Biological Bases of Behavior

BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR THE HUMAN BRAIN The influence of biology (sometimes called the neuroscience or biopsychological perspective) is growing. Some researchers predict that someday psychology will be a specialty within the field of biology. An understanding of the biological principles relevant to psychology is needed to understand current psychological thinking. The human brain consists of three major divisions; hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain Major Division Subdivision Structures Prosencephalon (Forebrain) Telencephalon Neocortex; Basal Ganglia; Amygdala; Hippocampus; Lateral Ventricles Diencephalon Thalamus; Hypothalamus; Epithalamus; Third Ventricle Mesencephalon (Midbrain) Mesencephalon Tectum; Tegmentum; Cerebral Aqueduct Rhombencephalon (Hindbrain) Metencephalon Cerebellum; Pons; Fourth Ventricle Myelencephalon Medulla Oblongata; Fourth Ventricle Brain Structure Hindbrain- structures in the top part of the spinal cord, controls basic biological functions that keep us alive. Medulla- controls blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing Pons- connects the hindbrain with the mid and forebrain, also involved in the control of facial expressions Cerebellum- portion of the lower brain that coordinates and organizes bodily movements for balance and accuracy. 2 Midbrain-between the hind and forebrain, coordinates simple movements with sensory information. Forebrain- controls what we think of as thought and reason. Thalamus- portion of the lower brain that functions primarily as a central relay station for incoming and outgoing messages from the body to the brain and the brain to the body Hypothalamus- portion of the lower brain that regulates basic needs (hunger, thirst) and emotions such as pleasure, fear, rage, and sexuality Amygdala and Hippocampus- two arms surrounding the thalamus, important in how we process and perceive memory and emotion NOTE: The three parts above are grouped together and called the limbic system because they all deal with aspects of emotion and memory. -57150016383000What is a Neuron? A neuron is a nerve cell. The brain is made up of about 100 billion neurons. Neurons are similar to other cells in the body in some ways such as: Neurons are surrounded by a membrane. Neurons have a nucleus that contains genes. Neurons contain cytoplasm, mitochondria and other "organelles". However, neurons differ from other cells in the body in some ways such as: Neurons have specialized projections called dendrites and axons. Dendrites bring information to the cell body and axons take information away from the cell body. Neurons communicate with each other through an electrochemical process. Neurons form specialized connections called "synapses" and produce special chemicals called "neurotransmitters" that are released at the synapse. It has been estimated that there are 1 quadrillion synapses in the human brain. That's 1015 or 1,000,000,000,000,000 synapses! This is equal to about a half-billion synapses per cubic millimeter. (Statistic from Changeux, J-P. and Ricoeur, P., What Makes Us Think?, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000, p. 78) How big is the brain? How much does the brain weigh? The adult human brain weighs between 1300 g and 1400 g (about 3 lbs). A newborn human brain weighs between 350 and 400 g. For comparison: 331470019050000elephant brain = 6,000 g chimpanzee brain = 420 g rhesus monkey brain = 95 g beagle dog brain = 72 g cat brain = 30 g rat brain = 2 g The picture to the right is a human brain. (Image provided by Dr. Wally Welker, Univ. of Wisconsin Brain Collection) Ways of studying the brain: Accidents, Lesions, Electroencephalogram, Computerized axial tomography, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Positron emission tomography, Functional MRI, Neuroanatomy 685800-37465000Neuron – a nerve cell, which transmits electrical and chemical information throughout the body dendrite- part of the neuron that receives information from the axons of other nerve cells Axon- part of the neuron that carries messages away from one neuron to the dendrites of another Cell body, or soma- contains the nucleus and other parts of the cell needed to sustain its life Myelin sheath- a fatty covering around the axon that speeds neural impulses Terminal buttons- the branched end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters Vesicles – bubblelike containers of neurotransmitters, located at the end of an axon Neurotransmitters-– chemicals in the endings of nerve cells that send information across the synapse Acetylcholine – neurotransmitter that regulates basic bodily processes such as movement Dopamine – a neurotransmitter involved in the control of bodily movements ( involved in Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s) Endorphins – neurotransmitters that relieve pain and increase our sense of wellbeing Serotonin- mood control Synapse- the junction point of two or more neurons; a connection is made by neurotransmitters. Action potential All-or-none principle Afferent neurons, or sensory neurons Interneurons Efferent neurons, or motor neurons Central nervous system- brain and spinal cord Peripheral nervous system- - all other nerves Somatic nervous system- controls voluntary movements Autonomic nervous system- controls involuntary movements Sympathetic nervous system- speeds things up- prepares body for fight or flight Parasympathetic nervous system-- brings the body back to normal Cerebral cortex- covers the lower brain and controls mental processes such as thought Frontal lobes-– contains the motor strip and frontal association area Frontal association area – plays an important part in integrating personality and in forming complex thoughts Motor strip- band running down the side of the frontal lobe that controls all bodily movements Parietal lobes -– area that contains the sensory strip Sensory strip- band running down the side of he parietal lobe that registers and provides all sensation Occipital lobes- area that interprets visual information Temporal lobes- area responsible for hearing and some speech functions Lobe- major division of the brain   Hemispheres- one-half of the two halves of the brain; controls the opposite side of the body Brain lateralization Corpus callosum - bundle of nerve fibers that transfers info. From one hemisphere to the other Fissure- a lengthy depression marking off an area of the brain Reticular activating system- the alertness control center of the brain that regulates the activity level of the body Split-brain Brain plasticity Endocrine system – system of all the glands and their chemical messages taken together Hormones – chemical regulators that control bodily processes such as emotional responses, growth, and sexuality Pituitary gland – the master gland of the body that activates other glands and controls the growth hormone Growth hormone – hormone that regulates the growth process Thyroid gland – controls and regulates the speed of bodily processes called metabolism Metabolism – the speed at which the body operates of the speed at which it uses up energy Adrenal glands – glands that release the hormone that causes excitement in order to prepare the body for an emergency Adrenaline – chemical that prepares the body for emergency activity by increasing blood pressure, breathing rate, and energy level BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR QUIZ 1. Blindness could result from damage to which cortex and lobe of the brain? visual cortex in the frontal lobe visual cortex in the temporal lobe sensory cortex in the parietal lobe visual cortex in the occipital lobe cerebral cortex in the occipital lobe 2. Paralysis of the left arm might be explained by a problem in the motor cortex in the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere. Motor cortex in the frontal lobe in the right hemisphere. Sensorimotor cortex in the temporal lobe in the left hemisphere. Motor cortex in the parietal lobe in the left hemisphere. Motor cortex in the occipital lobe in the right hemisphere. 3. Deafness can result from damage to the inner ear or damage to what area of the brain? Connections between the auditory nerve and the auditory cortex in the frontal lobe. Connections between the auditory nerve and the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe. Connections between the areas of the sensory cortex that receive messages from the ears and the auditory cortex. Connections between the hypothalamus and the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe. Connections between the left and right sensory areas of the cerebellum. 4. According to the theory of evolution, why might we call some parts of the brain the old brain and some parts of the new brain? Old brain parts are what exist in very young children, and the new brain develops later The old brain developed first according to evolution. The old brain becomes more active as we grow older. The new brain deals with new information, while the old brain deals with information gathered when we were children. The old brain is most affected by age deterioration (dementias) while the new brain remains unaffected. 5. Which chemicals pass across the synaptic gap and increase the possibility the next neuron in the chain will fire? synaptic peptides D. excitatory neurotransmitters inhibitory neurotransmitters E. potassium and sodium adrenaline-type exciters 6. You eat some bad sushi and feel that you are slowly losing control over your muscles. The bacteria you ingested from the bad sushi most likely interferes with the use of Serotonin D. thorazine Dopamine E. adrenaline acetylcholine 7. The three major categories researchers use to organize the entire brain are the old brain, new brain, and cerebral cortex lower, middle, and upper brain. Hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain. Brain stem, limbic system, and cerebral cortex Neurons, synapses, and cerebral cortex. 