ions inside the cell------ resulting voltage/potential energy
RESTING POTENTIAL- stable, negative charge when the cell is inactive (-70 million volts)

15. How Does it Work? Neurotransmission is
a fancy name for two or more neurons communicating with each other.
There are 4 neurons communicating in the picture to the right or you could say that neurotransmission is taking place 1 3 4 2

16. Neurons stay at rest with their
sodium ions on the outside of
the cell body (or soma)
and potassium ions on the inside.
Neurons are no longer at rest when the
sodium ions on the outside of the cell body rush in
and potassium ions on the inside rush out.

17. This is called ACTION POTENTIAL
The typical neuron receives hundreds of messages…some of these messages are excitatory (saying “FIRE”) while others are inhibitory (saying “DON’T FIRE”) e e
When there are more excitatory than inhibitory messages, the cell body exceeds its threshold (level of stimulation required to trigger the impulses) and creates an electric impulse…
This is called ACTION POTENTIAL e e e e e i i i e e i

18. Action potential
An electrical impulse is caused from the rushing in and out of the ions (depolarization)
Most basic – electrical charge that travels through the axon of the neuron; the message that travels through the axon of the neuron.
At that moment, the charge becomes less negative/even positive, creating an action potential

19. Action potential is the DEPOLARIZATION of a NEURON
Depolarization occurs, when positive sodium (Na+) ions enter the neuron, making it more susceptible to fire an action potential.
Neuron no homeostasis—domino effect.

20. Once the electrical
impulse reaches
the terminal button
it triggers the vesicles (containing neurotransmitters), to move toward the bottom of the terminal button.

21. Like a toilet bowl..gotta wait for the water to fill up again.
Refractory Periods
After all this excitement, the channels in the cell membranes will close up again (and this may take some time)
Imagine running a sprint. After you finish running, you will need a period of time (ARP) to calm down before you will run again.
After you completely recover, you can run again, but you will need some more intense motivation (RRP), because you don’t really feel like sprinting again.
Refractory Period
After a neuron has fired an action potential it pauses for a short period to recharge itself to fire again – at this time the inside potassium ions move out of the cell & cannot fire
Like a toilet bowl..gotta wait for the water to fill up again.

22. Other Action Potential Info…
This graph depicts the change, with time, in the electrical charge across a given point on the axon membrane as an action potential passes through that point.
To transmit the “message” the length of the axon takes less than one hundredth of a second!!
With each action potential, a small amount of sodium enters the cell and a small amount of potassium leaves it – to maintain the original balance of these elements, each portion of the axon has a sodium-potassium pump that continuously moves sodium out of the cell and potassium into it

23. http://highered. mheducation
Synapse -- a junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. This tiny gap is called the synaptic gap or cleft.
Axon Terminal buttons creates NEUROTRANSMITTERS. Go into gap, and received (from receptor sites) on dendrites. Create electrical impulse for the neuron.
All in 1/100th of a second!
OBJECTIVE 4-4| Describe how nerve cells communicate. Synapse was coined by Lord Sherrington ( ) who inferred it through behavioral experiments. Cajal ( ) described the synapse based on his anatomical studies of the brain.

24. Synaptic cleft & Neurotransmitters
Neurons don’t actually touch
Synaptic Cleft-microscopic gap between the terminal button of one neuron and the cell membrane of another neuron
This gap must be jumped in order for neurons to communicate
Presynaptic neuron- sends signal
Postsynaptic neuron- receives signal
How does this happen?
The arrival of an action potential at an axon’s terminal triggers the release of NEUROTRANSMITTERS- chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another
Collected together in little sacks called SYNAPTIC VESICLES
Vesicles fuse together with the membrane and spill contents into the synaptic gap
They may bind to certain areas at various receptor sites

25. All-or-none (PRINCIPLE) law
The neural impulse is like a toilet, either it fires or it doesn’t fire
Action potentials are all the same size as well
Neurons convey information about the strength of a stimulus by varying the rate at which they fire action potentials
Stronger stimulus- more rapid volley of neural impulses than a weaker stimulus

27. Flushing Neuron-Cat
Write these out on a separate sheet of paper (label and EXPLAIN)
All-or-Nothing Principle
Refractory Period
Resting Potential
Action Potential
Dendrites
Axon
Myelin Sheath
Terminal Buttons
Soma
Watch the cat again, however this time, watch it and imagine that the toilet flushing is like a neuron firing

29. NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Neurotransmitters (chemicals) released from the sending neuron, travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing it to generate an action potential.

30. OCD
High blood pressure

32. Neurotransmitters bind to the receptors of the receiving neuron in a key-lock mechanism.
OBJECTIVE 4-6| Explain how drugs and other chemicals affect neurotransmission, and describe the contrasting effects of agonists and antagonists.
Each neurotransmitter has an unique chemical configuration…
Neurotransmitters attach to specific receptors…like a puzzle piece fitting into its proper place, receptors will only accept or recognize one type of neurotransmitter

33. Neurotransmitters Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine (often abbreviated ACh) is the most common neurotransmitter. It is located in both the central nervous and peripheral nervous system
Acetylcholine was the first neurotransmitter be identified in 1914
As a neuromodulator it acts on basic autonomic and muscular fuctions
Sarin Gas disrupts its ability to function and often leads to death

34. Neurotransmitters Dopamine
Generally involved in regulatory motor activity
In the basal ganglia, involved in mood, sensory perception, and attention

35. Neurotransmitters Is an excitatory neurotransmitter
Glutamate
Is an excitatory neurotransmitter
Plays a role in learning and memory
Too much can cause seizures
Malfunction of glutamate has also been associated with Alzheimer's’

36. Epinephrine Neurotransmitters Also known as adrenaline
Causes the feeling of being
“revved up” or on edge
Activates a “fight or flight” reaction in the autonomic nervous system

37. Serotonin Neurotransmitters
Attention and other complex cognitive functions, such as sleep (dreaming), eating, mood, pain regulation
Neurons which use serotonin are distributed throughout the brain, stomach and spinal cord
Mood disorders

38. (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Neurotransmitters
GABA
(gamma-aminobutyric acid)
GABA is the most important and common inhibitory neurotransmitter
Stops the brain from becoming overexcited
Too much may cause hallucinations

39. Effects of drugs on N.S. Block actions of neurotransmitters
AGONISTS
ANTAGONISTS
Block actions of neurotransmitters
Occupy receptor site & prevent action.
a molecule, that by binding to a receptor site, inhibits or blocks a response
Botulin (poison found in improperly canned food) causes paralysis by blocking ACh release
We call it Botox and inject it into our faces to paralyze underlying facial muscles 
Mimic actions of neurotransmitters
Bind to receptors & generate PSP’s
a molecule that, by binding to a receptor site, stimulates a response
Opiate drugs can produce a temporary “high”

40. Outside substances, that mimic (Fit) into receptor site for neurotransmitter
Similar enough in structure that it mimics the neurotransmitters effect on the receiving neuron – often agonists INCREASE activity by inhibiting reputake
Sends message over and over again! (Drugs and effectiveness)
“Master Key”
Similar enough to occupy the receptor site and block its action, but not similar enough to stimulate activity
“Other Key”