midterm.docx

**Physiological / Biological Psychology** **\ ** **I. NATURE AND SCOPE OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY** **Physiological Psychology** is a field of Psychology that studies the biological foundations of human behaviour. This field of study emphasizes the structure and functions of the nervous system and...

**Physiological / Biological Psychology** **\ ** **I. NATURE AND SCOPE OF BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY** **Physiological Psychology** is a field of Psychology that studies the biological foundations of human behaviour. This field of study emphasizes the structure and functions of the nervous system and the neuroendocrine system. It specially focuses on recent research findings on neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. - **Physiology** is a branch of Biology that studies the dynamics of tissues and organ system. - **Psychology** on the other hand is a science that looks into the ways that animals and human beings adjust or cope with the world around them. **Biopsychology** is the scientific study of the biology of human behavior (Pinel,2004). It has its roots from the work of **O.D Hebb** who developed the first comprehensive theory of how complex psychological phenomena such as perceptions, emotions and thoughts and memories that brain activity may produce. It was first known in **1949** through Hebb's first publication, **"The Organization of Behavior".** **Importance of Physiological Psychology:** **Disciplines of neuroscience that are related to Biopsychology:** Nobel Prize Winner Date Accomplishment --------------------------------------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------------- Ivan Pavlov 1904 Research on the physiology of digestion Camilo Golgi & Ramon Cajal 1906 Structure of the nervous system Charles Sherington & Edgar Adrain 1932 Discoveries about the functions of the nervous system Henry Dael & Otto Loewi 1936 Discoveries about the transmission of nerve impulses Joseph Erlanger & Herbert Gasser 1944 Functions of single nerve fibers Walter Hess 1949 Role of the brain in controlling behavior Egas Moniz 1949 Development of prefrontal lobotomy George Von Bekesy 1961 Research on auditory system John Eccles, Allan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley 1963 Research on the ionic basis of neural transmission Ragnor Granit, Haldan Hartline and George Wald 1967 Chemistry and physiology of the visual system Bernard Katz, Ulf Von Euler, Julius Axelrod 1970 Discoveries related to synaptic transmission Karl von Frisch, Konrad Lorenz, Nicolas Tinbergin 1973 Studies of animal behavior Roger Guillemin, Andrew Schally 1977 Discoveries related to hormone production by the brain Herbert Simon 1979 Research on human cognition Roger Sperry 1981 Research on differences between the cerebral hemisphere David Hubel & Torstein Wiesel 1981 Research on information processing in the visual system Rita Levy Montalcini, Stanley Cohen 1986 Discovery and study of nerves and epidermal growth factor Erwin Neher & Berk Sakmann 1991 Research on ion channels Alfred Gilman & Martin Rodbell 1994 Discovery of G-protein coupled receptors **II. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM** **Importance of studying the Nervous System** - It helps us understand sensory functions and how they aid in perception. - It helps us understand neural activity in connection with muscular movement and coordination. - It shed light on the relation of internal states such as emotions and drives. - It aids in understanding how brain cells function in learning and memory. - It has practical implications to maladjustment and behavioral disorders. **Basic questions about the human brain:** **Methods and approaches:** **Microscopic view of the Nervous System** **Parts of the nerve cell** - contains the nucleus; it includes the genetic instructions and also controls all metabolic activities of the cell - contains millions of protein molecules, lipid molecules, RNA molecules and potassium ions. - It primarily receives and integrates sensory information. - conducts impulses away from the cell body - **Axonal transport or protoplasmic streaming** is the process by which materials synthesized in the cell body are transported to the distant axons and dendrites. - extension of nerve cells that arise from the cell body and branch out in highly complex ways. **Types of nerve cells** **The glial cells** They are the most abundant cells found in the region of the primate brain. Functions: **Synaptic transmission** **The Central Nervous System** **4. Diencephalon** **D. Telencephalon** ** Hippocampus** ** Corpus Callosum** -- a deep bridge of nerve fibers that connects the 2 cerebral hemispheres. It has an intricate pattern of folds --hills and valleys- called convolutions to fit inside the skull. **Sensory projection area** -- it is where messages from sense receptors register **Motor projection area** -- it is where response messages start their trip down the brain stem to "tell" the muscles and glands what to do  ** Lobes of the brain:**