Biological School 
It is all about the body!!!!
The Nervous System 
It starts with an individual nerve cell called a NEURON.
Neuroanatomy 
Synapse Synapse 
Neurotransmitters (chemicals held in terminal 
buttons that travel through synaptic gap)
How does a Neuron fire? 
• Resting Potential: slightly 
negative charge. 
• Reach the threshold when 
enough neurotransmitters 
reach dendrites. 
• Go into Action Potential. 
• All-or-none response. 
• Transfer of ions across 
axon’s membrane causes 
electrical charge.
TYPES OF 
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Acetylcholine (ACH) 
• Deals with motor 
movement and 
memory. 
• Too much and you 
will…. 
• Too little and you 
will… 
• Lack of ACH has 
been linked to 
Alzheimer’s disease.
Dopamine 
• Deals with motor 
movement and 
alertness. 
• Lack of dopamine 
has been linked to 
Parkinson’s disease. 
• Too much has been 
linked to 
schizophrenia.
Serotonin 
• Involved in mood 
control. 
• Lack of serotonin 
has been linked to 
clinical depression.
Endorphins 
• Involved in pain 
control. 
• Many of our most 
addictive drugs deal 
with endorphins.
Drugs can be….. 
• Agonists- make neuron fire 
• Antagonists- stop neural firing 
• Reuptake Inhibitors- block 
reuptake
Types of Neurons 
• Efferent (Motor) 
Neurons 
• Interneurons 
• Afferent (Sensory) 
Neurons
The Nervous System
Central Nervous System 
•The Brain 
and spinal 
cord 
•CNS
Peripheral Nervous System 
• All nerves that are 
not encased in bone. 
• Everything but the 
brain and spinal cord. 
• Is divided into two 
categories….somatic 
and autonomic.
Somatic Nervous System 
• Controls voluntary 
muscle movement. 
• Uses motor 
(efferent) neurons.
Autonomic Nervous System 
• Controls the 
automatic functions 
of the body. 
• Divided into two 
categories…the 
sympathetic and the 
parasympathetic
Sympathetic Nervous System 
• Fight or Flight 
Response. 
• Automatically 
accelerates heart 
rate, breathing, 
dilates pupils, slows 
down digestion.
Parasympathetic Nervous System 
• Automatically slows 
the body down after 
a stressful event. 
• Heart rate and 
breathing slow down, 
pupils constrict and 
digestion speeds up.
Reflexes 
• Normally, sensory 
(afferent) neurons 
take info up through 
spine to the brain. 
• Some reactions occur 
when sensory neurons 
reach just the spinal 
cord. 
• Survival adaptation.
The Brain 
• Made up of neurons 
and glial cells. 
• Glial cells support 
neural cells. 
My wife is my glial cell. She 
takes care of me!!!
Ways to study the Brain!!! 
• Accidents: Phineas 
Gage.
Lesions 
Cutting into the brain and looking for change. 
Brain tumors also lesion brain tissue.
Less Invasive ways to study the 
Brain 
• Electroencephalogram 
(EEG) 
• Computerized Axial 
Tomography (CAT) 
• Magnetic Resonance 
Imaging (MRI) 
• Positron Emission 
Tomography (PET) 
• Functional MRI
Brain Structures 
• Some scientists 
divide the brain up 
into three parts. 
• Hindbrain 
• Midbrain 
• Forebrain
Medulla Oblongata 
• Heart rate 
• Breathing 
• Blood Pressure
Pons 
• Connects hindbrain, 
midbrain and 
forebrain together. 
• Involved in facial 
expressions.
Cerebellum 
• Located in the back 
of our head- means 
little brain. 
• Coordinates muscle 
movements. 
• Like tracking a 
target.
Midbrain 
• Coordinates simple 
movements with 
sensory information. 
• Contains the 
reticular formation: 
arousal and ability to 
focus attention.
Thalamus 
• In Forebrain 
• Receives sensory 
information and 
sends them to 
appropriate areas of 
forebrain. 
• Like a switchboard. 
• Everything but smell.
Limbic System 
• EMOTIONAL 
CONTROL CENTER 
of the brain. 
• Made up of 
Hypothalamus, 
Amygdala and 
Hippocampus.
Hypothalamus 
• Pea sized in brain, but 
plays a not so pea sized 
role. 
• Body temperature 
• Hunger 
• Thirst 
• Sexual Arousal (libido) 
• Endocrine System
Hippocampus and Amygdala 
• Hippocampus is 
involved in memory 
processing. 
• Amygdala is vital for 
our basic emotions.