8. A spinal reflex differs from a normal sensory and motor reaction in that a spinal reflex occurs only in response to extremely stressful stimuli. In a spinal reflex, the spine moves the muscles in response as soon as the sensory information reaches the spine while usually the impulse must reach the brain before a response. In a normal sensory/motor reaction, the spine transmits the information through afferent nerve fibers, while reflex reactions are transmitted along special efferent nerves. Spinal reflexes are part of the central nervous system response, while normal sensory/motor reactions are part of the peripheral nervous system. Spinal reflexes occur only in animals because humans are born without instinctual responses. 9. Antidepressant drugs like Prozac are often used to treat mood disorders. According to what you know about their function, which neurotransmitter system do these types of drugs try to affect? serotonin adrenaline acetylcholine endorphins morphine 10. Which sentence most closely describes neural transmission? An electric charge is created in the neuron, the charge travels down the cell, and chemicals are released that cross the synapse to the next cell. A chemical change occurs within the cell, the change causes an electric charge to be produced, and the charge jumps the gap between the nerve cells. The electric charge produced chemically inside a group of neurons causes chemical changes in surrounding cells. Neurotransmitters produced in the hindbrain are transmitted to the forebrain, causing electric changes in the cerebral cortex. Neural transmission is an electrochemical process both inside and outside the cell. 11. Dr. Dahab, a brain researcher, is investigating the connection between certain environmental stimuli and brain processes. Which types of brain scans is he most likely to use? MRI and CAT CAT and EKG PET and EEG EKG and CAT Lesioning and MRI 12. Split-brain patients are unable to coordinate movements between their major and minor muscle groups. Speak about information received exclusively in their right hemisphere. Speak about information received exclusively in their left hemisphere. Solve abstract problems involving integrating logical (left-hemisphere) and spatial (right hemisphere) information. Speak about information received exclusively through their left ear, left eye, or left side of their bodies. 13. When brain researchers refer to brain plasticity , they are talking about the brain’s ability to regrow damaged neurons. The surface texture and appearance caused by the layer known as the cerebral cortex. The brain’s versatility caused by the millions of different neural connections. Our adaptability to different problems ranging from survival needs to abstract reasoning. New connections forming in the brain to take over for damaged sections. 14. Mr. Spam is a 39-year-old male who has been brought into your neurology clinic by his wife. She has become increasingly alarmed by her husband’s behavior over the last four months. You recommend a CAT scan to look for tumors in the brain. Which two parts of the brain would you predict are being affected by the tumors?  List of symptoms: vastly increased appetite, body temperature fluctuations, decreased sexual desire, jerky movements, poor balance when walking and standing, inability to throw objects, and exaggerated efforts to coordinate movements in a task A. motor cortex and emotion cortex B. motor cortex and hypothalamus C. hypothalamus and cerebellum D. cerebellum and medulla E. thalamus and motor cortex 15. In most people, which one of the following is a specific function of the left hemisphere that is typically not controlled by the right hemisphere? producing speech control of the left hand spatial reasoning hypothesis testing abstract reasoning Neuroscience & Behavior ID’s phrenology Franz Gall biological psychologists neurons dendrites axon myelin sheath action potential/neural impulse soma terminal branches resting potential selectively permeable depolarization refractory period threshold all-or-none response synapse/synaptic gap/synaptic clef receptor sites neurotransmitters reuptake reuptake inhibitors acetylcholine (ACh) Dopamine Serotonin Norepinephrine Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) endorphins agonists antagonists blood-brain barrier nervous system central nervous system (CNS) peripheral nervous system (PNS) sensory neurons/afferent neurons motor neurons/efferent neurons interneuron autonomic nervous system (ANS) Somatic nervous system (SNS) sympathetic nervous system