+Myer’s PSYCHOLOGY
(5th Ed)
Chapter 2
Neuroscience, Genetics
and Behavior
James A. McCubbin, PhD
Clemson University
Worth Publishers
Neural
Communication
+
 Biological
Psychology
 branch
of psychology concerned with the links between
biology and behavior
 some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral
neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior
geneticists, physiological psychologist, or
biopsychologists
 Neuron
a
nerve cell
 the basic building block of the nervous system
Neural Communication
+
Neural Communication
+
 Dendrite
 the
bushy, branching extensions of a neuron that receive
messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body
 Axon
 the
extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal
fibers, through which messages are sent to other
neurons or to muscles or glands
 Myelin
a
[MY-uh-lin] Sheath
layer of fatty cells segmentally encasing the fibers of
many neurons
 makes possible vastly greater transmission speed of
neural impulses
Neural
Communication
+
Action
Potential
a
neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that
travels down an axon
 generated by the movement of positively
charges atoms in and out of channels in the
axon’s membrane
Threshold
 the
level of stimulation required to trigger a
neural impulse
Neural Communication
+
+
Ms. Mah’s Quick Check-in
1.
The extensions of a neuron that receive messages from
other neurons are the __________________.
2.
The extension of the neuron that transmits information to
other neurons is the ______________; some of these
extensions are insulated by a layer of fatty cells called the
________________ ___________________, which helps
speed the neurons impulses.
3.
The fluid interior of a resting axon carries mostly
__________________ (positively/negatively) charged ions.
4.
An action potential occurs when the fluid part of the axon
opens its gates and ________________ charged ions rush
in causing that part of the neuron to become
_____________
Neuron to Neuron
Communication
+
Neural Communication
+
 Synapse
[SIN-aps]
 junction
between the axon tip of the sending neuron
and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
 tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or
cleft
 Neurotransmitters
 chemical
messengers that pass through the synaptic
gaps between neurons
 when released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to
receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby
influencing whether it will generate a neural impulse
Neural
Communication
+
+
Neural
Communication
Acetylcholine
[ah-seat-el-KO-leen]
a
neurotransmitter that, among its functions,
triggers muscle contraction
Endorphins
 “morphine
[en-DOR-fins]
within”
 natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters
 linked to pain control and to pleasure
+
Ms. Mah’s Quick Check-in
 The
chemical messengers that convey information
across the gaps between neurons are called
__________________.
 The
junction between two neurons is called a
_______________________, and the gap is called the
_______________________
_________________________.
 Naturally
occurring opiatelike neurotransmitters
that are present in the brain are called
________________________.
+Neural and Hormonal
Systems
 Nervous
System
 the
body’s speedy, electrochemical communication
system
 consists of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and
central nervous systems
 Central
 the
Nervous System (CNS)
brain and spinal cord
 Peripheral
 the
Nervous System (PNS)
sensory and motor neurons that connect the central
nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body
+Neural and Hormonal
Systems
Nervous
system
Peripheral
Central
(brain and
spinal cord)
Central Nervous
System
+
Nerves
 neural
“cables” containing many axons
 part of the peripheral nervous system
 connect the central nervous system with
muscles, glands, and sense organs
Sensory
 neurons
Neurons
that carry incoming information from
the sense receptors to the central nervous
system (Brings info in)
Central Nervous
System
+
Motor
Neurons
 carry
outgoing information from the CNS to
muscles and glands (Sends info out)
Interneurons
 CNS
neurons that internally communicate and
intervene between the sensory inputs and motor
outputs
+
Nervous
system
Central
(brain and
spinal cord)
Peripheral
Autonomic (controls
self-regulated action of
internal organs and glands)
Skeletal/Somantic (controls
voluntary movements of
skeletal muscles)
Sympathetic
(arousing)
Parasympathetic
(calming)
Peripheral Nervous
System
+
 Autonomic
Nervous System
 the
part of the peripheral nervous system that controls
the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such
as the heart)
 Sympathetic
Nervous System
 division
of the autonomic nervous system that arouses
the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
 Parasympathetic
 division
Nervous System
of the autonomic nervous system that calms the
body, conserving its energy
+Neural Systems
+
Hormonal Systems
+Reflex
a
simple, automatic, inborn response to a
sensory stimulus
Brain
Sensory neuron
(incoming information)
Muscle
Skin
receptors
Motor neuron
(outgoing
information)
Interneuron
Spinal cord
+
Quick Check-in
 With
the person sitting next to you please
explain how information travels within the
nervous system. Be sure to discuss sensory,
motor and interneurons.
 Now
its your partner’s turn….Discuss the
peripheral nervous system, explaining how
the autonomic nervous system works. Be
sure to discuss sympathetic and
parasympathetic systems.
+The Brain and Neural
Networks
Neurons in the brain
connect with one
another to form networks
Inputs
The brain learns by modifying
certain connections in
response to feedback
 Neural
Networks
 interconnected
neural
cells
 with experience,
networks can learn, as
Outputs feedback strengthens or
inhibits connections that
produce certain results
 Each neural network is
sub network contributing
information to brain
+Endocrine System
 Second
of body’s
communication
system
 the
body’s “slow”
chemical
communication
system
a
set of glands that
secrete hormones into
the bloodstream
+Endocrine System
 Hormones