Cerebral Cortex 
• Top layer of our 
brain. 
• Contains wrinkles 
called fissures. 
• The fissures 
increase surface 
area of our brain. 
• Laid out it would be 
about the size of a 
large pizza.
Hemispheres 
• Divided into a left and 
right hemisphere. 
• Contralateral controlled-left 
controls right side of 
body and vice versa. 
• Brain Lateralization. 
• Lefties are better at 
spatial and creative tasks. 
• Righties are better at 
logic.
Split-Brain Patients 
• Corpus Collosum 
attaches the two 
hemispheres of 
cerebral cortex. 
• When removed you 
have a split-brain 
patient.
Areas of the Cerebral Cortex 
• Divided into eight lobes, 
four in each hemisphere 
(frontal, parietal, 
occipital and temporal). 
• Any area not dealing with 
our senses or muscle 
movements are called 
association areas.
Frontal Lobe 
• Deals with planning, 
maintaining emotional 
control and abstract 
thought. 
• Contains Broca’s Area. 
• Broca’s Aphasia. 
• Contains Motor 
Cortex.
Parietal Lobes 
• Located at the top 
of our head. 
• Contains the somato-sensory 
cortex. 
• Rest are association 
areas.
Temporal Lobes 
• Process sound 
sensed by ears. 
• Not lateralized. 
• Contains Wernicke’s 
area. 
• Wernicke’s Aphasia.
Occipital Lobes 
• In the back of our 
head. 
• Handles visual input 
from eyes. 
• Right half of each 
retina goes to left 
occipital lobe and 
vice versa.
Brain Plasticity 
• The ability for our 
brains to form new 
connections after 
the neurons are 
damaged. 
• The younger you are, 
the more plastic 
your brain is.
Endocrine System 
• System of glands 
that secrete 
hormones. 
• Controlled by the 
hypothalamus. 
• Ovaries and Testes. 
• Adrenal Gland
Genetics 
• Every human cell 
contains 46 
chromosomes (23 pairs). 
• Made up of 
deoxyribonucleic acid- 
DNA. 
• Made up of Genes. 
• Made up of nucleotides.
Twins 
• Best way to really study 
genetics because they 
come from the same 
zygote. 
• Bouchard Study 
• .69 Correlational 
coefficient for IQ tests 
of identical twins raised 
apart. 
• .88 raised together.
Chromosomal Abnormalities 
• Gender comes from 
23rd pair of 
chromosomes…men 
have XY…woman have 
XX. 
• Turner’s syndrome is 
single X. 
• Klinefelter’s syndrome 
is extra X…XXY 
• Down syndrome….extra 
chromosome on 21st 
pair.

Ch.2 The Biology of the Mind

  • 1.
    Biological School Itis all about the body!!!!
  • 2.
    The Nervous System It starts with an individual nerve cell called a NEURON.
  • 3.
    Neuroanatomy Synapse Synapse Neurotransmitters (chemicals held in terminal buttons that travel through synaptic gap)
  • 4.
    How does aNeuron fire? • Resting Potential: slightly negative charge. • Reach the threshold when enough neurotransmitters reach dendrites. • Go into Action Potential. • All-or-none response. • Transfer of ions across axon’s membrane causes electrical charge.
  • 5.
  • 6.
    Acetylcholine (ACH) •Deals with motor movement and memory. • Too much and you will…. • Too little and you will… • Lack of ACH has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
  • 7.
    Dopamine • Dealswith motor movement and alertness. • Lack of dopamine has been linked to Parkinson’s disease. • Too much has been linked to schizophrenia.
  • 8.
    Serotonin • Involvedin mood control. • Lack of serotonin has been linked to clinical depression.
  • 9.
    Endorphins • Involvedin pain control. • Many of our most addictive drugs deal with endorphins.
  • 10.
    Drugs can be….. • Agonists- make neuron fire • Antagonists- stop neural firing • Reuptake Inhibitors- block reuptake
  • 11.
    Types of Neurons • Efferent (Motor) Neurons • Interneurons • Afferent (Sensory) Neurons
  • 12.
  • 13.
    Central Nervous System •The Brain and spinal cord •CNS
  • 14.
    Peripheral Nervous System • All nerves that are not encased in bone. • Everything but the brain and spinal cord. • Is divided into two categories….somatic and autonomic.
  • 15.
    Somatic Nervous System • Controls voluntary muscle movement. • Uses motor (efferent) neurons.
  • 16.
    Autonomic Nervous System • Controls the automatic functions of the body. • Divided into two categories…the sympathetic and the parasympathetic
  • 17.
