This document provides an overview of the biological foundations of psychology, including neurons, the nervous system, brain anatomy and functions, and the endocrine system. It discusses the basic elements and types of neurons, how they fire via the all-or-none principle and action potentials. It describes the roles of synapses and neurotransmitters in neural communication. It outlines the major regions and lobes of the brain, including the functions of the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes. Finally, it summarizes the major endocrine glands and hormones that regulate growth, metabolism, reproduction and stress responses.

1. BIOLOGICAL
FOUNDATION OF
PSYCHOLOGY
By: Honielyn B. Pantig

2. NEURON
“THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM”

3. TYPES OF NEURON
 SENSORY NEURON
 MOTOR NEURON
 ASSOCIATION NEURON

4. HOW NEURON FIRE
 LIKE A GUN, NEURONS EITHER FIRE –THAT IS, TRANSMIT AN
ELECTRICAL IMPULSE ALONG THE AXON-OR DON’T FIRE.
 ALL-OR NONE LAW-THE RULE THAT NEURONS ARE EITHER
ON OR OFF.
 RESTING STATE-THE STATE IN WHICH THERE IS A NEGATIVE
ELECTRICAL CHARGE OF ABOUT 270 MILLIVOLTS WITHIN A
NEURON.
 ACTION POTENTIAL-AN ELECTRIC NERVE IMPULSES THAT
TRAVELS THROUGH A NEURON WHEN IT IS SET OFF A
TRIGGER CHANGING THE NEURON’S CHARGE FROM
NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE.

5. SYNAPES-THE SPACE BETWEEN TWO NEURONS
WHERE THE AXON OF A SENDING NEURON
COMMUNICATES WITH THE DENTRITES OF A
RECEIVING NEURON BY USING CHEMICAL
MESSAGES.
NEUROTRANSMITTERS-CHEMICALS THAT CARRY
MESSAGES ACROSS THE SYNAPES TO DENTRITE
AND SOME TIMES CELL BODY OF A RECEIVER
NEURON.

6. NEUROTRANSMITTERS
NAME LOCATION FUNCTION
ACETYLCHOLINE BRAIN,SPINAL CORD,PNS MUSCLE
MOVEMENT,COGNITIVE
FUNCTIONING
(excitatory/inhibitory)
GLUTAMATE BRAIN,SPINAL CORD MEMORY
(excitatory)
GAMMA-AMINO
BUTYRIC ACID
BRAIN,SPINAL CORD EATING,AGGRESSION,SLEEPIN
G
(inhibitory)
SEROTONIN BRAIN,SPINAL CORD SLEEPING,MOOD,PAIN
DEPRESSION
(inhibitory)
DOPAMINE BRAIN MUSCLES DISORDER,MENTAL
DISORDER,PARKINSON’S
DISEASE
(inhibitory/excitatory)
ENDORPHINS BRAIN,SPINAL CORD PAIN SUPPRESSION,PLEASURE
FEELINGS,APPETITES
(inhibitory)

8. BRAIN

9. FUNCTIONS OF THE BRAIN
 TO IDENTIFY
 TO ORGANIZE
 TO INTERPRET
 TO RESPOND

10. MAJOR CORES OF THE BRAIN
 FORE BRAIN
 MIDBRAIN
 HINDBRAIN

11. The anterior and largest portion of the brain; includes the cerebral hemispheres, the limbic
system, the thalamus and hypothalamus, and the corpus callosum.
Function: to control cognitive, sensory and motor function, and regulate temperature,
reproductive functions, eating, sleeping and the display of emotions.

12. The midbrain is the smallest region of the brain that acts
as relay station for auditory and visual information.
Portions of the midbrain called the red nucleus and the
substantia nigra are involved in the control of body
movement.

13. The area of the brain comprising the pons, medulla and
cerebellum.
Function: to co-ordinate motor activity, posture,
equilibrium and sleep patterns and regulate unconscious
but essential functions, such as breathing and blood
circulation.

