lecture 1

• Biological psychology


  The study of the physiological, evolutionary and developmental mechanisms that create or influence behaviour
• Explanations of human behaviour

  • Freudian Psychoanalysis (psychosexual stages)
  • Anthropological
  • Cultural/Sociological
  • Philosophical
• Physiological explanation of behaviour

  Relates behaviour to the activity of the brain and surrounding organs of the brain
• Neurons of the frontal lobes (part of the brain) are responsible for higher order social behaviour
• Importance of biological psychology

  • Mental and physical health are co-dependent
  • Roughly half of all applied psychologists work in the medical environment
  • Key to the diagnosis and clinical care of patients
• Areas of neuropsychology


  • Communicable disease- viruses, bacteria etc.
  • Non-communicable disease – neurodevelopmental disorders. For example: ADHD, Cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder.
  • Aging: super aging as well as dementia, eg. Alzheimer's
• Viruses


  • Nucleic acids (either DNA or RNA)
  • Surrounded by protein called a capsid
  • Sometimes surrounded by envelope
• All DNA viruses (+) have icosahedral capsid except Pox. All DNA viruses replicate in nucleus except Pox.

  
• Blood Brain Barrier
• Frontal Lobes are responsible for higher order social behaviour
• Brain Scan
• Neurons are specialized cells that transmit information throughout the nervous system.
• The brain is the most complex organ in the body, with over 100 billion neurons.
• The brain is divided into three main parts: cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata.
• Cerebrum - largest part of the brain; controls voluntary movement, speech, memory, learning, emotions, and sensory perception.
• Cerebellum - located at the back of the head; coordinates muscle activity involved in posture, balance, and fine motor movements.
• Dendrites - Short projections of the cell body that receive incoming signals from other neurons.
• Nervous System - consists of two major divisions: central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
• Glial cells support and protect neurons, outnumbering them by about ten to one.
• Cerebrum - largest part of the brain, responsible for conscious thought, memory, language, and movement.
• Cerebellum - located at the back of the head, involved in coordinating motor movements and maintaining balance.
• Medulla Oblongata - connects the spinal cord to the brainstem, controls vital functions such as breathing and heart rate.
• Cerebellum - located at the back of the head; coordinates muscle movements, balance, posture, and fine motor skills.
• Medulla Oblongata - connects spinal cord to brainstem; regulates heart rate, breathing, swallowing, vomiting, sneezing, coughing, and blood pressure.
• Spinal Cord - transmits messages between the brain and other parts of the body through nerves.