Biological Perspective Handout

7/10/2012

1

The Biological Perspective

Free powerpoint template: www.brainybetty.com2

Neuroscience

Structure and

Function

Neurons

NervesNervous Tissue

Behavior

and

Learning

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The Nervous System

Nervous System

Central

Brain Spinal Cord

Peripheral

Autonomic

Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Somatic


The Neuron


Soma: The

Life Force

Dendrites:

The

Receivers

Axon: The

SenderMyelin:

The

Protector

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Glial Cells

Nutrition

Support Myelination

Cleanup


Myelin Sheath


Oligodendrocytes

Schwann cells

Insulation

Protection

Speeding Up

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PASS THE MESSAGE: HOW

NEURONS COMMUNICATE

Question: Why did the chicken cross the road?

Answer: Because a road-crossing triggered a neuron in the chicken’s

cerebral cortex which activated a group of walking-pattern units in its

brainstem, which in turn sent rhythmic groups of electrical impulses

to motor neurons in the spinal cord…

- Alan Fletcher, The Art of Looking Sideways


Copyright ©

Pearson Education 2012

Generating the Message: The Neural Impulse

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Generating the MessageNeural Impulse

• All or none – like

the firing of a gun,

the neuron either

fires completely or

it does not fire at all

Copyright ©

Pearson Education 2012

The Synapse

2.2 How do neurons use neurotransmitters to

communicate with each other and with the body?

Neurotransmitters

Receptor site

Synaptic vesicle

Synapse

Synaptic knob of presynaptic

neuronNerve impulse

Surface of postsynapticneuron

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Neuron Communication

Excitatory Synapse

The On Switch

Inhibitory Synapse

The Off Switch


Major Neurotransmitters


Serotonin

Dopamine

AcetylcholineEndorphins

Mood, sleep &

appetite

Movement

control and

pleasure

Arousal, attention,

memory, & muscle

contractions

Pain relief

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Major Neurotransmitters


GABANorepinephrine Glutamate

Sleep &

inhibition of

movement

Arousal and

mood

Learning, memory

formation, nervous

system development,

and synaptic plasticity

Neuron Communication: The

Impostors

Agonists

The Enhancers

Antagonists The Blockers


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Synapse Cleanup

• Neurotransmitters are taken back into synaptic vesicles

Reuptake

• Neurotransmitters are broken down in the synaptic gap

• Faster than reuptake (Acetylcholine )

Enzymes


The Laws of ChemistryDr. Helen Fischer

To Score:

• Strongly Disagree = 1 (point)

• Disagree = 2

• Agree = 3

• Strongly Agree = 4

Add up the number of points in each of the four sections: 1-4

(Explorer); 5-8 (Builder); 9-12 (Negotiator); 13-16

(Director).


Fisher, H. (2007). The laws of chemistry. Psychology Today. Retrieved from

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200704/the-laws-chemistry

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The Laws of ChemistryDr. Helen Fischer

Explorer

• Dopamine

• Risk-taking, novelty-seeking, impulsive, creative and curious

Builder

• Serotonin

• Social, popular, cautious (but not fearful), rule following, conventional, religious or spiritual

Negotiator

• Estrogen

• Verbally skilled, empathic, contextual thinkers, compassionate, nurturing, imaginative & agreeable

Director

• Testosterone

• Direct, decisive, focused, competitive, analytical and logical, skilled with machines

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Fisher, H. (2007). The laws of chemistry. Psychology Today. Retrieved from

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200704/the-laws-chemistry

THE BRAIN, THE BRAIN, THE

CENTER OF THE CHAIN

“The brain is silent, the brain is dark, the brain tastes nothing, the

brain hears nothing. All it receives are electrical impulses – not the

sumptuous chocolate melting sweetly, not the oboe solo like the flight

of a bird, not the tingling caress, not the pastels of peach and lavender

at sunset over a coral reef – just impulses.” – Diane Ackerman, A

Natural History of the Senses


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Commander

Messenger

Central Nervous System

BRAIN

SPINAL CORD

How to Read Minds

Deep Lesioning

• Destroy brain cells using electrical current

Electrical Stimulation of the Brain

• Stimulate neural activity using mild electrical currents

• Invasive or non-invasive


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How to Read Minds(The Safer Way)


EEG

CT

PET

fMRI

MRI

The HindbrainStaying Alive

Cerebellum: The Little Brain

• Involuntary, rapid, fine motor movement

Pons: The Bridge

• Sleep, dreaming left-right coordination & arousal

Medulla: The Life Force

• Life-sustaining functions

Reticular Formation: Attention-Getter

• Selective attention

• Alertness and arousal


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The Hindbrain

Limbic SystemWhat Lies Beneath

Learning

Emotion

Memory

Motivation

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The CortexThe Meat of the Matter (and proof that

wrinkles can be a good thing)

Cortex

• Outermost layer with densely packed neurons

• Higher thought processes, interpret sensory input

Corticalization

• Wrinkling of cortex

• Wrinkles maximize small space inside the skull

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Four Lobes of the BrainFrontal

•Higher mental

processes and decision

making

•Fluent speech

Parietal

•Touch, taste, and

temperature sensations

Temporal

•Primary auditory cortex

•Auditory association

cortex

Occipital

•Primary visual cortex

•Visual association

cortex

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Motor & Somatosensory Areas

MOTOR CORTEXSOMATOSENSORY

CORTEX

Association Areas of CortexCoordinator and Interpreter

• Damage to Broca’s area (left frontal lobe)

• Difficulty with speech production

Broca’sAphasia

• Damage to Wernicke’s area (left temporal lobe)

• Difficulty with verbal comprehension

Wernicke’sAphasia

• Damage to association areas of right hemisphere

• Cannot recognize objects or body parts in the left visual field

Spatial Neglect

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CORPUS CALLOSUM•The bridge between left

and right hemispheres

•Sometimes severed to

reduce seizures – split-

brain research•Send messages to one side

of brain

•Left visual field � Right

hemisphere (and vice

versa)

•Determined specialization

Split-Brain Research

Controls the right hand Controls the left hand

Spoken language Non-verbal

Written language Visual-spatial perception

Mathematical calculations Music and artistic processing

Logical thought processesEmotional thought and

recognition

Analysis of detail Processes the whole

ReadingPattern recognition

Facial recognition

Hemispheres of The Brain

Left HemisphereRight Hemisphere

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THE CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL

NERVOUS SYSTEM


Commander

Messenger

Central Nervous System

BRAIN

SPINAL CORD

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The Reflex Arc: Three Types of

Neurons

Interneuron

Efferent

Neuron

(Motor)

Afferent

Neuron

(Sensory)

SOMATIC

AUTONOMIC

Sympathetic

Senses CNS

Voluntary Muscles

Involuntary muscles, organs

& glandsParasympathetic

Peripheral Nervous SystemBeyond the CNS

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ParasympatheticRest and Digest

SympatheticFight or Flight

The Endocrine GlandsBlame It on the Hormones

Documents

Biological Perspective Handout