Biology of Mind Essay

* Everything psychological is simultaneously biologic * Plato correctly located the judging in the spherical head * Aristotle believed mind was in the heart * Although heart is the symbol for love, psychology has proven that you go in love using your humour * 1800s Franz G altogether (German psychologist) invented phrenology theory that claims that bumps on our skull could reveal our mental ability and character traits * biological Psychology the emergence of psychology concerned with the links between biology and doings * Biological psychologists sometimes called Behavioural neuroscientist, neuropsychologist, behaviour geneticist, psychological psychologist, bio psychologist * We ar a dust of substances, that argon dispassionate of even smaller substances ( trivial cells muddle up organic body structure organs) * Bodys entropy formation is built from billions of tiny interconnected system of neurones * Sensory Neurones neurons that beam incoming information from th e stunning sensorial receptor the hotshot and the spinal anaesthesia anesthesia electric heap for processing afferent * Motor Neurons the neurons that carry outgoing information from the dispo sition to the muscles and the glands efferent * Interneurons neurons within the humor and the spinal corf that that communicate intrinsicly and intervene between the sensory inputs and the repel outputs * distri neverthelessively neuron consists of a* Cell be and branching fibers (the cells life support c encipher) * Dendrite fibres receive information and conduct it toward the cell personify * Axon passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles and glands * Can be very long projecting several feet into the body * Myelin guinea pig a layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibres of many neurons * Allows for fast urge transmission among neurons * If myelin sheath degenerates, communication to muscles dimmed with eventual sacking of muscle con trol * Action potential brief electric weigh down that travels down a neurons axone (neural impulse) * Generally an axon is in a negative state, term the fluid out of doors an axon is in a positive state * Resting potential the positive external/ negative inside state of an inert neuron * K+ in axon Na+ outside axon (-70mv)* Axon membrane is selectively Permeable does not allow everything inside (selective) * When a neuron fires, the primary bit of the axon at large(p)s up allowing positively charged sodium ions to enter * That section of the ion becomes depolarized, making the axons next channel to open up * During resting period(refractory period) the neurons pump the positively charged sodium ions back outside * Each neuron receives signals from hundreds of other neurons * Excitatory signals like pushing a neuron accelerator * Inhibitory signals like pushing its breaks* Threshold the level of stimulation questd to trigger a natural impulse * If the stimulativ e signal minus inhibitory signal exceeds a min passion (-60mv) * How neurons communicate Before thought that axon of one cell amalgamated with dendrites of another, but Sir Charles Sherrington noticed that it takes a long time for the signal to travel. and so concluded that in that respect is a pass * Synapse the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite of the receiving cell * Synapse gap (synaptic c left-hand(a)) the tiny gap at the junction (less than a millionth inch wide) * When action potential reaches the terminals at the axon, release of chemical messenger is triggered (neurotransmitters) * soon the neurotransmitters cross the synapse gap and bind to the receptor site on the receiving neuron * For an instant the receptors unlock the channels at the receiving site and electrically changed atoms ladder in , exciting or inhibiting the receiving neuron readiness to fire * thus reuptake occurs (a process when the sending neuron reabsorbs the n eurotransmitters)* How neurotransmitters Influence Us there is a regionicular path way in the foreland for authoritative neurotransmitters and particular neurotransmitters may have particular effect on behaviour and emotion * Example Acetylcholine (ACh) one of the best understood neurotransmitters * Has to do with encyclopaedism and memory* At every junction between motor neurons and penurious muscles * Muscles contract, but when pathway is blocked we are paralyzed * Drugs like mushy opiates (like heroin and morphine) lessen pain and boost mood, may cause judgement to s acme producing its natural opiates (may cause discomfort) * Drugs and other chemical affect psyche chemistry at synapses by either amplifying or blocking a neurotransmitters activity * Agonist a molecule similar to a neurotransmitter that deal mimic its effect or block the reuptake * barren widow spider venom floods synapses with Ach cause muscle contractions and possibly wipeout * Antagonists block neurotransmitters functioning * May occupy receptor sites but not similar enough to stimulate receptor* sick system bodys electrochemical communication network consisting of nerve cells from peripheral device and central anxious systems * Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) sensory