Tyler Priestap Period 7 Biological Bases of Behavior Objectives

Basic processes in the biological bases of behavior include Neural Transmission, which is a process in which either neurotransmitters are being transferred to another neuron at 100 percent or are not being transferred at all. Neurons are made up of dendrites (antennae), soma (nucleus container), Axon (connects axon terminal and soma), axon terminal (end of neural cell), receptor sites (are where neurotransmitters attach themselves) and neurotransmitters (chemical agents). Axon terminals contain neurotransmitters, which are used to communicate with other neurons in the brain. There are different types of neurotransmitters, such as Acetylcholine, Enkephalins, Endorphins, Neuropeptides, and Serotonin. These neurotransmitters are secreted from the axon terminals and are sent to the synapse, to be sent into the next neuron. MDMA, the most pure form of Ecstasy, is a type of drug that causes your brain to produce mass amounts of Serotonin, and causes waves of euphoria, empathy, and the need to communicate with other people. Marijuanas main chemical THC belongs to the class of chemicals known as Cannabinoids. The THC in Marijuana binds to Cannabinoid Receptors found in neurons, and this causes users to feel light headed, have unsatisfactory coordination, lost track of time, hunger and tend to laugh a lot. The Endocrine System takes a major role of the development on the human body. The Endocrine System contains many glands and chemicals that helps our bodies stay at optimal levels. The Hypothalamus, for example, is the master gland that tells other Endocrine System glands what to do. One of these glands, the Pituitary gland, is told by the Hypothalamus to secrete chemicals that cause our body to go through puberty. Another gland, the Pineal gland, secretes a chemical called Melatonin which causes our body to become tired and fall asleep. The Nervous System is a system of bundled nerves inside of the body that send messages to and from the brain. The Nervous System is made up of nervous subdivisions which include the central and peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system contains the brain and spinal cord. The Brain is the powerhouse of the body and works as a supercomputer to send the most important of functions throughout the body. It is made up of regions, lobes, and cortical areas. The four lobes of the brain are the Frontal lobe (impulse control), the Parietal lobe (sense of touch), the Occipital lobe (visual perception), and the Temporal lobe (auditory reception). The Brain is separated by two hemispheres, the left (Sequential analysis) and the right (Holistic function). The spinal cord is located at the base of the skull, and also works as a superefficient communicator. The Peripheral nervous system contains 30 pairs of spinal nerves which are either Autonomic (involuntary) or Somatic (voluntary). Research on the brain has been a slow and steady process, but has found many important discoveries that are vital to our living functions. Over the years, strategies to research the brain have been changed greatly. The Frontal Lobotomy was a savage way

Tyler Priestap Period 7 Biological Bases of Behavior Objectives

of finding out what the frontal lobe was capable of doing, and by destroying mental patients frontal lobes, the doctors got their answer. Another way of finding out about the brain is a technique called the Split-Brain procedure. This was performed to patients that were suffering from severe epilepsy, and was done by splitting the left and right hemispheres of the brain into two. Modern technology in brain research is much more accurate and a lot less painful. We now have Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) machine that can give extremely detailed images of the brain and what is going on with it. Psychology and Evolution have many different connections with each other, and many of them have been found out recently through active research with modern day tools. Heredity and environment play large roles in how the human brain functions. The disease called Parkinsons is a type of disease where the nervous system sends random, involuntary signals to parts of the body and causes the person to shake uncontrollably. This type of disease doesnt come by someone because they were acting a wrong way in their life, but instead it can be passed down by someone in the persons family that previously had the disease. Environmental diseases can range greatly from the common cold, to deadly diseases such as AIDS. AIDS can cause the body to completely shut down the immune system and cause a very painful death. Evolutionary variables show how the brain has formed over the course of human life. The brain has come from a size of apes to what is now the 3 pound grapefruit. Traits and behavior can be adapted from numerous causations. One good example of this would be the case study of Genie, a girl who was locked inside of her bedroom for 13 years. Due to this negligence, her behavior was comparable to a person with a major mental defect. 1. Paul Broca was a French physician, surgeon, anatomist, and anthropologist. Paul is best known for his discovery of the part of the brain know as Brocas Area, which directs muscles for speech production. 2. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who is most famous for his work on Biotic Evolution. 3. Michael Gazzaniga is a professor of psychology at the University of California who contributed plentiful research in studying cognitive neuroscience. 4. Roger Sperry was a neuropsychologist who won the Nobel Prize for his work with split-brain procedures. 5. Carl Wernicke was a German physician, anatomist, psychiatrist and neuropathologist who was named after Wernicke Aphasia.