Psychology Chapter 6: Body and Behavior

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Psychology Chapter 6Body and Behavior
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The Nervous System The Basic Structure

• How the nervous system works
• It never rests
• Controls our emotions, movements, thinking and
  behavior
• It is divided into 2 parts (Figure 6.1)
• Central Nervous System (CNS)
• Consists of the brain and spinal cord
• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
• Smaller Branches of nerves that reach other parts
  of the body from the spinal cord (thickness of a
  pencil)
• Take information from the organs to the CNS and
  from the CNS back to the organs
• Each is protected by something
• Brain by the skull and several layers of
  sheathing
• Spinal cord by the vertebrae
• Peripheral nerves by layers of sheathing

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The Nervous System cont.

• Neurons (Figure 6.2) Photos and video
• Nerves are long, thin cells called neurons
• Messages travel along these
• Neurons can fire (or transmit signals) hundreds
  of times a minute
• Neurons have three basic parts
• The cell body
• Contains the nucleus and produces the energy
  needed to fuel neuron activity
• Dendrites
• Short, thin fibers that stick out from the cell
  body and receive impulses from other neurons and
  send them to the cell body
• Axons
• Long fiber that carries the impulses away from
  the cell body toward the dendrites of the next
  neuron
• Other structures
• Myelin Sheath white, fatty substance insulates
  and protects the axon
• If it is destroyed, behavior of the person can be
  erratic and uncoordinated (as in MS)
• Speeds the transmission of impulses
• Axon terminals branch out from the end of the
  axon, they are positioned directly opposite of
  the dendrite.

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Neuron Diagram
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Connection between Neurons

• Neuron connection (Figure 6.3)
• Synapse the space between the axon terminals of
  one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron.

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Neurons/Synapse cont.

• Synapse
• This is the junction or connection between
  neurons
• Neurons transmit impulses or messages across this
  space using neurotransmitters
• c) Neurotransmitters are chemicals that either
  excite the next neuron or stop it from
  transmitting
• There are different types of neurotransmitters
• Norepinephrine involved in memory or learning
• Endorphin inhibits pain
• Acetylocholine involved in movement and memory
  (associated with paralysis and Alzheimers)
• Dopamine involved in learning, emotional
  arousal and movement (too much is associated with
  schizophrenia and too little with Parkinsons)
• Serotonin (an undersupply linked with a lack of
  norepinephrine is associated with depression)

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Nervous System cont.

• Voluntary and Involuntary Activities
• Somatic Nervous System (SNS) refers to the part
  of the peripheral nervous system that controls
  voluntary activities
• Body making a response to impulses from the
  nerves like turning a page in a book
• Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) refers to the
  part of nervous system that controls involuntary
  activities, or those that occur automatically
• Your heartbeat, breathing, stomach activity
• Has two parts
• Sympathetic nervous system prepares the body
  for dealing with emergencies or strenuous
  activities
• Speeds up the heart to hasten the supply of blood
  and nutrients to body tissues
• Parasympathetic nervous system works to
  conserve energy and to enhance the bodys ability
  to recover from strenuous activity
• Reduces heart rate and blood pressure to bring
  the body back to its resting state

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Nervous System Diagram
Section 1 Review
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Studying the Brain
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Studying the Brain cont.
The Brain is composed of 3 parts

• The Hindbrain
• Located at the rear base of the skull
• Involved in the most basic processes of life
• Includes
• The cerebellum
• The medulla
• The pons

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Studying the Brain cont.
2. The Midbrain

1. Integrates sensory information
2. Alerts the rest of the brain to incoming signals
   and is involved in the sleep/wake cycle

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Studying the Brain Cont
3. The Forebrain

• All information from the senses, minus smell,
  come through the thalamus
• Controls hunger, thirst, sexual behavior,
  reaction to temperature
• Higher level thinking processes
• Ability to learn and store complex and abstract
  information project thinking into the future
• See, read and understand
• Regulates emotions and motivations
• Includes
• Thalamus
• Cerebral Cortex
• Cerebrum
• Limbric System
• Hypothalamus, amygdala (violent emotions and
  fear), thalamus and hippocampus (memory)

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Studying the Brain cont.
Lobes of the Brain

• Cerebrum is split into 2 sides or hemispheres
• Connected by the corpus callosum

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Studying the Brain cont.