parasympathetic nervous system reflex endocrine system hormones adrenal glands Norepinephrine/noradrenaline epinephrine/adrenaline pituitary gland pineal gland thyroid gland parathyroid glands lesion electroencephalogram(EEG) Positron emission tomography (PET scan) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) functional MRI (fMRI) brainstem medulla reticular formation thalamus cerebellum limbic system hippocampus amygdala hypothalamus cerebral cortex glial cells frontal lobe parietal lobe occipital lobe temporal lobe motor cortex sensory cortex association areas Phineas Gage aphasia Broca’s area Wernicke’s area visual cortex plasticity corpus callosum split brain lateralization right hemisphere left hemisphere handedness Neuroscience and Behavior Guided Notes Franz Gall phrenology Biological psychologists Neural Communication Neurons Dendrites Axon Myelin sheath Cell body/soma Terminal branches of axon Synapse/synaptic gap/synaptic cleft Action potential Selectively permeable Resting potential Depolarization Refractory period Threshold All or none response Neurotransmitters Reuptake Types of Neurotransmitters Dopamine Serotonin Acetylcholine (Ach) Norepinephrine GABA Glutamate Endorphins Agonists Antagonists Reuptake inhibitors Blood-brain barrier The Nervous system Central nervous system Peripheral nervous system Autonomic nervous system Somatic nervous system Sympathetic nervous system Parasympathetic nervous system Types of Nerves Sensory neurons Motor neurons Interneurons Reflexes Neural network The Endocrine system Hormones Hypothalamus (brain structure) Pituitary gland Thyroid gland Parathyroid gland Adrenal gland Pancreas Ovaries Testis The Brain Lesions Brain Scans EEG PET MRI fMRI CAT Brainstem Medulla Reticular formation Pons Other brain structures Thalamus Cerebellum Limbic system Amygdala Hypothalamus Hippocampus Cerebral Cortex Glial cells Lobes of the brain Frontal lobe Parietal lobe Temporal lobe Occipital lobe Motor cortex Sensory cortex Association areas Aphasia Broca’s area Brocas aphasia Wernicke’s areas Wernicke’s aphasia Brain placidity Our Divided Brain Split Brain Lateralization Left brain Right brain Left handed people IDS Nature Nurture environment behavior genetics chromosomes genes DNA genome gene complexes identical twins fraternal twins temperament heritability interactions molecular genetics evolutionary psychologists natural selection mutations gender culture norms personal space individualism collectivism aggression x chromosome y chromosome role gender roles testosterone estrogen gender identity gender-typed social learning theory gender schema theory Exercices Tools for measuring brain activity – EEG – CAT scan – MRI – PET – fMRI – (not in book) Nervous System 2286000762000 3886200-762000800100-762000800100-762000 SAME! Sensory = Afferent Motor = Efferent Interneuron = between neurons The Brain! The Brainstem _______________________ – where spinal cord meets the skull; controls heartbeat and breathing ___________________ _______________ – bundle of nerves running through the brainstem; controls arousal; filters incoming stimuli and relays important information to the brain. ________________________ Pair of eggs-shaped organs above the brainstem; receives information from the senses (EXCEPT FOR SMELL) and relays it to the rest of the brain. _____________________ In the rear of the head, behind the brainstem, controls balance and coordination _________________ – two almond shaped structures; influence fear and aggression (monkeys and cats) _________________________ – below the thalamus; regulates hunger, thirst, body temp, sex, fight-or-flight; triggers the pituitary (the “master gland”); reward center ____________________ – behind the amygdala; memory __________________ _________________ – control and information processing; wrinkled to increase surface area Four lobes – _________________________ – forehead region Includes _____________ ____________ (part of brain that controls voluntary movement) Includes _____________ area (needed for forming words; located in left hemisphere only) Association areas in this region – judgment, planning, processing new memories __________________________ – top and rear of head Contains the ________________ ____________ (part of brain that registers and processes tactile (touch) information (phantom limb) Contains the ______________________________ - transforms written words into sound __________________________ – back of head Processes vision ________________________ -- sides of head, above ears Receives and processes auditory information Includes __________________ area (part of brain involved in understanding language) _________________ _________________________ – bundle of nerves connecting the left and right hemispheres Generalization vs. Discrimination Instructions: Below are 4 everyday situations in which