This document provides an overview of the nervous system, brain structures and functions, neurotransmitters, and brain imaging techniques relevant to biopsychology. It defines key terms like the central nervous system, somatic nervous system, autonomic nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. Structures of the brain like the cerebrum, cerebellum, hypothalamus, amygdala and their functions are described. The roles of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and endorphins are explained. Different brain imaging techniques including EEG, PET, CT, MRI and fMRI are also introduced.

1. Psychology
Unit: Biopsychology

2. Lesson: The Nervous and Endocrine Systems
• Central Nervous System
• Peripheral Nervous System
• Somatic Nervous System
• Autonomic Nervous System
• Sympathetic Nervous System
• Parasympathetic Nervous System
• Endocrine System
• Thyroid
• Androgen
• Estrogen
EQ: How do biological processes and systems
impact behavior?
Vocabulary

3. The Nervous System

4. Central Nervous System

5. 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.

6. Somatic Nervous System
• Controls voluntary
muscle movement.
• Uses motor
(efferent) neurons.

7. Autonomic Nervous System
• Controls the automatic
functions of the body.
• Divided into two
categories…the
sympathetic and the
parasympathetic
• Memory Hint: Auto like
automatic or autopilot.
Don’t have to think or do.

9. Sympathetic Nervous System
• Fight or Flight
Response.
• Automatically
accelerates heart rate,
breathing, dilates
pupils, slows down
digestion.

10. Parasympathetic Nervous System
• Automatically slows
the body down after a
stressful event.
• Heart rate and
breathing slow down,
pupils constrict and
digestion speeds up.
• Memory Hint: Para is
like parachute. It slow
us down.

12. Pituitary Gland
• “Master Gland”
• An important link
between the nervous
system and the endocrine
system
• Releases many hormones
which affect growth,
sexual development,
metabolism and the
system of reproduction.

13. Thyroid
Metabolism: the chemical and physical processes in an
organism by which protoplasm is produced, sustained, and
then decomposed to make energy available.

14. Gonads
• Sex Glands
• Ovaries
• Testes
• Estrogens
• Greater amounts in females
• Necessary for normal sexual development of the female
• Regulates the menstrual cycle during the childbearing years.
• Androgens
• Greater amounts in males
• Present in females in small amounts
• Related to aggression

15. Lesson: The Brain
• Cerebrum (Cerebral Cortex)
• Cerebellum
• Pons
• Medulla
• Reticular Activating System
• Corpus Callosum
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Hippocampus
• Amygdala
• Pituitary Gland
• Spinal Cord
EQ: How do biological processes and systems
impact behavior?
Vocabulary

16. Central Nervous System

17. Spinal Cord
• Transmits neural
signals between
the brain and the
rest of the body.
• Contains neural
circuits that can
independently
control numerous
reflexes

18. The Brain

19. Brain Structures
• Some scientists
divide the brain up
into three parts.
• Hindbrain
• Midbrain
• Forebrain

20. Medulla (Oblongata)
• Heart rate
• Breathing
• Blood Pressure

21. Pons
• Connects hindbrain,
midbrain and
forebrain together.
• Respiration
• Movement
• Sleep
• Facial expressions

22. Reticular Activating System
(RAS)
• Responsible for
regulating arousal
and sleep
• Helps mediate
transitions from
relaxed
wakefulness to
periods of high
attention.

23. Cerebellum
• Means “little brain”
• Voluntary muscle
movements.
• Coordination
• Balance

24. Thalamus
• In Forebrain
• Receives sensory
information and
sends them to
appropriate areas
of the cerebral
cortex.
• Like a switchboard.
• Everything but
smell.

25. Limbic System
• EMOTIONAL
CONTROL CENTER
of the brain.
• Includes:
• Amygdala
• Hippocampus
• Hypothalamus

26. Hippocampus and Amygdala
• Hippocampus is
involved in memory
processing.
• Amygdala is vital
for our basic
emotions. Involved
with anger

27. Hypothalamus
• Pea sized in brain, but
plays a not so pea sized
role.
• Body temperature
• Hunger
• Thirst
• Sexual Arousal (libido)
• Endocrine System

28. Pituitary Gland
• “Master Gland”
• An important link
between the nervous
system and the endocrine
system
• Releases many hormones
which affect growth,
sexual development,
metabolism and the
system of reproduction.

29. Cerebrum (Cerebral Cortex)
• Top layer of our brain.
• Responsible for high-
level mental process
and thought
• Contains wrinkles
called fissures.
• The fissures increase
surface area of our
brain.
• Divided into two
hemispheres

30. Cerebral Cortex Brain
Comparison

31. Corpus Callosum
• Corpus Callosum
attaches the two
hemispheres of
cerebral cortex.
• Allows both
hemispheres to
communicate with
one another

33. Lesson: Areas and Lobes of the Brain
• Frontal Lobe
• Parietal Lobe
• Occipital Lobe
• Temporal Lobe
• Motor Cortex (Strip)
• (Soma)Sensory Cortex
(Strip)
• Broca’s Area
• Wernicke’s Area
EQ: How do biological processes and systems
impact behavior?
Vocabulary

34. Lobes and Areas of the Brain

35. 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.