• 2. Occipital Lobe
• Where visual signals are processed
• Damage may cause visual impairment

• 3. Parietal Lobe
• Receives and deals with information from all the
  senses

• 4. Temporal Lobe
• Concerns hearing, memory, emotion and thinking

• 5. Frontal Lobe
• Concerned with organization, planning and
  creative thinking

• 6. Somatosensory Cortex
• Receives information from the touch sensors

• 7. Motor Cortex
• Sends information to control body movement

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Studying the Brain cont.
The Hemispheres

1. Each work together to compliment and help each
   other
2. Corpus callosum carries information back and
   forth between the hemispheres and the lobes
   (each of the 4 lobes are present in both
   hemispheres)

• 3. Left Hemisphere
• Controls movement on the right side of the body
• Where speech is located (in most people)
• Specialized for mathematical ability, calculation
  and logic

• 4. Right Hemisphere
• Controls the left side of the body
• Adept at visual and spatial relations
• Perceptual tasks
• Recognizing patterns (music and art)
• Creativity and intuition

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Studying the Brain cont.
Split Brain Operations

1. Usually done to those with severe seizures

• 2. Cuts the corpus callosum
• Lowers the severity and number of seizures
• Information cannot cross into other spheres
• Person with a split brain can hold a ball in
  their right hand and say it was a ball, but not
  holding it in their left hand.

• Shows how unique and the specialize functions and
  skills of each hemisphere
• Remained practically unchanged in intelligence,
  emotion and personality

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Studying the Brain cont.
How do Psychologists study the brain?

• 1. Recording
• Putting electrodes into the brain to record
  electrical activity
• EEG electroencephalograph. Millions and
  millions of neurons can be studied at one time
  with an EEG attached to the scalp
• Shows brain waves which show the amount of neural
  activity

• 2. Stimulation
• Fires off neurons by electricity
• Can show what areas of the brain do
• Memories
• Songs
• Smells

• 3. Lesions
• Cutting or destroying areas of healthy brain
  tissue and studying the results

• 4. Accidents
• Studying the results of accidents and medical
  issues
• Phineas Gage
• Coma patients
• Traumatic head injuries

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Studying the Brain cont.

• 5. Images
• CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) scans
• Transfers the amount of radiation absorbed by the
  density of brain tissue into a 3 dimensional view
  of the brain
• PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans
• Shows the absence or presence state of activity
  in an area of the brain through radioactive dye
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• Ability to study both activity and brain
  structure
• Uses both CAT and PET scanning capabilities
• fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• New, can see the blow flow into active areas to
  determine activity and functionality

Section 2 Review
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The Endocrine System
Endocrine system sends chemical messages to and
from the brain

• 1. Chemical messages used to send are called
  hormones
• Produced by the glands and send by blood and
  other bodily fluids
• Once in the blood stream, they can only be
  received by the specific organs that they can
  influence
• Ductless, they dont need pores or ducts (small
  holes) to release to an organ (sweat glands, tear
  glands, salivary glands)
• Various effects on behavior and moods
• Growth of organs, muscles and bones

• 2. Pituitary Gland
• Directed by the hypothalamus
• Secretes a large number of hormones, many of
  which control the output of other hormones
• Corrects imbalances of hormones in the body
• Keeps metabolism in check despite outside
  influences
• Control growth and reproduction

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The Endocrine System cont.

• 3. Thyroid Gland
• Produces thyroxine
• Stimulates chemical reactions for all tissues
• Too little, people feel lazy too much people
  lose weight, sleep too much and are overactive

• 4. Adrenal Gland
• Become active when someone is angry or frightened
• Release Epinephrine (adrenaline) and
  norepinephrine (nor adrenaline)
• Speed up heart rate and breathing heighten
  emotion extra energy
• Secret cortical steroids
• Help muscle develop and cause the liver to
  release stored sugar for extra energy in
  emergencies

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The Endocrine System cont.

• 5. Sex Glands
• 2 Types
• Testes male
• Produce sperm and testosterone (sex hormone)
• Ovaries females
• Produce eggs and estrogen and progesterone
• Testosterone
• Important to physical development of males during
  the prenatal and adolescence periods
• Prenatal helps decide the sex of the fetus
• Adolescence development of bone and muscle,
  male sex characteristics
• Estrogen and progesterone
• Development of the female sex characteristics
• Regulate the reproductive cycle
• Variances of the hormones cause the symptoms of
  PMS

• 6. Hormones vs. Neurotransmitters Difference
• When the chemical is released right beside a cell
  to excite or inhibit it, it is a neurotransmitter
• When a chemical is released into the blood, it is
  a hormone

Section 3 Review
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Heredity and the Environment

• 1. Is human behavior instinctive (due to
  heredity) or learned (environment)
• Heredity is the genetic transmission of
  characteristics from parents to their offspring

2. Nature vs. Nuture

• a. Genes and behavior
• Reproduced and passed onto children
• Occur through their role in building and
  modifying the physical structures of the body

• b. Twin studies
• Identical twins develop from the same single,
  fertilized egg, thus sharing the same genes
• Fraternal twins develop from 2 fertilized eggs,
  not more similar genes than brothers or sisters
• One study showed that twins growing up apart from
  one another showed similar behaviors, despite
  different socials, cultural and economic
  backgrounds
• Suggests heredity may contribute to behaviors
  once thought more environment in nature
• It is possible though to alter the environment
  that genes operate in thus changes these
  hereditary ideas

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Heredity and the Environment
Section 4 Review
Chapter 6 Study Guide
Chapter 6 Review Quiz
Chapter 6 Test