chemical messengers that are produced in one tissue and affect
another  produced by glands in endocrine system
 Adrenal


a pair of endocrine glands just above the kidneys
secrete the hormones epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine
(noradrenaline), which help to arouse the body in times of stress
 Pituitary

[ah-DREEN-el] Glands
Gland
under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates
growth and controls other endocrine glands
+
Quick Check-in
 The
endocrine system transmits through chemical
messengers called _________________ at a much
_______________ (faster/slower) rate than the
nervous system.
 The
most influential gland is the
__________________ gland, which under the control
of the adjacent brain area called the
____________________, helps release hormones by
other endocrine glands.
The Brain
+

Lesion

tissue destruction

a brain lesion is a naturally or
experimentally caused
destruction of brain tissue
Electroencephalogra
m (EEG)
+
 an
amplified
recording of the
waves of electrical
activity that sweep
across the brain’s
surface
 these waves are
measured by
electrodes placed on
the scalp
The Brain
+
 CT

(computed tomograph) Scan
Medical imaging procedure that uses computer-processed x-rays to
produce ‘slices’ (cross-sectional image) of specific areas of body
 PET

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive
form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
 MRI

(positron emission tomograph) Scan
(magnetic resonance imaging)
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer –
generated images that distinguish among different types of soft
tissue; allows us to see structures within the brain.
The Brain
+
Brainstem
 the
oldest part and central core of the brain,
beginning where the spinal cord swells as it
enters the skull
 responsible for automatic survival functions
Medulla
 base
[muh-DUL-uh]
of the brainstem
 controls heartbeat and breathing
The Brain
+
The Brain
+
Reticular
Formation
a
nerve network in the brainstem that plays an
important role in controlling arousal
Thalamus
 the
[THAL-uh-muss]
brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top
of the brainstem
 it directs messages to the sensory receiving
areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the
cerebellum and medulla
The Brain
+
 Cerebellum [sehr-uh-
BELL-um]
 the “little brain”
attached to the rear
of the brainstem
 it helps coordinate
voluntary movement
and balance
+
Quick Check-in
 At
the base of the brainstem, where the spinal cord
enters the skill, lies the _______________________,
which controls _____________________ and
____________________. Just above this is the
_____________________, which helps coordinate
movements.
 At
the top of the brainstem sits the
___________________, which serves as the brain’s
sensory switchboard, receiving information from
all senses except __________________.
+The
Limbic System
The Brain
+
 Limbic
System
a
doughnut-shaped system of neural structures
at the border of the brainstem and cerebral
hemispheres
 associated with emotions such as fear and
aggression and drives such as those for food and
sex
 includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and
hypothalamus.
 Amygdala
 two
[ah-MIG-dah-la]
almond-shaped neural clusters that are
components of the limbic system and are linked
to emotion
+The
Limbic System
Hypothalamus
 neural
structure lying below (hypo) the
thalamus
 directs several maintenance activities
 eating
 drinking
 body temperature
 helps govern the endocrine system via the
pituitary gland
 is linked to emotion
+The
Cerebral Cortex
Cerebral
Cortex
 the
intricate fabric of interconnected neural
cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres
 the body’s ultimate control and information
processing center
