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Biopsychology
- Behavior is caused by brain and biological processes and functions
- anatomy (parts) and physiology (functions) from psychological points of view
- every behavior that is psychological is at the same time biological
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Brain Facts
- 1 Million Neurons
- 100 Trillion Synapses (Connections)
- 1000 messages per second
- 24 hour pharmacy
- 3lbs at birth
- very specialized and organized
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Neuron
- Specializes in carrying and processing info
- Activates muscles and glands
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Dendrites
Receive incoming messages (scanners)
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Cell body
Prioritize the messages
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Axon
Place where the messages travel (200 mph)
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Myelin
- Fatty coating that insulates the Axon
- If destroyed, Lou Gehrig's disease and MS can occur
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Terminal
The place where the neurotransmitters are manufactured
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Neurotransmitter
- Regulate the actions of glands and muscles
- Some affect learning and memory
- promote sleep
- stimulate alertness
- orchestrate emotions
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GABA (Gamma Amino Butryc Acid)
slow brain and bodily functions
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Adrenaline
stimulates mental and physical alertness
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Endorphines
- Natural pain killer, they reduce/remove pain, promotes pleasure
- "endogeneous" and "morphine" - morphine within cells
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Nervous System
- Communication system in the body
- 2 main divisions - central nervous system and peripheral nervous system
- "ROPE"
- records information
- organizes " "
- processes " "
- executes " "
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Peripheral Nervous System
tells the brain (CNS) what is happening inside and outside the body
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Somatic System
tells the PNS what is happening outside the body
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Autonomic System
Tells the PNS what's happening inside the body
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Sympathetic System
Arouses body for an emergency
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Parasympathetic System
Calms the body, relaxes the body - fainting, when brain shuts body functions down
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Left Brain
- Logical
- Controls right side of body
- Controls 2 major speech/language centers (Broca's and Wernicke's area)
- Writing
- Calculation/Math
- Sense of time
- Rythym (biological)
- Ordering of Complex Movements
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Right Brain
- Emotional
- Controls entire left side of body
- Non-verbal
- Perceptual Skills
- Visualization
- Recognition
- Recognition and expression of emotion
- Spatial Skills
- Simple Language Comprehension
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Corpus Callosum
- A thick band of nerves that collects and separates hemispheres from interfering with each other's functions
- Aphasia - happens when one or both language centers is damaged - inability to read, speak, comprehend
- Agnosia- right hemisphere is damaged - inability to recognize faces, places, objects "mind blindness"
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Serotonin
- A natural antidepressant - elevates moods
- sunlight, bright lights, love, help others, laughter all release serotonin
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Dopamine
- Affects emotional memories, learning, movement, activates brain's pleasure center
- excessive dopamine = schizophrenia
- deficit = parkinsons
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Acetylcholine
- affects learning and memory (daily basis)
- activates muscles
- botox = linked to memory loss, blocks chemical
- deficit = alzheimers or temporary paralysis
- when you dream - temp paralysis
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How to Destress
- Learn to say no
- Find time to do things important to you
- Take a break from technology
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Lobes of Brain
Where all sensory info is stored
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Occipital Lobe
All visual images
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Temporal Lobe
Hearing and Language - all Sounds
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Parietal Lobe
All touch, temp, and pressure
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Frontal Lobe
- Drugs mostly damage this lobe
- sense of smell, motor control, mental abilities, creative functions, executive functions (choice)
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Forebrain
- Thalamus-relays all sensory messages to lobes
- Hypothalamus-performs specific maintenance duties
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Brainstem/Hindbrain
- connects brain to spinal cord
- Medulla - controls vital life functions
- Cerebelum - controls walking , posture, balance, muscular coordination
- Reticular Formation - removes unimportant info
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The Endocrine System
- #2 Communication system in body
- glands which make and store hormones
- hormones affect moods and behavior
- released into the bloodstream
- Pineal - Melatonin - regulates sleep cycle
- Pituitary - Somatrophin - regulates development of bones, muscles, organs
- Thyroid - Thyroxin - regulates metabolic function (hypothyroidism - extreme thinness, mania) (hyperthyroidism - obesity, depression)
- Adrenal-sex hormones - activates puberty, prepares for emergency - stress hormones - adrenaline-cortical
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