Neuroscience and Behavior PDF

NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR "Everything psychological is biological." As discussed in the previous chapter, psychology is the scientific study of human mind and behavior, and that psychology aims to understand the association of the mind and behavior. To fully understand how this wor...

NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR "Everything psychological is biological." As discussed in the previous chapter, psychology is the scientific study of human mind and behavior, and that psychology aims to understand the association of the mind and behavior. To fully understand how this works, it is essential to look into the processes of how the chemistry of the human body impacts how a person think, sense, and feel the environment that he/she is in. Nervous System: a communication network that transmits information by electrical signals called nerve cells and neurons. Neurons: basic cell of nervous system that transmit messages to each other. The transmission of messages happens when the neuron is triggered by sensory input. The human brain is made up of billons of neurons. GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR Parts of a neuron: -Cell body: controls growth of the nerve cell; contains the necessary cell action such as the nucleus, DNA, mitochondria, chromosomes, etc. -Dendrites: carry and receive message. -Axon: transmits electrical impulses from the cell body out to other neurons or glands or muscles, etc. -Myelin Sheath: protects the axon, that speeds up the transmission of messages. If this degrades, it may lead to a disease called multiple sclerosis, "a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of symptoms such as problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation and balance" (nhs.uk. retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/multiple-sclerosis/). Neurotransmitter: neurons communicate with neurotransmitters, and this communication produces motion and emotion. It affects mood, sleep, concentration, and can cause adverse symptoms when imbalanced. Excitatory Neurotransmitters: increase the likelihood that a neuron will fire an action potential or "send a message" to other neuron. -Norepinephrine: helps control alertness and arousal -Glutamate: involved in memory; an over-supply can cause seizures and migraines, can make a person become sensitive to MSG. GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR Inhibitory Neurotransmitter: decrease the likelihood of a neuron to release an action potential or "send a message" to other neurons. -Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA): helps calm the body after an exposure to stress or trauma. An imbalanced level of GABA in the system may cause depression, dystonia, hypersomnia, and many others. -Serotonin: affects a person's mood, sleep, and hunger patterns. Low levels of serotonin are linked to depression. -Acetylcholine: enables muscle action, learning, and memory. Low production of ACh may lead to Alzheimer's disease. -Dopamine: linked to movement, learning, attention, pleasure and emotion. Overproduction of dopamine is associated with schizophrenia. Endocrine System: the body's slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones: chemical messengers that manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the blood stream and affect other tissues. It affect our moods, arousal, and circadian rhythm, regulate our metabolism, monitor the immune system, signal growth, and help sexual reproduction. Adrenal Glands: secrete adrenaline, the hormone responsible for the fight-or-flight system GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR Pancreas: secretes insulin and glucagon hormones, that monitor your sugar intake. Thyroid and Parathyroid: secrete hormones that regulate your metabolism and monitor calcium levels. They are also responsible for sex hormones: estrogen and testosterone. Pituitary Gland: most vital gland in the endocrine system. It stimulates growth that is observed during physical development, and secretes oxytocin (love hormone) that promotes feelings of trust, love, and related feelings. The body's nervous system directs the endocrine system which in turn directs the nervous system, and the cycle goes on. "How do our brains' functions relate to the behavior of the mind?" Franz Joseph Gall: different parts of the brain control specific aspects of our behavior Central Nervous System (CNS): the body's command center. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): composes of the sensory and motor neurons which are also found in the CNS. To get a better picture of how the nervous system and the human behavior are linked, read the story of Phineas Gage (attached separately on the LMS). GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR The Brain. Every part of the brain is actively working even in simple tasks such as walking and talking. Understanding its composition is vital to better understand how your body, together with your personality and behavior, works. Brainstem: central core of the brain, where the spinal cord enters the skull Medulla: found at the base of the skull; controls most automatic functions such as beating of the heart, breathing of lungs, etc. Pons: helps coordinate movement Thalamus: found at the top of the brainstem; takes in sensory information such as seeing, hearing, touching, and tasting. Reticular Formation: essential for arousal (sleeping, walking, and even pain perception). Cerebellum: responsible for non-verbal learning and memory, perception of time, regulating motions. It also controls voluntary movement (e.g.: dancing); it gets easily impaired under the influence of alcohol (e.g.: tipsy/drunk). Limbic System: composed of amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus Amygdala: responsible for memory retention, as well as fear and aggression Hypothalamus: helps your body become steady; it regulates body temperatures, circadian rhythms, and hunger. Hippocampus: central to learning and memory; if damaged, a person may lose the ability to retain new facts and memories GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR Cerebrum, the largest section of the brain, consists of two hemispheres, and it make up 85% of the brain weight, and they oversee a person's ability to think, speak, and perceive. Corpus Callosum: connects the left and right hemispheres Cerebral Cortex: a thin layer that covers the left and right hemispheres, that consists of more than 20 billion interconnected neurons; and it is divided into four lobes: -Frontal Lobe: behind your forehead; involved in speaking, planning, judging, abstract thinking, and aspects of personality. -Parietal Lobe: receive and process the sense of touch and body position -Occipital Lobe: processes information concerning sight -Temporal Lobe: found above your ears, processes sound, including speech comprehension. Each area of the brain, each part of the nervous system, controls a specific area or function of the body. A damage on a specific lobe may lead a person to the inability to recognize faces; a traumatic experience, or having hormonal imbalance can greatly affect a person's behavior and emotions. All these show how biology and psychology are connected. "Everything psychological is biological" GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY