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Neuroscience/Biological Bases of Behavior
Biological Psychology
 branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior
 some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists,
neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, or
biopsychologists
Phrenology - origin, founder, arguments, validity
Neural Communication
 parts of neuron and their function in neural communication
Action Potential
Threshold
Excitatory/ Inhibitory Messages
All or None Response
Refractory Period
Depolarization Process
Its “flow” through a neuron(s)
Synapse – it’s role in action potential
-v. synaptic gap/ cleft, founder, function
Neurotransmitters
What are they and what do they do?
Endorphins
Acetylcholine (Ach)
Serotonin
Dopamine
Norepinephrine
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
Glutamate
-Role of each and results of under/oversupply
-Reuptake Process
-Agonists (mimic neuotransmitters/ block reuptake) v. Antagonists (opposes/ decreases
action of neurotransmitter, ie. curare →blocks Ach receptor sites)
-Examples of Agonists and Antagonists
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NERVOUS SYSTEM
Central Nervous System (CNS)
-brain and spinal cord
-home of interneurons
-its functions
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
-the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to
the rest of the body
Nerves
-neural “cables” containing many axons
-part of the peripheral nervous system
-conect the central nervous system with the muscles, glands,and sense organs
Sensory Neurons (Afferent~Incoming)
-neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the CNS
Interneurons
-CNS neurons that internally communicate and intervene b/w sensory inputs and
motor outputs
Motor Neurons (Efferent~Outgoing)
- carry outgoing info from CNS to muscles and glands
Somatic (Skeletal) Nervous System – voluntary--functions, components
Autonomic Nervous System – involuntary—functions, components
Sypathetic Nervous System-what triggers it, functions, effect on body/glands
Parasympathetic Nervous System- what triggers it, functions, effect on body/glands
Reflexes- what differentiates it from other forms of neural communication
Neural Networks – functions, how feedback can help them “learn” and strengthen
THE BRAIN
Lesion-What is it? Why do it?
Imaging Techniques-applications and technology of each
-Electroencephalogram (EEG)
-CT (computed tomography) Scan
-PET (positron emission tomography) Scan – how it tracks glucose
-MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
-fMRI (functional MRI)
-Types of scans that monitor brain activity?
-Type that monitors brain waves?
Brainstem – parts, locations, functions, and results if damaged
-Medulla
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-Reticular Formation
-Pons
-Thalamus
Cerebellum – location, function, results if damaged
Limbic System – all parts, locations, functions/ roles and results if damaged
-Hippocampus
-Amygdala
-Hypothalamus
[also - Pituitary Gland’s interaction w/; although pit is part of end syst]
Cerebral Cortex
-Glial Cells – location, function
-Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (know locations, functions, components found
w/in, results if damaged)
-Frontal Lobes
-Parietal Lobes
-Occipital Lobes
-Temporal Lobes
Motor Cortex – location, components w/in, results of stimulating
a given area w/in
Sensory Cortex – location, components w/in, results of
stimulating a given area w/in
-why some body parts have larger area allocations in each
-explanation for phantom sensations/ pains
Visual Cortex- location, results of stimulating/ lesioning
Auditory Cortex- location, results of stimulating/ lesioning
Association Areas-locations and functions
Frontal, Temporal, Parietal
Phineas Gage Case Study
Language Association Areas-location, function, damage effects
Wernicke’s
Broca’s
Angular Gyrus
Aphasia-causes, symptoms
Plasticity – examples: Hemispherectomy patient, childhood v. adulthood, hearing
impaired, visually impaired, amputees
Divided Brain
-Corpus Callosum – composition, location, function, reasons 4 severing,
results of removal/ split brain
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-Roger Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga’s contributions
-Hemispheric Differences and Specializations
-also gender differences
-“alien hand syndrome”
-Disappearing Southpaws-The percentage of left-handers decreases
sharply in samples of older people; explanations of this
THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
-Role of Hypothalamus(Hypo is part of Limb Sys but over pit gland)
-Hormones-General Functions of each
-Glands:
-Adrenal-location, functions, hormones secreted and their roles
-Pituitary-location, functions, hormones secreted and their roles
-Pancreas-location, functions
-Testis-location, functions
-Ovary-location, functions
Hormones v Neurotransmitters – Compare and Contrast
Neurotransmitters that have hormonal counterparts
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