and motor nervous system that connects the CNS to the rest of the body. Has 2 components * Somatic Nervous System part of the PNS that controls skeletal muscles * Automatic Nervous System part of the PNS that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs (ie the heart) * Sympathetic nervous System arouses the body and gives aught * Accelerate heartbeat, raise downslope pressure, slow digestion when something alarms, enrages or challenges you making you spruce and ready for action * Parasympathetic Nervous System calms the body down, conserving brawniness ( confrontation of sympathetic) The two work together to keep you in steady internal state* Central Nervous System (CNS) the headsp ring and the spinal cord * Neural networks groups of adept neurons cluster into work groups * Neurons network with near-by neurons with which they can make fast corporation * Spinal cord information way connecting PNS to the spirit * Reflex an automatic response to a sensory stimulus spinal cords work * Simple reflex pathway is composed of single sensory & motor neurons * Communicate through and through interneurons* Below pt of injury on spinal cord loses connection w/ brain lose all sensation and conscious execution in body regions with sensory & motor connections * The Endocrine System bodys slow chemical communication system a set of glands that produce hormones into your blood stream * Hormones chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrinal glands, travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues * Slower than neural massages, but polish longer* Adrenal Gland a pair of endocrine gland glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormon es (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body at time of stress * Increase heart rate, blood sugar levels, blood pressure * Pituitary Gland endocrine systems roughly influential gland. When under hypothalamus influence, the pituitary gland gland regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands * Pea sized structure located in the core of the brain * Example pituitary gland influences the sex glands to release sex hormones * (brain pituitary other hormone brain ) connection b/w endocrine + nervousModule 5* Lesion tissue destruction * Brain lesion -Naturally or experimentally ca utilise destruction of brain tissue * Used in Experiments tiny clusters of familiar/defective brain cells would be destroyed w/ skirt unharmed which part influences what Scientists electrically/chemically/magnetically stimulate discordant part of the brain note effects * Neuroscientists study the working brain by recording brains electrical activity * encephalogram (EEG) ampli fied recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface (measured by electrodes places on scalp) * PET (positron emission tomography) Scan optical display that shows brain activity that detects where radioactive glucose (gamma rays) goes in the brain while it performs a certain task * Active neurons are glucose hogs* MRI (magnetic sonority imaging) technique that uses magnetic field and radio waves to produce computer generated images of the woolly tissue show brain anatomy * Align spinning atoms of the brain molecules, then radio wave pulse temporarily disorients atoms return to normal spin formed detailed pic of the brain tissue b/c released signals * fMRI (functional MRI) a technique revealing blood spring (brain activity), by comparing successive MRIs show brain function and structure* Brainstem the oldest part of the central core of the brain * Starts where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull * Responsible for automatic surviva l functions * Medulla base of brain-stem * Responsible for heartbeat and breathing * Right above the medulla are the pons help coordinate deed Brainstem is where most jumpiness to and from each side of the brain connects to the opposite side of the body crossway pt * Reticular formation located inside brain stem b/w ears extends from spinal cord thalamus * A nerve network plays an central role in controlling arousal * Filters incoming stimuli and relays important info to other parts of brain * Thalamus brains sensory patchboard receives sensory info except smell from all senses, then directs messages to the sensory receiving state in the mantle and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla * Located on top of the brainstem* Cerebellum functions include processing sensory input and coordinating voluntary movement output and balance located at the back of the brainstem * Enables nonverbal learning + memory judge time, modulate emotions, discriminate sounds/text ures limbic System neural system associated with emotions and drive * Located under rational cerebral hemisphere 2 halves of brain (brain hemisphere) * Hippocampus process memory* amygdala two neural clusters linked to emotion (influences aggression and fear) * Hypothalamus located below the thalamus keep bodys internal environment in a steady state * Directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature) * Helps govern endocrine system via pituitary glands* Linked to emotions and rewardModule 6* quondam(a) brain