Simple reflexes in humans

Innate behaviour=Inherited through genes -Pupil reflex-Pupil becomes smaller when it gets darker Newborn reflexes 1. Missing at birth = Baby NERVOUS SYSTEM is not working properly

2. Present when should disappear e.g. Stepping: Disappears and reappears as he learns to walk. Grasping: Pull away finger=tighter grip. Disappears. Startle: Sucking: Rooting: Loud noise/moved quickly. Screaming and spreading arms and legs. Replaced by VOLUNTARY sucking Stroke cheek=looks for food

Complex animals= more likely to survive b/c they change behavior when environmental conditions change b/c they make conscious decisions If conditions change-->Can't change habits easily/ learn from experience 3. Conditions in environment e.g. too hot 2. Escape predators 1. Find food, shelter, mate

Simple reflex-Involuntary
-Knee jerk reflex -Muscles contract-->escape quickly Response=Action you take based on the stimulus Stimulus=Change in environment

Behaviour
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Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

a.k.a Cot

death

Simple reflexes not matured properly 1. Fetus detects 02 in blood is low-->moves less b/c less 02 will be used up in respiration 2. Airways covered (e.g. duvet), baby moves more-->MORE 02 used up in respiration 3. Baby lies still=Suffocation Prevention: -Backs to sleep b/c nose airways won't be blocked -Not use soft bedding b/c more likely to block airway -Place at end of the bed so if it moves it will have space to go back

5. Cells in back of eye respond to light 4. Nerve impulses travel Sense Organs 3. Nerve impulse carried from cells in retina to brain by optic nerve 2. Pupil changes size to control amount of light entering 1. Light entering eye=Bent by cornea and lens Vision- Light entering eyes produces a 3-dimensional image Receptors- Detects stimuli e.g. pain receptor in skin

Sense Organs

along NEURONS to optic nerve

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Nervous System
Evolution-->complex multi-cellular organisms Nervous and hormonal systems allow animals to respond to surroundings= SURVIVAL Cells in nervous system carry nerve impulses

Peipheral Nervous System- Every part of the body is linked to the brain and spinal cord

impulses Hormones Muscle cells CONTRACT Nerve impulse causes cells in glands to release Nerve impulses bring about short-lived, fast responses Effectors are glands or muscles

Effectors

have

slower,

longer-lasting

hormones
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effect

that

nerve

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Reflex Arc
1. Stimulus is the candle 2. Pain receptors in the skin 3. Nerve impulses travel along the sensory neuron to CNS 4. Relay neuron sends message to the brain, and then carries nerve impulses to the motor neuron (it doesn't go to the spinal cord to the CNS, it skips it) 6. Nerve impulses are carried from the motor neuron to the effector 7. Effector causes the muscle to contract

Branched endings make connections with other neurons/effectors Fatty sheath insulates the neuron and increases

Axons carry electrical impulses

Neurons have: Nucleus, cell-membrane, cytoplasm (axon) Nerves= specialised cells called neurons

Nerves and Neurons

speed of the nerve impulses

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Synapses
Transmitter substances
synapses An electrical impulse travels along an axon. This triggers the nerve-ending of a neuron to release chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. These chemicals diffuse across the synapse (the gap) and fit into the receptor (chemicals) are used to pass nerve impulses along the

molecules on the membrane of the next neuron.

The receptor molecules on the second neuron fit into only to the specific chemicals released from the first neuron. This stimulates the second neuron to transmit the electrical impulses

Blocks the re-uptake channel therefore serotonin is trapped-->happiness Causes a higher concentration of serotonin in synapses-->person is happier

Prozac is an anti-depressant
Lack of serotonin=Depression Feelings of pleasure-->survival e.g. food=pleasure-->eating-->survival

Serotonin

Serotonin and Prozac

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Beta Blockers
Chest pains (Angina) triggered by excitement or stress Nerve impulses stimulate the heart to speed up-->lack of 02 in heart muscles Beta blockers:

