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
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
Neural Anatomy
• Dendrites • Cell Body (Soma) • Axon • Myelin Sheath • Terminal Buttons/Synaptic end-bulbs• Synapse • Neurotransmitters
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
Depolarization (Firing a Neuron)
• Threshold
• Resting potential
• Action potential
• Depolarization
• All-or-none principle
• Refractory period
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
Neurotransmitters
• Excitatory vs. inhibitory neurotransmitters
• Agonists vs. Antagonists
• Acetylcholine
• Endorphins
• Dopamine
• Serotonin
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
Old Brain Structures
• Brain Stem• Reticular activating system (RAS)• Medulla
• Thalamus • Cerebellum• Limbic System:
• Hypothalamus • Hippocampus• Amygdala
• Corpus Callosum
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
New Brain Structures
• Cerebral Cortex • Right and Left Hemispheres
• Split Brain Research
• Lobes:• Frontal
• Parietal
• Occipital
• Temporal
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
New Brain Structures, cont’d• Cortexes:
• Sensory Cortex
• Motor Cortex
• Speech Cortexes– Broca’s area– Wernicke’s area
• Visual cortex
• Hearing cortex
• Association areas
10/5/04 Module 7&8 - Bio-psychology
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