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AP Psych Prep.

3
Biological Psychology Part I: Neurons and Signals, General Nervous System, and Brain Research Methods

Biological Psychology
Can also be called biopsychology,

physiological psychology, or neuroscience


Structures and functions of the components

of the brain, and other ways our physical bodies influence our behaviour
Is a strong and growing field in psychology

Part I Overview:
Neurons The Cellular basis of behaviour Neuron Signal Transmission General Nervous System

Methods of Researching the Brain

Nervous System Overview:


(Pink) (Green)

Neurons cellular basis of behaviour


Neuron individual nerve cell; the cells that

send and receive the fast messages that make up our thoughts, feelings, behaviours, etc.
Neurons are found in your brains, and also in

the rest of your body


Neurons are very specialized cells with

important parts.

Neurons / Nerve Cells

Neurons Components / Parts


Dendrites tree-like parts that stretch out

from the cell body. These connect to other neurons, and receive signals from them
Cell Body / Soma round part of the cell that

holds the cell organelles and keeps the cell alive and operating properly
Axon wire that extends out of the cell body

towards other cells.

Neurons Components / Parts


Myelin Sheath oval shaped coverings on the

axon; like the plastic covering on wires. Act to make the signal transmission faster
Terminal button / synaptic knob the

ending(s) of the axon, where it meets with another nerve cell. Contains neurotransmitters

Neurons Components / Parts


Neurotransmitters chemicals used by

neurons to communicate with each other. They match with receptor sites on the opposite neuron.
Synapse the space between the terminal

button of one neuron and the dendrites of the next neuron.

Neurons Components / Parts

Neurons Signal Transmission


Nerve signals travel along the axon of the

neuron by an electrical signal called a nerve impulse, or action potential.


It starts from the cell body end of the cell. If

the cell is stimulated enough by other neurons, (threshold level is reached) it will fire a signal down the axon to communicate to other cells.

Neurons Signal Transmission


First Action Potential Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0NpTdge

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Second Action Potential Video

(file only)

Neurons Signal Transmission

Nerve impulse animation


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSkxlpN

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Neurons Signal Transmission


Signals travel 120 meters per second very

fast
Threshold of -55 millivolts is required before

the neuron will fire (+ All-or-none principle, can only fire, or not fire, no half signals)
When the signal reaches the end of the

neuron, it causes CHEMICAL signal to start. Chemicals are how one cell talks to another. Electric signal is just WITHIN one neuron

Neurons Signal Transmission


Nodes of Ranvier are the gaps between the

myelin sheath blobs. These little gaps allow the signal to jump from one gap to the next, making the signal much much faster.
(loss of myelin sheath causes problems in

humans; for example, the disease multiple sclerosis)

Neurons Signal Transmission


After a neuron sends a signal, it will wait for a

small period of time before sending another one. This is called the refractory period.
If cells fire signals too quickly and too often,

they can die. This can happen if your brain is injured, and excitatory neurotransmitters are released in great numbers.

Neurons Signal Transmission

Neurons Neurotransmitters
Between cells, chemical signal happens by

movement of neurotransmitters. They travel from one nerve cell to the next one across the gap (synapse).
Some neurotransmitters excite the cell they

attach to (make more positive more likely to fire), and some will inhibit (make more negative, less likely to fire).

Neurons Neurotransmitters
Amount and type of neurotransmitters that

attach to the cell will determine if it fires or not.

Neural Synapse Signal Communication


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXx9qlJ

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A Few Important Neurotransmitters:


Different types of neurotransmitters tend to

do different jobs in our brains. Here are a few examples. There are many more

SSRI Medications

General Nervous System


Nervous system is our minds connection to

the outside world. Our nerve cells can only fire in ONE direction, so we need two sets of cells; one for signals to the brain, one for signals from the brain.
Sensory Neurons (Afferent) signals from the

senses to the brain Motor Neurons (Efferent) signals from the brain out to the rest of the body

General Nervous System


Interneurons transmits signals between

sensory and motor, or between areas of the brain.


Nervous system can be divided into different

parts. Central and Peripheral was mentioned before. There are further divisions possible.

General Nervous System

Nervous System Central (CNS)


Brain and Spinal Cord nerves housed within

bone. Spinal cord large number of nerves that run out of the brain and send information to and from the brain and the body.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)


The periphery (edges) Somatic NS controls our voluntary

movements; the movements we choose to make.


Autonomic NS (think of automatic)

controls functions of our body that we dont consciously control (breathing, heart beat, digestion, etc)

Autonomic Nervous System:


Has two pieces: 1. Sympathetic Nervous

System gets us ready to react to a sudden stressful situation.


Makes your heart and breathing faster, etc. to

make you ready to fight or run. Also slows other functions that arent needed right then (like digestion) to save resources for the emergency situation.

Autonomic Nervous System:


2. Parasympathetic Nervous System changes

our bodies actions in the opposite direction. Moves us away from the stressful position to a normal relaxed state.
Slows heartbeat, breathing, lowers blood

pressure, etc. Speeds up digestion again, etc.

Peripheral Nervous System Operation


Both sensory and motor neurons are required

for normal everyday behaviour.


What parts of your nervous system might be

involved when you see some candy, and reach out to get it? ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ __________________________________

Reflexes
Automatic reactions to certain stimuli. Some of our reflexes happen WITHOUT any

action by our brains. Spinal cord can initiate action by itself sometimes.
When doctor hits just below your knee and

your leg jerks up. Touching very hot or cold things pull away

Spinal Reflexes

Signal is ALSO sent to your brain, but decision to act has already happened

The Brain (part of CNS)


Hard to study the brain. Its hidden beneath

skin and bone, and even if we can see it its hard to tell what its doing.

We use many different technologies to study

the brain.

Brain Research Methods:


Accidents Sometimes a rare accident to

someones brain will give us some clues. (Case Study) E.g. Phineas Gage railway worker hurt on the job behaviour and personality changed

Brain Research Methods:


Lesions removal or destruction of part of the

brian. NEVER done just out of curiosity. Sometimes medically necessary


E.g. H.M. a patient who had brain seizures.

Had part of his lateral hippocampus removed to stop the seizures. The surgery probably saved his life. Hippocampus is very important in memory formation, and so

Brain Research Methods:


H.M. could not make NEW memories at all

after the surgery happened.


He could remember old memories. He could also learn new motor

skills, just couldnt form new declarative memories.


This idea explored in this

movie, though its inaccurate

Brain Research Methods:


Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures brain

electrical energy from outside the head; Common in sleep research, but can be used in other areas as well.

Brain Research Methods:


Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT)

multiple angle xray creates a very detailed image of an internal body area; can not show functioning

Brain Research Methods: CAT

Brain Research Methods: CAT

Brain Research Methods:


Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Similar

to CAT scan, but uses a large magnet and radio waves to capture a very detailed internal image. High resolution, and avoids the radiation of CAT. See animation.

Brain Research Methods:


Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Uses a

slightly radioactive tracer element in a chemical used by the body to make a picture of ACTIVITY of the body.
E.g. we can watch which parts of the brain are

using more glucose (a sugar burned as fuel by the body), and therefore which parts of the brain are most active.

Very useful to see where the brain is active,

not just what it looks like. However, very expensive to make tracers, etc. And not quite as high resolution as other techniques.

Brain Research Methods:


Functional MRI a new method that combines

aspects of PET and MRI to create very detailed images of BOTH structure and activity.
Uses the difference

in how much blood is in different areas of the brain to measure activity.

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