some form of operant behavior is occurring. After reading each scenario, indicate whether it is an instance of generalization or discrimination. Situation 1: We stop our vehicles when the traffic light is red, but continue through the light when it is green. Situation 2: We sit quietly in our seats during class examinations, church services, theatrical presentations, and funerals. Situation 3: We raise our hands before speaking in class but not while talking to a friend or while at a party. Situation 4: We put our feet up on our desk and coffee table at home, but not on our grandparents' coffee table. Situation 5: We mistake a stranger for a friend of ours. Situation 6: We answer the doorbell when it was really the phone that was ringing. Hemisphere Dominance Inventory Answer all of the following questions as quickly as possible. Do not skip any. If more than one answer applies, choose the one that best applies to you. If you had to give someone directions to your house, which of the following methods would you most likely use? Write a paragraph that explains where and when to turn Draw a road map Which of the following are you better at solving? Jigsaw puzzle Crossword Puzzle Do you remember faces easily? No Yes Do you think you’d earn higher grades in a geometry class or in an algebra class? Geometry Algebra Imagine that you’re vacationing at a resort. Which of the following would you most likely do? Obtain a brochure of local attractions and plan what you’d like to do for the day. Drive around without a plan and decide what you’d like to do as you drive along. Was it usually easy or difficult for you to learn grammar in school? Difficult Easy Imagine enrolling in a music course. You and a partner in the course must write a song. Which of the following would you prefer to do (Assume you have the ability to do both)? Write the lyrics. Compose the melody. When you read a new chapter in a textbook, which of the following are you most likely to do? Skim through the entire chapter first to get a general idea of what the chapter is about. Read the chapter from beginning to end without doing much skimming. In which of the following English classes would you most likely enroll? Journalism Creative Writing Imagine that you volunteered to work for the school newspaper. Which of the following would you rather do? Cut and paste and lay out the stories and decide which stories should appear where. Write one or two of the stories. After reading a new chapter in a textbook, which of the following would you rather do? Summarize the chapter Outline the chapter. If you had an important project due in a class, would you rather work in a group or alone? Group Alone Which of the following classroom situations do you prefer? A teacher announces assignment on a weekly basis and sets specific, weekly due dates. A teacher announces all the assignments at the beginning of the course and allows you to complete them at any time before the end of the course. Which of the following statements best applies to you? I’m good at guessing a person’s mood by his or her body language. I’m not good at guessing a person’s mood by his or her body language. Which of the following would you rather play? Scrabble Checkers With which of the following statements do you most agree? We should continue exploring outer space since one day this exploration may benefit us. We should continue exploring outer space only if we can be sure ahead of time of certain benefits we would receive. Identifying Injured Brain Structures There are a number of clients in the Shady Pines Nursing Home that have suffered neurological damage. Given the limited (and oversimplified) information provided below, make an educated guess as to the part of the brain that has been damaged. 1. Anna is very placid and easy to get along with, but she seems to live only in the moment, with no ability to think ahead or make plans that she can then follow. 2. Lucia displays considerable paralysis on the right side of her body. Although not on life support systems, Deena has been in a coma for years and shows no signs of waking up. Since a very serious motor vehicle accident, Juan has been on life support systems to stay alive. Leon has difficulty walking and performing other routine and daily tasks because she experiences jerks and spasms and a lack of coordination in her arms and legs. She also has trouble maintaining her balance. Ben shows extremely confused thinking and disordered attention of the sort that characterizes schizophrenia. Lucretia is unable to carry out organized sequences of actions to satisfy basic needs such as hunger. Luke is able to comprehend what others say when they speak to him, but he cannot express himself in words or sentences. Thurgood cannot understand others when they speak to him, and speaks gibberish himself when he tries to talk.