-       why study biology?

-       phrenology

o  Gall

o  specific regions for specific behaviors

-       biological psychologists

o  link between brain and behavior

Neural Communication

-       transmit, process information

o  neurons

§    structure

·    dendrites

·    cell body

·    axon

o  myelin sheath

§    action potential

·    electrical charge

§    threshold

·    minimum intensity

·    all or none response

o  different speeds?

-       neural communication

o  synapse

§    junction

o  synaptic gap

§    space separating neurons

o  neurotransmitters

§    chemical messengers

·    lock and key

·    excitatory vs. inhibitory

·    types

o  dopamine

o  serotonin

o  endorphins

The Nervous System

-       3 types of neurons

o   sensory

o   interneurons

o   motor neurons

-       central nervous system

o   brain, spinal cord

-       peripheral nervous system

o   muscles, glands

o    2 components

§     1. somatic nervous system

§     2. autonomic nervous system

·     2 components

o   1. sympathetic

§     arouse

o   2. parasympathetic

§    depress

The Brain

-       3 evolutions

o  1. brainstem

§    basic survival

§    structures

·    medulla

o  heartbeat, breathing

·    reticular formation

o  attention, arousal

§    low level structures

·    thalamus

o  sensory switchboard

·    cerebellum

o  memory, balance

o  2. limbic system

§    structures

·    hippocampus

o  memory

o  neurons reproduce

·    amygdala

o  emotion

·    hypothalamus

o  motivation

o  sexual orientation?

o  pleasure

o  3. cerebral cortex

§    information processing

§    glial cells

·    nutrition, myelination

§    covers lobes

·    frontal

·    parietal

·    temporal

·    occipital

§    functions

·    motor cortex

o  movement

·    sensory cortex

o  sensations

Brain Reorganization

-       plasticity

o  reorganize after damage

o  youth

Divided Brain

-       hemispheres

o  left

o  right

-       corpus callosum

o  connects hemispheres

-       split brain

o  consequences