The Nervous System and the Brain

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The Nervous System and the Brain
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The Nervous System

• The human nervous system is involved in thinking,
  dreaming, feeling, moving, and much more. It is
  working when we are active or still, awake or
  asleep. The nervous system regulates our internal
  functions. It is also involved in how we react to
  the external world. Even learning and memory are
  made possible by the nervous system. When we
  learn a new behavior or acquire new information,
  the nervous system registers that experience and
  changes to accommodate its storage.

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• Central Nervous System
• Brain and spinal cord
• Spinal reflexes
• Peripheral Nervous System
• Responsible for transmitting messages between the
  CNS and all other parts of the body
• Somatic nervous system
• Autonomic nervous system
• Sympathetic
• Parasympathetic

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Neurons

• Components
• Cell body
• Dendrites
• Axon
• The Communication Process
• Messages are sent from one neuron to another
  across the synapse (gap between axon terminals of
  one neuron and the dendrites of another neuron)
• Messages are sent via neurotransmitters

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Quick Quiz 1

1. How do messges travel from one neuron to another?
   
2. Identify the systems that make up the peripheral
   nervous system.
3. CRITICAL THINKING In what way do the
   parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems
   work together?

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The Brain Our Control Center

• Every person is unique in part because of the
  capacities of learning and thought made possible
  by the human brain. In ancient times they did not
  believe that brain was as complex as we now know
  it is. Today, however, we recognize that the
  mind, or consciousness, dwells within the brain.
  We now have greater understanding of the brain
  and the links between biological processes and
  psychological phenomena.

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Parts of the Brain

• Hindbrain
• Medulla
• Pons
• Cerebellum
• Midbrain
• Vision and hearing
• Reticular activating system
• Forebrain
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Limbic system
• Cerebrum
• Cerebral cortex

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The Cerebral Cortex What Makes Us Unique

• Senses and Motor Behavior
• Association Areas
• Language Abilities

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Left Brain versus Right Brain

• Hemispheres do not act entirely independent
  although they are capable of working alone
• Left Brain
• Logical
• Controls the right side of the body
• Right Brain
• Creative
• Controls the left side of the body

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Methods of Studying the Brain

• Accidents
• Electrical Stimulation of the Brain
• The Electroencephalogram
• Scans

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Quick Quiz 2

1. Why is the Cerebral cortex important
2. Describe two differences between the left
   hemisphere and the right hemisphere of the
   cerebral cortex
3. List three different imaging techniques used to
   study the brain.
4. CRITICAL THINKING Why do you think it benefits
   people to have brains that are flexible? What
   would happen if brains were not flexible?

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The Endocrine System

• The Pituitary Gland
• The Thyroid Gland
• The Adrenal Glands
• The Testes and the ovaries
• Testosterone
• Estrogen and Progesterone

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Quick Quiz 3

1. List and describe the role of the hormones
   produced by the pituitary gland, the thyroid
   gland, the adrenal glands, and the testes and the
   ovaries.
2. CRITICAL THINKING What might psychologists learn
   about behavior by studying the sex hormones?

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Heredity Our Genetic Background

• Genes and Chromosomes
• Shape everything from physical characteristics to
  behavior
• 46 chromosomes organized into 23 pairs
• The Nature Nurture Debate
• Genes or environment

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Kinship Studies

• Twin studies
• Adoptee studies
• Twins reared apart studies

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Quick Quiz 4

1. Define gene and chromosome.
2. Describe two methods used to study the role of
   heredity in determining traits.
3. CRITICAL THINKING Some traits such as extreme
   shyness have been shown to be partially
   determined by heredity. What aspects of the
   environment might also affect whether a person is
   shy?