1. Psychology in Action (8e) by Karen Huffman
PowerPoint  Lecture Notes Presentation
Chapter 2: Neuroscience and Biological Foundations
Karen Huffman, Palomar College
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

2. ©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007 Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Lecture Overview
Neural Bases of Behavior
Nervous System Organization
A Tour Through the Brain
Our Genetic Inheritance
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3. Neural Bases of Psychology
Neuroscience:
interdisciplinary field studying how biological processes relate to behavioral and mental processes
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4. Neural Bases of Psychology
The nervous system consists of neurons (cells responsible for receiving and transmitting electrochemical information).
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5. Neural Bases of Psychology: The Structure of a Neuron
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6. Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication
Within a neuron, communication occurs through an action potential (neural impulse that carries information along the axon of a neuron).
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7. Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication (Continued)
Between neurons, communication occurs through transmission of neural information across a synapse by neurotransmitters (chemicals released by neurons that alter activity in other neurons).
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

8. ©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007 Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication (Continued)
Receiving neurons receive multiple messages from other neurons, and these messages determine if an action potential occurs or not.
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9. Neural Bases of Psychology: Neural Communication (Continued)
Note how the axon terminals of sending neurons almost completely cover the cell body of the receiving neuron.
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10. Neural Bases of Psychology: Applying Psychology to Everyday Life
Major Neurotransmitters:
Serotonin
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Dopamine (DA)
Norepinephrine (NE)
Epinephrine (adrenaline)
GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)
Endorphins
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11. Neural Bases of Psychology: Receptor Sites
normal message
blocked message (wrong shape)
agonistic drugs mimic shape and enhance neurotransmitter
antagonistic drugs fill the site and block neurotransmitter
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12. Neural Bases of Psychology: How Hormones Affect Us
Endocrine System: collection of glands that manufacture and secrete hormones
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13. Nervous System Organization
Central Nervous System (CNS): includes the brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): includes all nerves and neurons connecting CNS to the rest of the body (subdivided into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems)
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14. Nervous System Organization
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15. Nervous System Organization: Central Nervous System (CNS)
Brain
Spinal Cord (transmits information into and out of the brain )
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16. Nervous System Organization: Central Nervous System (CNS)
The spinal cord is also responsible for involuntary, automatic behaviors called reflexes.
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17. ©John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007 Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)
Nervous System Organization: Subdivisions of the Peripheral Nervous System
Somatic Nervous System (SNS): connects to sensory receptors and controls skeletal muscles.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): controls involuntary bodily functions
ANS is subdivided into: Sympathetic Nervous System (arouses) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (calms)
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18. Nervous System Organization:
Parasympathetic and Sympathetic Nervous Systems
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19. A Tour Through the Brain
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20. A Tour Through The Brain: Hindbrain
Three key structures of the hindbrain:
Medulla: life survival functions
Pons: respiration, movement, waking, sleeping, and dreaming
Cerebellum: coordination of fine muscular movements, balance, and some aspects of perception and cognition
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

21. A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)
Midbrain: collection of brain structures in the middle of the brain that coordinates movement patterns, sleep, and arousal
(Reticular formation: runs through the hindbrain, midbrain, and brainstem and screens incoming information and controls arousal
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22. A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)
Forebrain: collection of upper-level brain structures, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, and limbic system
Thalamus: relays sensory messages to the cerebral cortex
Hypothalamus: responsible for emotions, drives, and regulating the body’s internal environment
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23. A Tour Through The Brain (Continued)
Limbic System: interconnected group of forebrain structures involved with emotions, drives, and memory
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24. A Tour Through The Brain: Cerebral Cortex
Cerebral Cortex: thin surface layer on the left and right cerebral hemispheres regulating most complex behavior, including sensations, motor control, and higher mental processes
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25. A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Cont.)
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26. A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
The frontal Lobes- receive and coordinate messages from other lobes and are responsible for motor control, speech production, and higher functions, such as thinking, personality, emotion, and memory.
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27. A Tour Through the Brain: The Importance of the Frontal Lobes
Phineas Gage’s mining accident sent a 13-pound tamping iron through his frontal lobes. How did this affect his short- and long-term behavior and mental processes?
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

28. A Tour Through The Brain: Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (Cont.)
Parietal Lobes: located at the top of the brain directly behind the frontal lobes and responsible for interpreting bodily sensations
Temporal Lobes: located on each side of the brain above the ears and responsible for audition, language comprehension, memory, and some emotional control
Occipital Lobes: located at the back of the brain responsible for vision and visual perception
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29. A Tour Through The Brain: The Motor Cortex and Somatosensory Cortex
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30. A Tour Through The Brain: Motor and Somatosensory Cortex (Cont.)
Why are the hands and face on this drawing so large? What do they represent?
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31. A Tour Through The Brain: Split-Brain Research
Severing the corpus callosum provides data regarding the functions of the brain’s two hemispheres.
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32. A Tour Through The Brain: Split-Brain Research (Continued)
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33. A Tour Through The Brain: Lateralization
The left and right hemispheres of the
brain each specialize
in particular operations.
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34. Our Genetic Inheritance
To answer questions about the influence of nature versus nurture, psychologists use behavioral genetics research.
Behavioral Genetics: studies the relative effects of nature (heredity, genes, and chromosomes) and nurture (environment) on behavior and mental processes.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

35. Our Genetic Inheritance: Genes & DNA
The nucleus of every cell in our body contains genes, which carry the code for hereditary transmission. These genes are arranged along chromosomes (strands of paired DNA).
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36. Our Genetic Inheritance: Genes & DNA
Tongue-curling is one of the only traits that depends on a specific dominant gene.
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37. Our Genetic Inheritance: Twin Research
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38. Our Genetic Inheritance
Evolutionary Psychology: studies how natural selection and adaptation help explain behavior and mental processes
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39. Our Genetic Inheritance
Sex differences in lateralization. Note how activation is confined to only one hemisphere in the male brain on the left, and how it occurs on both hemispheres in the female brain on the right.
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

40. Our Genetic Inheritance: Better Living Through Neuroscience
Neuroplasticity: brain’s lifelong ability to reorganize and change its structure and function
Neurogenesis: the division and differentiation of non-neuronal cells to produce neurons
Stem cells: Precursor (immature) cells that give birth to new specialized cells
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)

41. End of Chapter 2: Neuroscience and Biological Foundations
Psychology in Action (8e) by Karen Huffman
PowerPoint  Lecture Notes Presentation
End of Chapter 2: Neuroscience and Biological Foundations
Karen Huffman, Palomar College
©John Wiley & Sons, Inc Huffman: Psychology in Action (8e)