Reduce transmission of nerve impulses across synapses-->heart

stops speeding

Helps control nerve impulses in heart to ensure steady heartbeats

Effects:

Long-term usage--> synapses destroyed in pleasure pathways of the brain

MDMA=Ecstasy

Ecstasy

times Slows down ADH production in brain

Anxiety Depression
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Poor attention span and memory Interferes with body temperature control-->hot sometime, cold other
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=FATAL

fMRI scans
Penfield applied electricity to stimulate the regions in the cerebral cortex in order to identify which muscles they controlled No pain receptors in brain so patients were unharmed

fMRI scans show which areas of the brain are active (there is a greater flow of blood in active areas b/c it requires more energy to fulfil complex tasks)
Provides detailed information on brain structure without opening a skull

Each area of the cerebral cortex has a function Cerebral cortex is responsible for: Complex animals Consciousness=aware of your surroundings Brain allows you to learn from experience Brain=large mass of neurons which process information coming from receptors

Neuroscientists study the brain

The Brain

Language Consciousness Memory Intelligence

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=makes up the MIND

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5. Nerve impulse from the brain stops the reflex-You don't drop the plate

Conditioned reflexes
Learnt behaviour (conditioning) enables you to chnage your behaviour if the environment changes Pavlov's experiment:
Dog salivates (response) at sight of food (stimulus) Dog salivates when seeing food and bell ringing at the same time Repeat over a period of time Dog salivates when just seeing the bell b/c it has gotten used to the bell

being associated with food Warning colours help protect animals from predators

4. Impulses are sent to a motor neuron, then to the muscle 3. Impulses travel along sensory neuron to spinal cord 2. Pain receptors in skin are stimulated

-->

1. Hot plate is the stimulus

Conscious Control
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Human Learning
Social learning is the way humans/animals behave towards each other Neurons in the brain are connected to form NEURON PATHWAYS They develop when: A nerve impulse travels along a particular pathway, one neuron to another A connection is made between the neurons If the experience is repeated, more nerve impulses follow that pathway Therefore, the connections between the neurons are strengthened This makes it easier for the nerve impulses to travel Hence, your response is easier to make Repetition strengthens pathways Visualisation strengthens pathways b/c thinking about using a muscle, triggers nerve impulses to that muscle Feral children's development of language would've passed, thus they find it difficult to produce neuron pathways to language

New technologies (fMRI) have helped as analyse the brain It isn't fair or morally right It is wrong to use animals, they are living creatures too/vertebrates Studying mental-health patients has improved medical knowledge

Animal testing used to study the brain e.g. cutting it open

Ethical Decisions
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Multi-store Model
The use of sensory, long-term and short-term memory
Explains how neurons in the brain work to give you memory

Words on page (stimulus) are read from the eyes (receptor=retina) Nerve impulses travel from eyes to sensory memory (visual and sound) Some sensory memory is passed to short-term memory (only information that you pay attention to is passed on) More information arrives Short-term memory cannot hold, therefore information is lost Some information is passed to long-term memory-You will remember these words The last bits of information your short-term memory receives will be remembered These words are usually the first and last words.

Short-term memory can store up to 7 items, hence you should break it into chunks

Sensory memory store is used to store sound and visual information for a short time
Therefore, short/long-term memory works separately in the brain. Alzheimers disease-->not knowing what day it is BUT can remember their childhood Long-term memory is a lasting storage of information. There is no limit to it.

Memory is the ability to store and retrieve information

Memory
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Repetition and Rehearsal

Repetition helps to memorise things.

Rehearsal moves information from long-term to short-term memory.

Rehearsed information is processed and stored rather than lost from short-term memory More likely to remember if you process it deeply Processing can be through the information meaning something to you, or a pattern Active working memory=Short-term memory: -Holds and processes information that you are consciously thinking about -Communication between long and short-term memory is in both direction-->retrieve and store information for later A highlighter pen processes information for active memory