Darwin (1831) Natural Selection

• Favorable adaptations to features of the environment allow some members of a species to reproduce more successfully than others

• Finches Galapagos Islands• Survival of the fittest

Genotype

• Genetic structure from parent

Phenotype

• Observable characteristics

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

• Contain genes

Heredity

• Passing on traits from parent to offspring

Genetics

• Study of the inheritance of physical + psychological traits from ancestors

Genes

• Basic units of heredity

Human Behavior Genetics

• Explore the link between inheritance + behavior

Sociobiology

• Evolutionary explanation for social behavior + systems

Neuroscience

• Scientific study of the brain + links to activity + behavior

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

• Record electric brain activity

Positron-Emissions Tomography (PET) Scans

• Given “safe” radiation that goes to brain to see activity in brain

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

• Radio waves + magnetic fields to see brain image

Functional MRI

• MRI + PET

Central Nervous System

• Composed of neurons• Brain + spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

• Connect CNS to body periphery

Somatic Nervous System

• Regulates skeletal, muscles + skin

Autonomic Nervous System

• Controls body’s involuntary motor responses– Sympathetic = emergency– Parasympathetic = routine internal operations

Nervous System

• http://youtube.com/watch?v=cqvoV4R7T2g

The Brain

• Electronic stimulations• Broca’s area– Thoughts into speech or sign

• Lesions– Injuries or dead areas of brain

The Brain Structures

• Brain Stem– Regulates internal organs– Pons-Bridge-connects spinal cord with brain– Medulla-heart, breathing, blood pressure– Reticular Formation

• Spinal cord, alerts cerebral cortex– Thalamus

• Channels incoming sensory information to appropriate area of cerebral cortex

– Cerebellum• Balance, coordination

Brain Structure - Limbic System

• Regulates emotional behavior, motivation+memory• Body temp., blood pressure, blood sugar• 3 structures– Hippocampus

• Explicit memories– Amygdala

• Emotions+emotional memory– Hypothalamus

• Motivated behavior (eating, drink, sex)• Keeps bodies homeostasis (balance)

Hypothalamus

• http://youtube.com/watch?v=PMrPlCDGUwo

Brain Structure - Cerebrum

• Regulates higher cognitive + emotional functions• Cerebral cortex– Outside 1/10 of cerebrum– 2 halves cerebral hemispheres

• Corpus callosum– Separated cerebral hemispheres

• Mapping– Central sulcus-vertical– Lateral fissures-horizontal

Brain Structure

• http://youtube.com/watch?v=g6KpIrKCDwg

Cerebrum Cont.• Frontal lobe

– Motor controls + cognitive activities• Parietal Lobe

– Sensations (limbs)• Touch, pain, temps

• Occipital lobe– Vision (eyes)

• Temporal lobe– Hearing (ears)

• Motor cortex– Voluntary muscle control

• Approx. 600Brain Structure

Cerebrum Cont.

• Somatosensory cortex– Temp, touch, pain (lips, tongue, index finger)

• Auditory cortex– Both ears/both lobes

• Visual cortex– Both eyes-retina

• Association cortex– Planning and decision making

• Wernicke’s Area– Spoken language

Hemispheric Lateralication

• Things happen on different sides of brain, + communicate through the corpus callosum i.e.. Left-speech

Endocrine System

• Network of glands that secrete hormones (chemical messengers).– Growth, mood, sex

• Pituitary Gland– “Master Gland”• Secretes – testosterone - estrogen

• Other glands– Thyroid, Pancreas, Ovaries, Testes

Endocrine System

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI2qYRWzSZ4

The Nerve• Neuron

– Cell to receive, process and transmit information to other cells– Dendrites

• Branched fibers of neurons that receive incoming signals– Soma –

• Cell body of a neuron• Contain nucleus + cytoplasm• Integrates info.

– Axon• Extended fiber of a neuron, nerve impulses pass soma to terminal

buttons– Terminal Buttons

• Bulblike structure that stimulate glands, muscles or other neurons

Nerve

• http://youtube.com/watch?v=XgIaAs_ONG4

The Nervous System

• Glia– Cells that hold nerves together– Remove dead neurons• Stops poisons in blood from reaching brain

The Nervous System

• Excitatory-fire• Inhibitory-don’t fire

The Nervous System• Action Potential

– Nerve impulse released• All – or – None Law

– Size of potential unaffected by increased intensity• Refractionary Period

– Rest period-nerve cannot fire• Synapse

– Gap between one neuron+another – Transmission

• Neurotransmitters– Chemicals released from one neuron to another– 60 diff. chemicals

The Nervous System

• 3 major classes of neurons– Sensory- towards (CNS)– Motor-away(CNS)– Interneurons-bridge between neurons