What is biological psychology?

- Biological Psychology: an interdisciplinary field that combines the methods and

theories of psychology with those other disciplines
- Discover how internal biological changes are related to behaviors and mental
processes

Research Methods:
- Phrenology: the idea that the size of the bumps on a person’s skull correlates with
their personality traits and abilities
- Electroencephologram (EEG): measures the brain's electrical activity using electrodes
placed on the scalp
- Skin conductance response (SCR): measures electricity passed between two
electrodes on the skin
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): identifies the most active brain
regions by using magnetism to track the flow of oxygen
- Positron emission tomography (PET): identifies the most active regions by using a
radioactive tag to track glucose or oxygen

Cells in the Brain:

- Glia: cells that perform a variety of support functions
- Blood-brain barrier
- Myelin sheath
- Structure
- Clean-up crew
- Neuron: cells that are specialized to send and receive neural messages
- Responsible for communication within the brain and nervous system
- Cell Body: large, central mass of a neuron that contains the nucleus
- Dendrites: branches from the cell body that receive information from other
neurons
- Axon: transmits information to other neurons
- Axon Terminal: point of connection with dendrites of other neurons
- Myelin sheath: insulating material covering some axons
- Nodes of Ranvier: breaks in the myelin sheath
- Synapse: region between the axon of one neuron and dendrites of another
neuron

Neural Communication:
 - Stages
- Stage 1: Messages are conducted within neurons electrically
- Stage 2: Messages are passed between neurons chemically

- 1. Resting Potential: difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside a
neuron’s cell membrane
- More negative inside the neuron
- More Potassium on the inside, more sodium on the outside
- 2. Depolarization:
- Inside of neuron becomes more positive
- Lots of Sodium and Potassium on the inside
- All-or-none principle
- If it reaches threshold it will fire
- 3. Repolarization:
- Inside of neuron becomes negative
- Potassium leaves, so there is more sodium inside the neuron
- 4. Refractory Period:
- A new action potential CANNOT be initiated during this period

- Neurotransmitters: chemical messengers that communicate across a synapse

- Synaptic vesicles: small pockets in the axon that contain neurotransmitters
- Receptor: channel in the cell membrane designed to receive neurotransmitters
- Specific receptors to neurotransmitters, like lock and key
- Reuptake: process by which neurotransmitters in the synaptic gap return to the axon
terminal from which they were released

Central Nervous System (CNS):

- Receive sensory information from external worlds
- Process and coordinate information
 - Send information to the skeletal and muscular systems for action
Spinal Cord: bundle of nerve fibers that connects the brain to the rest of the body
Spinal Reflexes:
- Sensory Neurons: carry information from our bodies to the CNS
- Motor Neurons: carry commands from the CNS to our bodies
- Interneurons: form bridges between sensory and motor neurons

Brainstem: extends upwards from the spinal cord and contains

- Midbrain: contains structures involved in sensory reflexes, movement, pain
- Pons: connects the cerebellum to the rest of the brain, and is involved in sleep
and arousal
- Medulla: manages essential life functions, heart rate, breathing, blood
pressure
Cerebellum: structure attached to the brainstem that is responsible for skilled movement,
balance, motor coordination

Subcortical Structures:
 - Thalamus: “gateway to the cortex” like the mail sorter of the brain, involved in
processing sensory info, arousal, learning and memory
- Hypothalamus: subcortical structure responsible for maintaining homeostasis,
the Four F’s(Fighting, Fleeing, Feeding, Fornication)
- Basal Ganglia: direct voluntary movements
- Hippocampus: involved in creating new memories and knowledge
interpretation
- Amygdala: emotional recognition and processing, fear, aggression, excitement
Cerebral Cortex: a thin layer of cells covering the outer surface of the lobes of the cerebral
hemispheres, responsible for thought
- Frontal Lobe: has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning,
memory, and judgement
- Prefrontal Cortex: very front of lobe, higher-order thought, reasoning,
problem solving
- Motor Cortex
- Parietal Lobe: processes information about touch, pain, skin temperature, and
body position
- Primary somatosensory cortex
- Occipital Lobe: processes visual information
- Temporal Lobe: responsible for hearing and language, object recognition
- Auditory Cortex
Corpus Callosum: thick band of nerve fibers that connects large areas of the cerebral cortex
on each side of the brain
Plasticity: the brain’s ability to change in response to damage and experience

Peripheral Nervous System: connects the central nervous system to the body’s organs and
muscles, Receives sensory signals, Initiates nervous responses
- Somatic Nervous System: brings sensory information to the central nervous system
and transmits commands to the muscles, Voluntary actions
- Autonomic Nervous System: directs the activities of glands, organs, and smooth
muscles, Usually unconscious and voluntary
- Sympathetic Nervous System: division of the autonomic nervous system that
coordinates arousal, “fight or flight”
- Parasympathetic Nervous System: division of the autonomic nervous system
associated with rest, repair, energy storage
- Enteric Nervous System: division of the autonomic nervous system consisting
of nerve cells embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal system, hunger,
gastrointestinal pain, works with endocrine

Endocrine System: responsible for the release of hormones into the bloodstream, recieves
input from the hypothalamus
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