36. Frontal Lobe
• Executive center of the
brain.
• Deals with planning,
maintaining emotional
control, abstract thought,
and the storage of
memories.
• Contains Broca’s Area.
• Contains Motor Cortex
(Strip)

37. Phineas Gage

38. Parietal Lobes
• Located at the top of our
head.
• Contains the Somasensory
Cortex (Strip)
• Rest are association areas.

39. Temporal Lobes
• Process sound
sensed by ears.
• Not lateralized.
• Contains Wernicke’s
area.

40. Occipital Lobes
• In the back of our
head.
• Contains the visual
association area
which handles visual
information from the
eyes.
• Right half of each
retina goes to left
occipital lobe and
vice versa.

41. Broca’s and Wernicke’s Areas
• Broca’s Area
• Located in the frontal lobe
• Responsible for speaking
• When damaged (aphasia) people speak
slowly/laboriously with simple sentences
• Wernicke’s Area
• Located in the temporal lobe
• Responsible for understanding speech
• When damaged(aphasia) speech is meaningless

42. Mapping of the Motor and Sensory Strips

44. Lesson: Split Brain/Cerebral Lateralization
• Corpus Callosum
• Epilepsy
• Longitudinal Fissure
EQ: How do biological processes and systems
impact behavior?
Vocabulary

45. Hemispheres
• Divided into a left and
right hemisphere.
• Contra-lateral
controlled- left
controls right side of
body and vice versa.
• Brain Lateralization.

46. Cutting the Corpus Callosum
WHY?
Longitudinal
Fissure

47. Split Brain: Assignment 1
•Read with a Purpose: Read p. 65
in alternate textbook.
•Summarize the main points and
the experiment discussed.
•Focus on the outcomes.

49. Split Brain Research
Watch The Video: Part 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfGwsAdS9Dc

50. Cerebral Specialization

51. Split Brain: Hint on Remembering
LEFT
LANGUAGE
LOGIC
LINEAR

52. Lesson: The Neuron
• Dendrites
• Cell body (Soma)
• Axon
• Myelin Sheath
• Synapse
• Vesicles
• Nodes of Ranvier
• Neurotransmitters
EQ: How do biological processes and systems
impact behavior?
Vocabulary

53. Glial Cells
• 90% of Brain Cells
• Provides Structure
• Get Nutrients
• Clean up Neurons
that have died.
• Communication
• Insulate Neurons

55. Neuroanatomy
SynapseSynapse
Neurotransmitters (chemicals held in terminal
buttons that travel through synaptic gap)

56. General Neuron Communication

57. Types of Neurons
• Efferent (Motor) Neurons: originates in
the motor region of the cerebral cortex or
the brain stem, whose cell body is located in the
spinal cord and whose fiber (axon) projects
outside the spinal cord to directly or indirectly
control muscles.
• Interneurons: forms a connection between
other neurons
• Afferent (Sensory) Neurons: conveying
sensory information to the brain or spinal cord.

58. Neural Connections
Axon-Dendrite Axon-Soma
Axo-Axonic

59. Electrical vs. Chemical Synapse
Pre- and post-
synaptic cells lack
cytoplasmic
continuity

60. The Synapse

61. 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.

62. Firing of a Neuron

63. Lesson: Neurotransmitters
• Acetylcholine
• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• Endorphins
• GABA
• Reuptake
• SSRI
• Neurotransmitter
EQ: How do biological processes and systems
impact behavior?
Vocabulary

64. Dopamine
• Deals with infatuation,
motor movement, and
alertness.
• Lack of dopamine has been
linked to Parkinson’s
disease.
• Too much has been linked
to schizophrenia.
• Cocaine increases levels of
dopamine by blocking
reuptake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OS2C4NemJI&feature=related

65. • Involved in mood
control.
• Lack of Serotonin
has been linked to
clinical depression
• SSRI’s
• Paxil
• Zoloft
Serotonin

66. Acetylcholine (ACH)
• Deals with motor
movement and
memory.
• Lack of ACH has been
linked to Alzheimer’s
disease.
• Nicotine triggers ACH
receptor sites.
• Reduce # of ACH
receptors resulting in
withdrawal symptoms
and cravings.

67. Endorphins (Endogenous Morphine)
• Involved in pain
control and feelings
of wellbeing
• Opiates and
endorphins trigger
the same receptor
sites. (morphine,
codeine, heroin)
• Causes the Runner’s
High

68. Drugs can be…..
• Agonists- make neuron fire
• Antagonists- stop neural
firing
• Reuptake Inhibitors- block
reuptake

70. Lesson: Brain Scans
• EEG
• PET
• CT (CAT)
• MRI
• fMRI
EQ: What role to brain scans play in psychology?
Vocabulary

71. Examining the Brain
EEG
CT (CAT)
PET

72. Examining the Brain
fMRI

73. SPEC Imaging
1. What is the controversy related to brain imagery?
2. What are Dr. Amen’s stances regarding this
controversy?
3. What have been some of the real world benefits to
the use of SPEC imaging?

74. Study
for the
Biopsychology Exam

75. Lesson Activator
Any questions prior to the Biopsychology Exam?