Glial
Cells
 cells
in the nervous system that are not
neurons but that support, nourish, and protect
neurons
+The
Cerebral Cortex
+The
Cerebral Cortex
 Frontal
Lobes
 involved
in speaking and muscle movements and
in making plans and judgments
 Parietal
 include
Lobes
the sensory cortex
 Occipital
Lobes
 include
the visual areas, which receive visual
information from the opposite visual field
 Temporal
 include
Lobes
the auditory areas
+The
Cerebral Cortex
+The
Motor
Cerebral Cortex
Cortex
area
at the rear of the frontal lobes
that controls voluntary movements
Sensory
area
Cortex
at the front of the parietal lobes
that registers and processes body
sensations
+The
Cerebral Cortex
Functional
MRI
scan of the
visual cortex
activated by
light shown in
the subject’s
eyes
Visual and Auditory
Cortex
+
Visual
cortex
Auditory
cortex
+
Quick Check-in
 The
visual cortex is located in the
___________________.
 Compared
to the cortexes of lower mammals, the
human cortex has a ______________________
(smoother/more wrinkled) surface.
 The
more sensitive a body region, the greater the
area of ___________________
_______________________ devoted to it.
+Association
Areas
 Areas
of the cerebral
cortex that are not
involved in primary
motor or sensory
functions
 Involved
in higher
mental functions such
as learning,
remembering,
thinking, and
speaking
+The
Cerebral Cortex
 Aphasia
 impairment
of language, usually caused by left
hemisphere damage either to Broca’s area (impairing
speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing
understanding)
 Broca’s
Area
 an
area of the left frontal lobe that directs the muscle
movements involved in speech
 Wernicke’s
 an
Area
area of the left temporal lobe involved in language
comprehension
+
Language
 When
read aloud words register in visual
area  relayed to second brain area
(angular gyrus), which transforms word
into auditory code
 Auditory
code received and understood in
Wernicke area then sent to Broca area
(controls motor cortex as it creates the
pronounced word
Specialization and
Integration
+
+
Quick Check-in
 Explain
to your partner how individuals with
aphasia can sometimes speak fluently but cannot
recognize words.
 Now
its your partner’s turn…explain the
importance of the motor cortex, auditory cortex,
sensory cortex and association areas of the brain.
Brain Structures
+
Our Divided Brain
+
Corpus Callosum
Corpus
 largest
Callosum
bundle of
neural fibers
 connects the two
brain
hemispheres
 carries messages
between the
hemispheres
Our Divided Brain
+
 The
information
highway from the
eyes to the brain
Split Brain
+
a
condition in which the two hemispheres of the brain are
isolated by cutting the connecting fibers (mainly those of the
corpus callosum) between them
“What word
did you
see?”
or
“Look at the dot.”
Two words separated
by red dot appear
projected in front of
person.
“Point with
your left
hand to
the word
you saw.”
Split Brain
+
“What did you see?”
“With your left hand, select
the object you saw from
those behind the screen.”
Genetics and
Behavior
+
 Evolutionary
Psychology
 study
of the evolution of behavior using the principles of
natural selection, which presumably favors behavior
tendencies that contribute to the preservation and spread
of one’s genes
 Behavior
Genetics
 study
of the power and limits of genetic and environmental
influences on behavior
 Heritability
 the proportion
attribute to genes
of variation among individuals that we can
Genetics and
Behavior
+
Identical
twins
Fraternal
twins
 Identical
Twins
 develop from a single zygote
(fertilized egg) that splits in
two, creating two genetic
replicas
 Fraternal
Same
sex only
Same or
opposite sex
Twins
 develop from separate
zygotes
 genetically no closer than
brothers and sisters, but they
share the fetal environment