Module 4 - 6 “Biology of Mind”
Lecture Notes 1/28/2020
Psychology 101 = Biology 101 + Other Stuff
Why we study biopsychology!
Everything Psychological is Biological
Humans are biopsychosocial systems in which biological, psychological, and
social-cultural factors interact to influence behavior
Behavior and Mental Processes
● Biological influences:
○ genetic predispositions (genetically influenced traits)
○ genetic mutations
○ natural selection of adaptive traits and behaviors passed down through
generations
○ genes responding to the environment
● Psychological influences:
○ learned fears and other learned expectations
○ emotional responses
○ cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations
● Social-cultural influences:
○ presence of others
○ cultural, societal, and family expectations
○ peer and other group influences
○ compelling models (such as in the media)
Biology, Behavior, & Mind
● Understanding of the relationship between the brain and the mind has evolved over time.
○ Hippocrates: Mind is located in spherical head
○ Aristotle: Mind is found in heart
○ Gall: Phrenology reveals mental abilities and character traits
● During the last century, researchers made many discoveries.
○ The adaptive brain is wired by experience.
○ Nerve cells conduct electricity and communicate through chemical messages
across tiny separating gaps.
○ Specific brain systems serve specific functions (localization of function)
○ Information is integrated to construct a wide range of experiences.
● Through plasticity
○ The brain changes throughout life by reorganizing after damage or by building
new pathways based on experience.
, ○ New neural pathways reflect personal experiences.
○ The human brain is designed to change.
What is the Nervous System?
Nervous system =
● Organ system (i.e., nerve cells)
● Electrical + Chemical = Electrochemical
● Neurons + Neurotransmitters communicating
● Two Components
○ Central Nervous System (Brain + Spinal Cord)
● “Decision maker”
○ Peripheral Nervous System (Rest of the Body)
● “Data gatherer and transmitter of data”
Neurons: The way cooler Legos of the Nervous System
Neurons’ Structure: Terms to Learn
● Neuron
● Dendrites
● Axon
● Glial cells (glia)
Neurons and Neuronal Communication: The Structure of a Neuron
● Cell body
○ The cell’s life support center
● Dendrites
○ Receives messages from other cells
● Axon
○ Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands
● Terminal Branches of Axon
○ Form branches with other cells
● Neural Impulse
○ Action potential; electrical signal traveling down the axon
● Myelin Sheath
○ Covers the axon of some neutrons and helps speed neutral impulses
Action potential: Neural impulse that travels down an axon like a wave
● Threshold
● Action potential
● Refractory period
● All-or-none response
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