networks sustain basic functions and enable emotion, memory and basic derives * Newer brain networks (within the cerebrum the two hemispheres that make up 85% of our brain mass) are liable for more advanced things like speaking and cerebration and perceiving Cerebral intellectual mantle thin layer of interconnected neural cells covers the brain( rational) hemispheres. bodys ultimate control + info-processing center (thinking mostly occur s) * As we move up the fleshly ladder, cerebral mantle expands, genetic control decreases, and adaptation annexs * small cerebral cortex (ie frogs) operate mostly on programed genetic instructions (instinct) larger cortex larger capacity for learning & thinking more variable * Humans have a very complex functioning cortexStructure Has lots of wrinkles and if expanded, triples the scope * brain hemispheres filled w/ axons connecting cerebral cortex to all other brain regions * Glial cells cells in the nervous system that protect, nourish and support neurons * Provide nutrients, insulating myelin, guide neural connection and mop up ions and neurotransmitters to neurons * May also participate in information transmission and memory * Moving up animal chain balance wheel of glial cells to neurons increases * Each hemispheres (there are 2) are divided into 4 lobes unaffectionate by fissures (folds) * Frontal lobe (behind the forehead) complex in speaking and muscle movement also controls making plans and judgments * parietal lobe (at the top to rear) receives sensory input for hint & body position * Occipital lobe (at the back of the head) receives information from visual field * Temporal lobe (above the ear) includes auditory neighborhoods (receives info from opposite ear) Functions* German physician Gustav Fritsch and Eduard Hitzing employ mild electric stimulation to a dogs cortex caused parts of the dogs body to move * Worked only when affect the arch shaped regions on the back of the window dressing lobe * Stimulating parts of this region in the left/ honorable hemisphere caused movements on opposite side of certain body parts Motor cortex area at the rear of the frontal lobe that controls voluntary movement * Areas of body that require most control (like fingers and mouth) have largest area * Sensory cortex area at front of parietal lobe that process sensory touch &movement sensations * The more sensitive the body region, the larger are a for sensory cortex is developed for it * Association area areas of the cerebral cortex not involved in primary motor control function or sensory functions they are involved in more complex functions like learning, memory, thinking and speaking * Not dormant areas rather interpret, integrate & act on info processed by sensory areas * found in all four lobes* Front lobe enable judging, processing of bleak memories and planning * upon to frontal lobe may cause personality change (Ex Gage, damaged frontal lobe, but still had all memories and skills intact.. just became more irritable and dishonest) * Parietal lobe enable mathematical and three-dimensional reasoning * Underside of the responsibility lay lobe allows us to recognize faces * Memory, language & attention results from synchronized activity among brain areas * Brains Plasticity brains ability to change, during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or building new paths based on experience * Severed neurons do not re generate and some limited brain functions are reassigned to certain areas * Some neural tissue can be reorganized if the person is still young * Constraint-induced therapy aims to rewire the brain by warning a fully functioning limb and forcing the used of the disfunctioning limb * Losing a finger may cause the sensory area responsible for that finger to input adjacent figures (making them more sensitive) * Neurogenesis formation of new neurons* The fact that brains two sides serve different functions is seen when there is damage * 1961, Philip Vogel and Joseph Bogen thought that major epileptic seizures were caused by increase in brain activity bouncing back and forth between the cerebral hemispheres * Tried cutting the star callosum the large band of axon fibre connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying massages between them * Split brain condition resulting from the surgery that isolates the brains two hemispheres by cutting the fibres (mainly those in corpus callos um) connecting them * Normal personality and intellect hardly affected * Right hemisphere used when a person preforms perceptual tasks * Makes inferences to languages* Left hemisphere increase activity when a person speaks or calculates * Makes quick, literal interpretations of language * alike responsible for sign language in deaf people* 90% of people are right handed and 10% of people are left handed ( a bit more male left handed people and a bit less female) * 96% of right handed people process speech in left hemisphere * 70% of left handed people process speech in left hemisphere, and everyone else either left or both * Bias of right hand is unique to humans (and other primates like chimpanzees and baboons) * either genes or parental factor indicates handedness