Psych101-S&M:

Biological Psychology
(see also Kalat Chapter 3)

Larry W. Hawk, Ph.D.

University at Buffalo,
State University of New York

NIMH CD-ROM: The Brain’s Inner Workings

Biological Psychology
I. History
II. Nervous system overview
III. Brain and behavior
IV. Neurons: nervous system building blocks
V. Genes: the fundamental building blocks

Bio Psych: I. History

Origins of Brain-Behavior Relationships

• trephining
• Egyptian writings
• Hippocrates -- brain-beh; humors
• Plato – dualism v. Aristotle -- monism
• Galen -- humoral hypothesis revisited →

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 Bio: I. History - Trephining

Shaver & Tarpy, 1993

Bio Psych: I. History

Origins of Brain-Behavior Relationships

• Humoral hypothesis
• Phlegm Yellow bile Blood Black bile

Bio Psych: I. History

Origins of Brain-Behavior Relationships, Part 2
(Overview)

• Stimulating case studies…

• Phineas Gage
• Paul Broca
• Carl Wernicke

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 Bio Psych: I. History
Origins of Brain-Behavior Relationships

• Phineas Gage (1848)

Bio Psych: I. History

Origins of Brain-Behavior Relationships

• Who’s area is it?

Bio Psych: I. History

Origins of Brain-Behavior Relationships

• Conclusion: Some aspects of behavior

are related to specific brain areas…

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 Biological Psychology
I. History
II. Nervous system overview
III. Brain and behavior
IV. Neurons: nervous system building blocks
V. Genes: the fundamental building blocks

Anatomical
Directions

More cool
planes and terms...

Planes of
the Brain
More cool
planes and terms...

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Divisions of the Nervous System

CNS PNS

Brain Spinal Cord Autonomic Somatic

Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Figure 3.25

Biological Psychology
I. History
II. Nervous system overview
III. Brain and behavior
IV. Neurons: nervous system building blocks
V. Genes: the fundamental building blocks

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 Brain

• Intro
• cortex
t
• internal structures

Intro to the brain: protection

Meninges

Blood-brain barrier

Cerebrospinal fluid

Brain

• Intro
• cortex
t
• internal structures

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 Brain: Surface / Cortex

• Layered grey matter

• sulci, gyri, & fissures
• lobes
• frontal
• temporal
• parietal
• occipital

*
This is your brain on Crayons...
*

Contralateral

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 Brain

• Intro
• cortex
t
• internal structures

• Longitudinal fissure
• corpus callosum
• split-brain research

BRAIN

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 Figure 3.30 b

Hypothalamus - Link to Endocrine System

• Hypothalamus
• Pituitary
• circulating hormones
• 4 Fs

HPA Axis
&
Stress

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Medulla - Link to Autonomic Nervous System

CNS PNS

Brain Spinal Cord Autonomic Somatic

Sympathetic Parasympathetic

Branches of the ANS

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 • Longitudinal fissure
• corpus callosum
• split-brain research
• laterality

• Longitudinal fissure
• corpus callosum
• split-brain research

Figure 3.42

• Longitudinal fissure
• corpus callosum
• split-brain research
• Info on hemispheric
specialization

Figure 3.43 a

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 Brain & Behavior (cont’d):
Beyond Clinical Observations
• Animal work:
• Lesion studies (electrical, chemical)
• Stimulation studies (electrical, chemical)

Brain & Behavior (cont’d):

Beyond Clinical Observations
• Human work:
• Electroencephalogram
• Functional imaging
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Neuroscience for Kids

http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/cases/caseNA/pb9.htm

Biological Psychology
I. History
II. Overview of the nervous system
III. The brain and behavior
IV. Neurons:
Building blocks of the nervous system
V. Genes: the fundamental building blocks

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 Building Blocks

• Glia

• Neurons

• types:
• sensory
• motor
• interneurons

Parts of a neuron

Parts of a neuron

Axon hillock

Figure 3.16

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 Neural Communication

• Within a neuron
• action potentials
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCasruJT-DU&feature=related
http://www youtube com/watch?v=SCasruJT-DU&feature=related

• Between neurons
• synaptic transmission
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32aeRcWkLS8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqWv0iEF4ho&NR=1

Neural Communication
• Between neurons: Integrator - The Synapse
• synapse - why have them?

• presynaptic neuron
• postsynaptic neuron
• neurotransmitters

Figure 3.21

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 Neural Communication
• Between neurons II: Integrator - Chemical
Events at the Synapse (don’t show)
• diffusion across synapse
• lock-and-key
• ending the
process:
• reuptake
• diffusion
• metabolism

Some Major Neurotransmitters

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 Biological Psychology
I. History
II. Overview of the nervous system
III. The brain and behavior
IV. Neurons:
Building blocks of the nervous system
V. Genes: the fundamental building blocks
NOTE: Book has nice material on this!

Behavioral Genetics

Figure 3.4

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 Behavioral Genetics
A simple case: Tongue-Rolling
Homozygous & heterozygous
Dominant and recessive

Figure 3.5

Behavioral Genetics
• Nature or Nurture?

• Heritability -- estimate of the variance

within a population that is due to heredity
(0 - 1)
• Family studies v. adoptive twin studies...

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 Behavioral Genetics
• Nature or Nurture?

But need adoption studies to be sure…

Figure 3.8

Summary
• Psychological events implemented within
the body/brain
• Brain regions specialized but work
together for complex phenom
• Neuronal communication allows for
complexity and integration
• Genes provide one influence on behavior

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