14. CENTRAL CORE-THE OLD BRAIN WHICH CONTROLS
BASIC FUNCTIONS SUCH AS EATING AND IS
COMMON TO ALL VERTEBRATES.
CEREBRAL CORTEX- THE NEW BRAIN RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE MOST SOPHISTICATED INFORMATION
PROCESSING IN THE BRAIN.IT ALSO CONTAINS
FOUR LOBES

15. LOBES OF THE BRAIN

17. Frontal
 LIES IN THE MOTOR CORTEX,INVOLVES IN DECISION
MAKING,PLANNING,AND CARRYING OUT
BEHAVIOR,RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTROL OF VOLUNTARY
MOVEMENTS.
 DAMAGE: INABILITY OF GOOD CHOICES AND RECOGNIZED
CONSEQUENCE
 CAN CAUSE INCREASE IRRITABILITY.
 CHANGE IN MOOD AND INABILTY TO REGULATE BEHAVIOR

18.  INVOLVES IN PROCESSING SENSORY INFORMATION FROM THE
BODY,SUCH AS TOUCHING,LOCATING POSITION OF LIMBS,FEELING
TEMPERATURE AND PAIN.
 DAMAGE:THE ABILITY TO MULTITASK IS REDUCE OR
ELIMINATED,RECOGNITION OF RIGHT AND LEFT
 DAMAGE NEGLECT
Parietal

19. Temporal
 PRIMARY LOCATION OF AUDITORY AREA,INVOLVES IN
APPRECIATION OF SOUNDS AND SPOKEN LANGUAGE.
 RESPONSIBLE FOR LEARNING,MEMORY AND HEARING
 DAMAGE:INABILITY TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY SEE
AND HEAR
 INABILITY TO COMPREHEND LANGUAGE
 IMPAIRED MEMEORY
 EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE
 PROSOPAGNOSIA

20. Occipital
 INVOLVES IN PROCESSING VISUAL INFORMATION,WHICH INCLUDES
SEEING COLORS AND PERCIEVING AND RECOGNIZING
OBJECTS,ANIMALS AND PEOPLE.
 DAMAGE:LOSE OF VISUAL CAPABILITY
 INABILITY TO IDENTIFY COLOR
 HALLUCINATION

22. PARTS OF THE BRAIN
 HYPOTHALAMUS
 THALAMUS
 PITUTARY GLAND
 RESPONSIBLE FOR
REGULATING BASIC
BIOLOGICAL
NEEDS:HUNGER,THRIST,
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
 RELAY CENTER FOR
CORTEX,HANDLES
INCOMING AND
OUTGOING SIGNALS.
 MASTER GLAND
REGULATES OTHER
ENDOCRINE GLANDS.

23. PARTS OF THE BRAIN
 MEDULLA
 PONS
 CEREBELLUM
 CORPUS CALLOSUM
 RESPONSIBLE FOR
REGULATING UNCONSCIOUS
FUNCTIONS SUCH AS
BREATHING AND
CIRCULATION.
 INVOLVES IN SLEEP AND
AROUSAL.
 CONTROLS BODILY
BALANCE.
 BRIDGE OF FIBERS PASSING
INFORMATIONBETWEEN THE
TWO CEREBRAL HEMISPHRES

24. AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION OF RIGHT AND
LEFT CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES
LEFT HEMISPHERE
 RIGHT HAND TOUCH
 SPEECH
 LANGUAGE
 WRITING
 LOGIC
 MATH
 SCIENCE
RIGHT HEMISPHERE
 LEFT HAND TOUCH
 SPATIAL
CONSTRUCTION
 CREATIVE THINKING
 FANTASY
 ART AND MUSIC
APPRECIATION

25. ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

26. ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
 A CHEMICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK THAT
SENDS MESSAGES THOUGHOUT THE BODY VIA THE
BLOOD STREAM.
 HORMONES-CHEMICALS THAT CIRCULATE THROUGH
THE BLOOD STREAM AND REGULATE THE
FUNCTIONING OR GROWTH OF THE BODY.
 PITUITARY GLAND-THE MAJOR COMPONENT OF
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM WHICH SECRETES HORMONES
THAT CONTROL GROWTH AND THE OTHER PARTS OF
THE ENDOCRINE SYTEM.

27. MAJOR ENDOCRINE GLANDS AND ITS
FUNCTIONS
 HYPOTHALAMUS
 PITUITARY GLAND
 PARATHYROID GLAND
 THYROID GLAND
 THYMUS
 ADRENAL GLAND
 PANCREAS
 OVARY TESTES
 HOMEOSTASIS
 GROWTH
 METABOLIC RATE
 IMMUNE SYSTEM
 INSULIN AND
GLUCAGON,CONTROLS
SUGAR METABOLISM
 PROMOTE MALE/FEMALE
SECONDARY SEX
CHARACTERISTICS.

28. MAJOR PROCESSES
CONTROLLED BY HORMONES
 REPRODUCTION
 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
 MOBILIZING THE BODY AGAINST STRESSORS
 MAINTAINING ELECTROLYTE,WATER,NUTRIENT BALANCE
OF THE BLOOD
 METABOLISM