Thinking About Psychology
The Science of Mind and Behavior 3e
Charles T. Blair-Broeker & Randal M. Ernst
PowerPoint Presentation Slides
by Kent Korek
Germantown High School
Worth Publishers, © 2012
Biopsychology Domain
Biological Bases of Behavior
Module 04
The Nervous System and the
Endocrine System
Module Overview
• Neurons: The Building Blocks of the Nervous
System
• How Neurons Communicate
• The Structure of the Nervous System
• The Endocrine System
Click on the any of the above hyperlinks to go to that section in the presentation.
Module 04: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
Neurons: The Building
Blocks of the Nervous
System
Nervous System
• The electrochemical
communication system of the
body
• Sends messages from the brain
to the body for movement
• Brings information to the brain
from the senses
Neuron
• A nerve cell;
• the basic building
block of the nervous
system.
• Neurons perform three basic tasks
– Receive information
– Carry the information
– Pass the information on to the next
neuron
Parts of the Neuron
Parts of the Neuron - Dendrites
•Dendrite – The branching extensions of a neuron that receive
information and conduct impulses toward the cell body (soma).
Parts of the Neuron - Soma
•Soma – The cell body of a neuron, which contains the nucleus and
other parts that keep the cell healthy
Parts of the Neuron - Axon
•Axon – The extension of a neuron through which neural impulses
are sent.
Parts of the Neuron – Myelin Sheath
•Myelin Sheath – protects the axon and influences the speed of the
neural impulse.
Parts of the Neuron - Terminals
•Axon terminals – The endpoint of a neuron where
neurotransmitters are stored.
Module 04: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
How Neurons
Communicate
Module 04: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
How Neurons
Communicate:
The Neural Impulse
Action Potential
• A neural impulse;
• a brief electrical charge that travels
down the axon of a neuron.
• Considered an “on” condition of the
neuron
Action Potential
Refractory Period
• The “recharging phase” during which a
a neuron, after firing, cannot generate
another action potential
• Once the refractory period is complete
the neuron can fire again
Refractory Period
Resting Potential
• The state of a neuron when it is at rest
and capable of generating an action
potential.
• The neuron is set and ready to fire
Resting Potential
All-or-None Principle
• The principle stating that if a neuron
fires, then it always fires at the same
intensity;
• all action potentials have the same
strength.
• A neuron does NOT fire at 30%, 45% or
90% but at 100% each time it fires.
Module 04: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
How Neurons
Communicate:
Communication Between
Neurons
Synapse
• The tiny, fluid-filled gap between the
axon terminal of one neuron and the
dendrite of another.
• The action potential cannot jump the
gap
Neurotransmitters
• A chemical messenger that travels
across the synapse from one neuron to
the next and influences whether a
neuron will generate an action
potential.
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters
Excitatory Effect
• A neurotransmitter effect that makes
it more likely that the receiving
neuron will generate an action
potential or “fire.”
• The second neuron is more likely to fire.
Inhibitory Effect
• A neurotransmitter effect that makes
it less likely that the receiving neuron
will generate an action potential or
“fire.”
• The second neuron is less likely to fire.
Module 04: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
How Neurons
Communicate:
The Neural Chain
Receptor Cells
• Specialized cells in the sensory
systems of the body that can turn
other kinds of energy into action
potentials (neural impulses) that the
brain can process.
• Receptor cells in the eye turn light into a
neural impulse the brain understands.
Sensory Nerves
• Nerves that carry information from
the sensory receptors to the spinal
cord and brain.
• Connect the sense organs to the brain
and spinal cord
Interneurons
• Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord
responsible for processing information.
• Related to sensory input and motor output
Motor Nerves
• Nerves that carry information from the
brain and spinal cord to the muscles and
glands.
• Carries messages from the brain and
spinal cord to other parts of your body
A Neural Chain
A Neural Chain
A Neural Chain
A Neural Chain
A Neural Chain
Module 04: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
The Structure of the
Nervous System
The Nervous System
Central Nervous System (CNS)
• The brain and spinal cord.
• The brain is the location of most
information processing.
• The spinal cord is the main pathway to
and from the brain.
Divisions of the Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
• The sensory and motor nerves that
connect the brain and the spinal cord
to the rest of the body.
• Peripheral means “outer region”
• The system is subdivided into the
somatic and autonomic nervous
systems.
Divisions of the Nervous System
Somatic Nervous System
• The division of the peripheral nervous
system that controls the body’s
skeletal muscles.
