AP Psych unit 2

• Biological psychologists


  • Explore the connections between the body, mind, and behavior
• Neurons


  Create pathways for the brain and body to communicate, allowing messages and signals to be spread throughout the body for different purposes, whether it be to trigger muscle movement or a feeling
• Parts of a neuron

  • Dendrites - branch like structures at the top of neuron
  • Cell body (soma) - neural cell life centre
  • Axon - long area in middle
  • Terminal branches - end of neuron ( has axon tips )
• Myelin sheath


  Covers the axon, making the message travel quicker and more smoothly
• Synapse


  The space between the axon tips and the dendrites of the next neuron, where neurotransmitters are passed
• If there are too many neural/electric signals, that means the person is having a seizure
• Depression is when there are too few neural/electric signals
• Neurological communication/firing


  1. Polarization

  2. Depolarization (action potential)

  3. Refractory period

  4. Synaptic junction/gap (synapse)
• Neurons fire in an "all-or-none" response. This means they either fire or they don't.
• For a harder slap

  Neurons are firing at the same intensity, but there are more neurons firing those signals which means more pain
• Neurotransmitters


  • Dopamine- movement, learning, attention, emotion, motivation, pleasure
  • Serotonin - affects mood, sleep, hunger , arousal, aggression
  • Acetylcholine - muscle action, learning , memory , heart rate
  • Norepinephrine- alertness and arousal
  • GABA- major inhibitory neurotransmitter
  • Glutamate - excitatory memory
• Agonist


  A drug that mimics neurotransmitters, stimulating a neuron
• Antagonist


  A drug that blocks neurotransmitters, inhibiting a neuron
• Nervous system


  • Central Nervous System (CNS)
  • Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
• Sympathetic functions


  • Dilates pupils
  • Faster heart rate
  • Stops digestion
  • Norepinephrine
  • Involved with emotions like nervousness or excitement
  • "Fight or flight"
• Parasympathetic functions


  • All opposite actions of sympathetic
  • Involved with sleep and tiredness
  • "Rest and digest"
• CNS


  • Senses are in the brain
  • PNS sends signals to interneurons in spinal cord, which then leads to brain
  • Sensory neurons receive signals from limbs and lead to the brain, and motor neurons go from the brain to limbs
  • Reflexes
• Endocrine system


  Hormones are produced (chemical messengers)
• Pituitary gland


  The "master gland" in the endocrine system; sends out messages
• Brain scanning techniques


  • EEG
  • PET Scan
  • MRI
  • fMRI
• Brain stem


  • Medulla
  • Pons
  • Reticular formation
  • Thalamus
  • Cerebellum

  
• Limbic system


  • Emotions and memory
  • Episodic memory
  • Amygdala
  • Hypothalamus
• Cerebral cortex

  • Frontal Lobe -
  • Parietal Lobe -
  • Occipital Lobe -
  • Temporal Lobe -
  • left hemisphere -
  • right hemisphere -
• Corpus callosum


  Band of axons which connects the left and right hemispheres
• Broca's Area


  Movement for speaking (talking/responding)
• Wernicke's Area

  Auditory and speech interpretation (understand language)
• Plasticity


  The brain is able to form new connections (not repair neurons) and change shape
• Lesioning


  Removal of a certain area of the brain, allowing studies to reveal what functions each part of the brain has

  
• Humans have larger association areas and neural connections than less complex animals
• Consciousness


  The awareness of ourselves and our environment
• Unconsciousness


  Deals with the more automatic things which we don't pay as much attention to
• Circadian Rhythm


  The body's natural 24-hour cycle
• Sleep stages


  • Napping (theta waves)
  • Light sleep, sleep spindles
  • Sleepwalking, etc. (delta waves)
  • Same as stage 3
  • REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement), dreaming (alpha waves)
• Why sleep?


  • Protected ancestors from predators
  • Builds and strengthens memories (dreaming)
  • Problem solving
  • Body gets time to restore and repair
  • Growth hormones
• What happens if you don't sleep?

  • Lose brain power
  • Gain weight
  • Sick, irritable, and feel older
• Sleep disorders


  • Insomnia - cannot sleep
  • Narcolepsy - sleep attacks
  • Sleep apnea - awakening with loss of breath
• Dream theories


  • Wish-Fulfillment
  • Information Processing
  • Physiological Function
  • Activation Synthesis
• Psychoactive drugs


  • Depressants - decrease neural activity
  • Stimulants - increase neural activity
  • Hallucinogens - serotonin imbalance issue
• Addiction


  There are two main factors: Tolerance and Withdrawal
• Dependence on drugs can be physical (body can't function without it) or psychological (think you need it to relax, socialize, etc.)