PSYCH 2

• As complex as our psychological experiences are (thoughts, emotions, and behaviors), they all occur as organic, physiological processes in our brains and in the rest of our bodies.
• Tiny cells in your brain and body are sending messages to each other. These messages are powerful as they are the reason why you exist the way you do right now.
• Neurons


  The basic building block of our nervous system
• Neurons are not only found in our brain, but in other parts of our bodies as well.
• If we only have neurons in our brain, then we will certainly be mere floating consciousness with no awareness of and connection to our bodies.
• Parts of neurons


  • Dendrites
  • Soma
  • Axon
  • Axon terminals
• Glial cells


  The thing that covers the axon that looks like an arm nursing pillow
• Nerves are bundles of axons in our body, and they are coated with myelin, a protective sheath made up of glial cells called Schwann cells.
• If a finger is cut off, the nerves are severed and you definitely will not be able to feel anything from the detached finger anymore.
• Thanks to the myelin sheath in the nerves, the severed nerves can reconnect and you will be able to feel anything from your reattached finger.
• Axon terminals


  Small knobs at the end of the axon that contain synaptic vesicles
• Synapse


  The space between the axon of a neuron and the dendrite of another
• Action potential


  The movement of the electrochemical impulse in the neuron
• Neurotransmitters


  Chemicals released into the synapse that attach to receptor sites on the next neuron
• Neurons contain more than one type of neurotransmitter, each associated with a certain function in our nervous system.
• Neurotransmission


  Neurotransmitters are released into the synapse, float and attach to receptor sites, get broken down by enzymes, or get taken back into the axon terminal through reuptake
• Receptor sites only accept certain types of neurotransmitters, like keyholes that only accept specific keys.
• Drugs can mimic the shape of neurotransmitters to produce the same effect in the brain.
• We must be careful about making oversimplified statements about how neurotransmitters work, as the process is highly complex.
• The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system consists of nerves and neurons outside the central nervous system.
• Peripheral nervous system


  • Controls voluntary movement, senses, and connections to organs
  • Divided into somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system
• Somatic nervous system


  Controls voluntary and sensory movements
• Autonomic nervous system


  Controls automatic movements, divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
• The sympathetic nervous system activates the body's stress response, while the parasympathetic nervous system controls normal bodily functions.
• Sensory pathway


  Carries information from the senses to the central nervous system (brain & spinal cord)
• Motor pathway


  Carries information from the central nervous system to the voluntary musculoskeletal parts of our bodies
• Autonomic Nervous System


  Parts of our nervous system responsible for automatic movement
• Parts of the Autonomic Nervous System


  • Sympathetic nervous system
  • Parasympathetic nervous system
• Sympathetic nervous system is more active


  When you feel nervous, your heart beats faster, your breath becomes heavier, your stomach feels cramped, and you feel like your whole body is ready to DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!
• Parasympathetic nervous system


  Responsible for restoring the body back to normal after a stressor, and for the daily normal functioning of our breathing, heartbeat, and other automatic physiological response
• Endocrine System


  Responsible for the production of hormones, works together with our brains to regulate sleep, behavior, and emotions
• Hormones influence us more slowly than neurotransmitters as they flow through the bloodstream
• Oxytocin


  Stimulates labor contractions, encourages mother-infant attachment, and has promising research on modulating stress and fear response
• The brain is the organ in our body that receives information from our senses, processes that information, and sends out commands
• Main parts of the brain


  • Forebrain
  • Midbrain
  • Hindbrain
• Hindbrain


  Lowest part of our brain, located near the base of our skull, maintains functions such as breathing and heartbeat
• Parts of the Hindbrain


  • Medulla
  • Pons
  • Reticular formation
  • Cerebellum
• Midbrain


  Located near the top of the hindbrain, contains the colliculi, tegmentum, and cerebral peduncles
• Colliculi


  Two bundles of neurons that control the processing of visual and auditory information before they reach the visual and auditory cortex in the forebrain
• Tegmentum


  Part of the midbrain that controls coordination of movement as well as suppression of pain