1. ESSENTIALS OF PSYCHOLOGY
8TH EDITION
By Robert Feldman
Powerpoint slides by Kimberly Foreman

2. NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR
CHAPTER TWO:
NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR

3. MODULE 5: Neurons: The Basic Elements of Behavior
Why do psychologists study the brain and nervous system?
What are the basic elements of the nervous system?
How does the nervous system communicate electrical and chemical messages from one part to another?

4. The Structure of the Neuron
Neurons (Nerve cells)
Basic elements of the nervous system
As many as 1 trillion
Figure 1 of Module 5

5. The Structure of the Neuron
Dendrites
Clusters of fibers that receive messages from other neurons
Axon
Carries messages received by the dendrites to other neurons

6. The Structure of the Neuron
Terminal buttons
Sends messages to other neurons
Myelin sheath
Protective coating of fat and protein that wraps around the axon like links of sausage

7. How Neurons Fire Transmit an electrical impulse along the axon
All-or-none law
Resting state
Action potential
Mirror neurons
Figures 2 and 3 of Module 5

8. Where Neurons Meet: Bridging the Gap
Synapse
Space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neuron by using chemical messages
Figure 4 of Module 5

9. Where Neurons Meet: Bridging the Gap
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that carry messages across the synapse to a dendrite of a receiving neuron
Excitatory messages
Increase likelihood that neuron will fire
Inhibitory messages
Decrease likelihood that neuron will fire
Reuptake
Reabsorption by the terminal button
SSRIs

10. Neurotransmitters: Multitalented Chemical Couriers
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Glutamate
Gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA)
Dopamine (DA)
Serotonin
Endorphins
Figure 5 of Module 5

11. MODULE 6: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System: Communicating Within the Body
How are the structures of the nervous system linked together?
How does the endocrine system affect behavior?

12. The Nervous System: Linking Neurons
Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems
Central nervous system
Spinal cord
Reflex
Sensory (afferent) neurons
Motor (efferent) neurons
Interneurons

13. The Nervous System: Linking Neurons
Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems
Peripheral Nervous System
Somatic division
Voluntary movements
Autonomic division
Controls organs that function automatically

14. Activating the Divisions of the Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic Division
Acts to prepare the body for action in stressful situations by engaging all of the organism’s resources to run away or confront the threat
“Fight or flight”
Parasympathetic Division
Calms the body after emergency ends

15. Figure 3 of Module 6

16. The Evolutionary Foundations of the Nervous System
Evolutionary Psychology
Branch of psychology that seeks to identify how behavior is influenced and produced by our genetic inheritance from our ancestors

17. The Evolutionary Foundations of the Nervous System
Behavioral Genetics
Studies the effects of heredity on behavior
Molecular genetics and psychological disorders
Genetic markers
Behavioral genetics, gene therapy, and genetic counseling

18. The Endocrine System: of Chemicals and Glands
Chemical communication network that sends messages throughout the body via the bloodstream
Hormones
Pituitary gland
“Master gland”
Figure 4 of Module 6

19. MODULE 7: The Brain
How do researchers identify the major parts and functions of the brain?
What are the major parts of the brain, and for what behaviors is each part responsible?

20. MODULE 7: The Brain
How do the two halves of the brain operate interdependently?
How can an understanding of the nervous system help us find ways to alleviate disease and pain?

21. Studying the Brain’s Structure and Functions: Spying on the Brain
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

22. Figure 1 of Module 7

23. The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”
Hindbrain
Medulla
Breathing and heartbeat
Pons
Transmitter of motor information
Cerebellum
Balance
Figure 3 of Module 7

24. The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”
Reticular formation
Passes through the midbrain and into the forebrain
Activates other parts of the brain to produce bodily arousal

25. The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”
Thalamus
Relay station for information about the senses
Hypothalamus
Homeostasis

26. The Central Core: Our “Old Brain”
The Limbic System: Beyond the Central Core
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Figure 4 of Module 7

27. The Cerebral Cortex: Our “New Brain”
Gives the ability to think, evaluate, and make complex judgments
Lobes
Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital
Figure 5 of Module 7

28. The Cerebral Cortex: Our “New Brain”
The Motor Area of the Cortex
Largely responsible for the body’s voluntary movement
The Sensory Area of the Cortex
Corresponds to body sensations
Somatosensory area
Touch
Pressure

29. Somatosensory Area
Figure 7 of Module 7

30. The Cerebral Cortex: Our “New Brain”
The Association Areas of the Cortex
Executive functions
Higher mental processes such as thinking, language, memory, and speech
Broca’s aphasia
Wernicke’s aphasia

31. Neuroplasticity and the Brain
The brain continually reorganizing itself
Neurogenesis
New neurons created in certain areas of the brain during adulthood

32. The Specialization of the Hemispheres: Two Brains or One?
Left and right symmetrical halves
Lateralized
Left
Verbal competence
Processes information sequentially
Right
Spatial relationships
Recognition of patterns and drawings
Music
Emotional expression
Processes information globally

33. The Split Brain: Exploring the Two Hemispheres
Split-brain patients
Corpus callosum surgically cut
Figure 8 of Module 7