© robert j. atkins, ph.d. neuroscience and behavior how does your brain work? 1 the biology of the...

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

Neuroscience and BehaviorHow does your brain work?

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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

How do they transmit information?

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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

Neurons Nerve cells

◦Basic building blocks of the body’s information processing system.

Made up of ◦Dendrites◦Axons

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Ask yourself …

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Receive information

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Transmit information to other ◦Neurons◦Muscles◦Glands

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Ask yourself …

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The junction between the sending and receiving neuron Chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) bridge the

gap

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Rats in an enriched environment will increase their neurons and synapses.

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Chemicals Enable

communication between neurons

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Think about …

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Neurotransmitters (similar to morphine)

Reduces pain◦E.g. Childbirth

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Can you draw and label the parts of a neuron?◦ Dendrites, body, axons

What is a synapse, and how do neurotransmitters aid neural communication?

What are endorphins?

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What do these parts do?

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Ask yourself …

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Central nervous system◦Brain and spinal column

Peripheral nervous system◦Links central nervous system

(spinal cord) to sense receptors, muscles and glands

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Ask yourself …

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Brain and spinal column Severed spinal cord E.g. E.g. -Sally - knee jerk reaction

without sensation of a tap on the knee if spinal column is broken.

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Ask yourself …

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Sympathetic nervous system (Arousing)◦Increases

heartbeat & blood pressure

Parasympathetic nervous system (Calming)

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Ask yourself …

“Para is peaceful”

“Sympathetic creates symptoms”

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Reflex Simple reflex pathway

◦Knee-jerk reaction

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Think about …

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What is the difference between the central and peripheral nervous systems?

What is the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

What is an example of a simple reflex pathway?

If the spinal cord is broken, how does that effect the perception of sensation?

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Brain stemLimbic systemCerebral cortex

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Brainstem the oldest part of your brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells and enters your skull. Responsible for your automatic survival functions.

Ask yourself …

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Medulla base of the brainstem, controls your heartbeat and breathing.

Reticular Formation a nerve network in the

brainstem that plays an important role in

controlling your arousal.

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Coordinates your movements “A bell helps me be coordinated”

Ask yourself…

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Between the brain stem and the Cerebral cortex

Includes: Hippocampus

◦ Memory “Hippos can remember”

Amygdala ◦ Emotion

Aggression & Fear “Amy makes me mad”

Hypothalamus◦ Hunger, thirst,

temperature, & sex

Ask yourself …

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Amygdala [ah-MIG-dah-la] two almond-shaped neural clusters linked to your emotion of fear and anger.

What does Amy do? “Amy makes me mad.”

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Hypothalamus lies below (hypo) the thalamus;

directs several maintenance activities

like eating, drinking body temperature, and

emotions. Helps govern the endocrine system via

the pituitary gland. “Thal maintains my body”

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.

What parts of your brain evolved first and last?

What makes up the limbic system?◦ What does each part focus on?

What does the cerebellum do?

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Brain plasticity Brain adjusts after damage

◦Blind learning to read brail Think: “Your brain can bend like plastic”

Think about …

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Damage to frontal lobe

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Corpus Callosum “It can call the other side” Sends information from one cerebral hemisphere to

the other.

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Think about …

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Left = Logical (Math) Right = Creative (Music)

Remember, all thinking requires both sides of the brain.

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What characteristic of the brain allows it to adjust after damage?

How does information get from one side of your brain to the other?

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EEG CT scan MRI scan fMRI MEG PET scan

Ask yourself…

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Brain waves – Amplifies and records electrical activity across the surface of the brain.

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CT Scan◦ Computed

tomography X-ray photographs “Scan the cat with X-

rays.”

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Think about …

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MRI Scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Magnetic fields and radio waves create images of the brain’s soft tissues.

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Think about …

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fMRI Scan (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Identifies specific brain areas during mental tasks

Think about …

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Detects and amplifies magnetic fields generated by the electric current in neurons

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PET Scan Positron emission tomography

scan Radioactive glucose “Feed your pet radioactive sugar.”

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What does an EEG measure? What imaging method using radioactive

glucose is used for identifying which of Lucy’s brain areas was most active when she talked?

What does a fMRI do? How does magnetoencephalography

(MEG) work?

© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.