• Contains the motor nerves needed for
the voluntary muscles
Divisions of the Nervous System
Autonomic Nervous System
• The division of the peripheral nervous
system that controls the glands and
muscles of the internal organs;
• its subdivisions are the sympathetic
(arousing) division and the
parasympathetic (calming) division.
• Monitors the autonomic functions
• Controls breathing, blood pressure, and
digestive processes
Divisions of the Nervous System
Sympathetic Nervous System
• The part of the autonomic nervous
system that arouses the body to deal
with perceived threats.
• Fight or flight response
Divisions of the Nervous System
Parasympathetic Nervous System
• The part of the autonomic nervous
system that calms the body.
• Brings the body back down to a relaxed
state
Divisions of the Nervous System
The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the
Autonomic Nervous System
Module 04: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System
The Endocrine System
Endocrine System
• One of the body’s two communication
systems;
• a set of glands that produce
hormones, chemical messengers that
circulate in the blood.
Hormone
• A chemical messengers produced by
the endocrine glands and circulated in
the blood.
• Similar to neurotransmitters in that they
are also messengers
• Slower communication system, but with
longer lasting effects
Pituitary Gland
• The endocrine system’s “master gland”
that,
• in conjunction with adjacent the brain
area, controls the other endocrine
glands.
• Called the “master gland”
• Located at the base of the brain and
connects to the hypothalamus
Endocrine System – Pituitary Gland
Hypothalamus
• the brain region controlling the pituitary.
Endocrine System – Pituitary Gland
Thyroid Gland
• Endocrine gland that helps regulate the
energy level in the body
• Located in the neck
Endocrine System – Thyroid Gland
Adrenal Gland
• Endocrine glands that help to arouse the
body in times of stress
• Located just above the kidneys
• Release epinephrine (adrenaline) and
norepinephrine (noradrenaline)
Endocrine System – Adrenal Gland
Pancreatic Gland
• Regulates the level of blood sugar in the
blood
Endocrine System – Pancreatic Gland
Sex Glands
• Ovaries (females) and testes (males) are
the glands that influence emotion and
physical development.
• Testosterone – primary males hormone
• Estrogen – primary female hormone
• Males and females have both estrogen
and testosterone in their systems.
Endocrine System – Sex Glands
The End
Teacher Information
• Types of Files
– This presentation has been saved as a “basic” Powerpoint file. While
this file format placed a few limitations on the presentation, it insured the
file would be compatible with the many versions of Powerpoint teachers
use. To add functionality to the presentation, teachers may want to save
the file for their specific version of Powerpoint.
• Animation
– Once again, to insure compatibility with all versions of Powerpoint, none
of the slides are animated. To increase student interest, it is suggested
teachers animate the slides wherever possible.
• Adding slides to this presentation
– Teachers are encouraged to adapt this presentation to their personal
teaching style. To help keep a sense of continuity, blank slides which
can be copied and pasted to a specific location in the presentation follow
this “Teacher Information” section.
Teacher Information
• Domain Coding
– Just as the textbook is organized around the APA National Standards,
these Powerpoints are coded to those same standards. Included at the
top of almost every slide is a small stripe, color coded to the APA
National Standards.
• Scientific Inquiry Domain
• Biopsychology Domain
• Development and Learning Domain
• Social Context Domain
• Cognition Domain
• Individual Variation Domain
• Applications of Psychological Science Domain
• Key Terms and Definitions in Red
– To emphasize their importance, all key terms from the text and their
definitions are printed in red. To maintain consistency, the definitions on
the Powerpoint slides are identical to those in the textbook.
Teacher Information
• Hyperlink Slides - Immediately after the unit title slide, a page (usually
slide #4 or #5) can be found listing all of the module’s subsections. While in
slide show mode, clicking on any of these hyperlinks will take the user
directly to the beginning of that subsection. This allows teachers quick
access to each subsection.
• Continuity slides - Throughout this presentations there are slides,
usually of graphics or tables, that build on one another. These are included
for three purposes.
• By presenting information in small chunks, students will find it easier to process and
remember the concepts.
• By continually changing slides, students will stay interested in the presentation.
• To facilitate class discussion and critical thinking. Students should be encouraged to
think about “what might come next” in the series of slides.
• Please feel free to contact me at korek@germantown.k12.wi.us with any
questions, concerns, suggestions, etc. regarding these presentations.
Kent Korek
Germantown High School
Germantown, WI 53022
Name of Concept
• Use this slide to add a concept to the
presentation
Name of Concept
Use this slide to add a table, chart, clip art, picture, diagram, or video clip. Delete
this box when finished