    Sympathetic Nervous System • Fight or Flight Response. • Automatically accelerates heart rate, breathing, dilates pupils, slows down digestion.
  • 18.
    Parasympathetic Nervous System • Automatically slows the body down after a stressful event. • Heart rate and breathing slow down, pupils constrict and digestion speeds up.
  • 19.
    Reflexes • Normally,sensory (afferent) neurons take info up through spine to the brain. • Some reactions occur when sensory neurons reach just the spinal cord. • Survival adaptation.
  • 20.
    The Brain •Made up of neurons and glial cells. • Glial cells support neural cells. My wife is my glial cell. She takes care of me!!!
  • 21.
    Ways to studythe Brain!!! • Accidents: Phineas Gage.
  • 22.
    Lesions Cutting intothe brain and looking for change. Brain tumors also lesion brain tissue.
  • 23.
    Less Invasive waysto study the Brain • Electroencephalogram (EEG) • Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) • Positron Emission Tomography (PET) • Functional MRI
  • 24.
    Brain Structures •Some scientists divide the brain up into three parts. • Hindbrain • Midbrain • Forebrain
  • 25.
    Medulla Oblongata •Heart rate • Breathing • Blood Pressure
  • 26.
    Pons • Connectshindbrain, midbrain and forebrain together. • Involved in facial expressions.
  • 27.
    Cerebellum • Locatedin the back of our head- means little brain. • Coordinates muscle movements. • Like tracking a target.
  • 28.
    Midbrain • Coordinatessimple movements with sensory information. • Contains the reticular formation: arousal and ability to focus attention.
  • 29.
    Thalamus • InForebrain • Receives sensory information and sends them to appropriate areas of forebrain. • Like a switchboard. • Everything but smell.
  • 30.
    Limbic System •EMOTIONAL CONTROL CENTER of the brain. • Made up of Hypothalamus, Amygdala and Hippocampus.
  • 31.
    Hypothalamus • Peasized in brain, but plays a not so pea sized role. • Body temperature • Hunger • Thirst • Sexual Arousal (libido) • Endocrine System
  • 32.
    Hippocampus and Amygdala • Hippocampus is involved in memory processing. • Amygdala is vital for our basic emotions.
  • 33.
    Cerebral Cortex •Top layer of our brain. • Contains wrinkles called fissures. • The fissures increase surface area of our brain. • Laid out it would be about the size of a large pizza.
  • 34.
    Hemispheres • Dividedinto a left and right hemisphere. • Contralateral controlled-left controls right side of body and vice versa. • Brain Lateralization. • Lefties are better at spatial and creative tasks. • Righties are better at logic.
  • 35.
    Split-Brain Patients •Corpus Collosum attaches the two hemispheres of cerebral cortex. • When removed you have a split-brain patient.
  • 36.
    Areas of theCerebral Cortex • Divided into eight lobes, four in each hemisphere (frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal). • Any area not dealing with our senses or muscle movements are called association areas.
  • 37.
    Frontal Lobe •Deals with planning, maintaining emotional control and abstract thought. • Contains Broca’s Area. • Broca’s Aphasia. • Contains Motor Cortex.
  • 38.
    Parietal Lobes •Located at the top of our head. • Contains the somato-sensory cortex. • Rest are association areas.
  • 39.
    Temporal Lobes •Process sound sensed by ears. • Not lateralized. • Contains Wernicke’s area. • Wernicke’s Aphasia.
  • 40.
    Occipital Lobes •In the back of our head. • Handles visual input from eyes. • Right half of each retina goes to left occipital lobe and vice versa.
  • 41.
    Brain Plasticity •The ability for our brains to form new connections after the neurons are damaged. • The younger you are, the more plastic your brain is.
  • 42.
    Endocrine System •System of glands that secrete hormones. • Controlled by the hypothalamus. • Ovaries and Testes. • Adrenal Gland
  • 43.
    Genetics • Everyhuman cell contains 46 chromosomes (23 pairs). • Made up of deoxyribonucleic acid- DNA. • Made up of Genes. • Made up of nucleotides.
  • 44.
    Twins • Bestway to really study genetics because they come from the same zygote. • Bouchard Study • .69 Correlational coefficient for IQ tests of identical twins raised apart. • .88 raised together.
  • 45.
    Chromosomal Abnormalities •Gender comes from 23rd pair of chromosomes…men have XY…woman have XX. • Turner’s syndrome is single X. • Klinefelter’s syndrome is extra X…XXY • Down syndrome….extra chromosome on 21st pair.