1. CHAPTER 6: BODY AND BEHAVIOR

2. HOW THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WORKS
Divided into 2 parts:
1) Central Nervous System: brain and spinal cord
2) Peripheral NS: nerves branching out from the spinal cord

3. NEURONS
Def: the long, thin cells of nerve tissue along which messages travel to and from the brain
Use chemical-electrical signals
All-or-none principle: neuron either fires or does not

4. BASIC PARTS OF A NEURON 3 basic parts:
1) Cell Body: contains nucleus and produces energy for activity
2) Dendrites: short, thin fibers branching out from cell body; receive impulses from other neurons
3) Axon: long fiber that carries impulses from cell body
Myelin sheath: white, fatty substance that insulates axons
Axon terminals: branch out from end of axon; send msgs to next neuron

5. NEURON CONNECTION
Synapse: the gap that exists between individual nerve cells
Neurotransmitters: chemicals released by neurons, which determine the rate at which other neurons fire
Lock and key principle: specific NTs will excite or inhibit the next neuron

6. NEUROTRANSMITTERS Norepinephrine: involved in memory and learning
Endorphin: inhibits pain (analgesia)
Acetylcholine: movement and memory
Dopamine: learning, emotional arousal, movement
Serotonin: appetite, sleep, memory/learning, mood
Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA): muscle tone; tied to anxiety
Glutamate: excitatory relative of GABA; tied to ALS

7. NEURON ACTIVITY
Afferent neurons: sensory neurons; bring msgs from sense organs to the brain
Efferent neurons: motor neurons; send msgs from brain to glands and muscles
Interneurons: carry impulses between neurons

8. VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY
Somatic Nervous System (SNS): part of Peripheral NS that controls voluntary movement of skeletal muscles
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Part of PNS that controls internal biological functions

9. AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Split into 2 parts:
1) Sympathetic Nervous System: part of ANS that prepares the body for strenuous activities
2) Parasympathetic Nervous System: part of ANS that conserves energy to recover from strenuous activity

10. SECTION 2: STUDYING THE BRAIN
You all have fat heads!

11. HINDBRAIN
Def: part of the brain located at the rear base of the skull that is involved in the basic processes of life
Cerebellum: posture, balance, voluntary movements
Medulla: breathing, heart rate, various reflexes
Pons: connects spinal cord and brain

12. MIDBRAIN
Def: small part of the brain above the Pons that integrates sensory info and relays it upwards
Medulla, pons, and midbrain make up brain stem
Reticular Activating System: alerts brain to incoming signals

13. FOREBRAIN Def: part of the brain that covers the brain’s central core
Thalamus: integrates sensory info
Hypothalamus: 4-Fs—fight, flight, feeding, sexual behavior
Cerebral cortex: outer layer; learning, abstract thought, conscious thought, personality
Cerebrum: inner layer, covered by cortex

14. LIMBIC SYSTEM Part of Forebrain Hypothalamus
Amygdala: violent emotions
Thalamus
Hippocampus: formation of memories

15. LOBES OF THE BRAIN
Lobe: different regions into which the cerebral cortex is divided
Occipital Lobe: back of brain; vision
Parietal Lobe: back top; body senses
Temporal Lobe: sides; hearing, memory, emotion, speaking
Frontal Lobe: front top; organization, planning, creative thought

16. LEFT AND RIGHT HEMISPHERES
Connected by corpus callosum
Not separate---they complement each other

17. HEMISPHERE ACTIVITY LEFT BRAIN RIGHT BRAIN Right side of the body
Speech
Math
Logic
Calculation
Left side of the body
Visual and spatial relationships
Perceptual tasks
Creativity
Intuition

18. SPLIT-BRAIN OPERATIONS
Used to treat severe epilepsy
Helps stop grand mal seizures
Operation: sever corpus callosum
Shows unique functions of each hemisphere

19. HOW PSYCHOLOGISTS STUDY THE BRAIN

20. RECORDING Electrodes measure electrical activity in the brain
Electroencephalograph (EEG): machine used to record electrical activity of large portions of the brain

21. STIMULATION
Applying electrical current to specific locations in the brain
Can trigger smells, sounds, sights, emotions, memories, or control pain

22. LESIONS Cutting or destroying a part of the brain to study effects
Mostly on animals

23. ACCIDENTS Random Phineas Gage---located personality
Dr. Pierre Paul Broca---speech production

24. IMAGES
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT): used to pinpoint injuries and deterioration
Positron Emission Tomography (PET): used to see which areas are being activated while performing tasks
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): used to study brain structure and activity
Functional MRI (fMRI): observe both function and structure

25. SECTION 3: THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

26. ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
Def: a chemical communication system using hormones, by which msgs are sent through the bloodstream
Hormones: chemical substances that carry msgs through the body in blood

27. PITUITARY GLAND
Def: the center of control of the endocrine system; secretes large amts of hormones
“Master Gland”
Monitors hormone levels in blood and corrects imbalances

28. THYROID GLAND Produces thyroxine to stimulate tissues
Hypothyroidism: too little thyroxine; lethargy
Hyperthyroidism: too much thyroxine; overactive

29. ADRENAL GLANDS Activate when angry or scared
Release epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine
Releases cortical steroids to develop muscles

30. SEX GLANDS Testes: male; produce testosterone
Ovaries: female; produce estrogen and progesterone

31. HORMONES VS. NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Hormones used for slower, more widespread communication
NTs used for rapid, specific msgs

32. SECTION 4: HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT
Genes establish what you could be and the environment defines the final product…

33. HEREDITY
Def: the genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to their offspring
Sir Francis Galton: Hereditary Genius (1869)---started nature vs. nurture debate
John Watson emphasized environment

34. TWINS
Identical twins: twins who come from one fertilized egg; have the same heredity (monozygotic)
Genes: basic building blocks of heredity
Fraternal twins: twins who come from 2 different eggs fertilized by 2 different sperm (dizygotic)

35. TWIN STUDIES Identical twins are preferable
Studying Iden. twins separated at birth gives good indications of what is genetic and what is environment