10/5/04module 7&8 - bio-psychology module 7 neural and hormonal systems it’s all about neurons...

10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology

Module 7 Neural and Hormonal Systems

• It’s all about Neurons– Neuron = a nerve cell– The basic building block of the nervous system

• All neurons in the body have the same basic structures and function in the same way


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(Wade and Tavris, 2003)


Neural Anatomy

• Dendrites • Cell Body (Soma) • Axon • Myelin Sheath • Terminal Buttons/Synaptic end-bulbs• Synapse • Neurotransmitters


Depolarization (Firing a Neuron)

• Threshold

• Resting potential

• Action potential

• Depolarization

• All-or-none principle

• Refractory period


Neurotransmitters

• Excitatory vs. inhibitory neurotransmitters

• Agonists vs. Antagonists

• Acetylcholine

• Endorphins

• Dopamine

• Serotonin


Structure of the Nervous System

• Central Nervous System• brain

• spinal cord

• Peripheral Nervous System• somatic nervous system

• autonomic nervous system– sympathetic nervous system

– parasympathetic nervous system


Module 8: The Brain

• Weight = 1300-1400 grams (about 3-3.5 lbs.)• 500 billion neurons• Each neuron may be connected (through a

synapse) to up to 10,000 other neurons• Has Plasticity

– The only organ that can possibly re-establish lost functions

– Plasticity lessens as we get older

• It’s the weirdest thing in the universe


Autopsy photograph of a damaged brain (Broca’s area)


How we study the brain

• Accidents

– - Phineas Gage

• Lesions

• e.g. frontal lobotomy

• Electrical Stimulation

• EEG scan

– Sleep research

• PET scan

• CAT scan

• MRI scan

• fMRI scan


Organization of the Brain

• One way to think about organization of the Brain: New Brain vs. Old Brain

• Evolutionary model– Brain organization is similar across mammals

• Old brain = what we had first (evolutionarily)

• New Brain = what developed later evolutionarily


Old Brain Structures

• Brain Stem• Reticular activating system (RAS)• Medulla

• Thalamus • Cerebellum• Limbic System:

• Hypothalamus • Hippocampus• Amygdala

• Corpus Callosum


New Brain Structures

• Cerebral Cortex • Right and Left Hemispheres

• Split Brain Research

• Lobes:• Frontal

• Parietal

• Occipital

• Temporal


New Brain Structures, cont’d• Cortexes:

• Sensory Cortex

• Motor Cortex

• Speech Cortexes– Broca’s area– Wernicke’s area

• Visual cortex

• Hearing cortex

• Association areas


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10/5/04module 7&8 - bio-psychology module 7 neural and hormonal systems it’s all about neurons...

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mammalsold brain

evolutionarilynew brain

nervous systemall neurons

damaged brain brocas

basic structures

universeautopsy photograph

hormonal systemsits

weirdest thing