GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

Unit 3
Neurological Processes

OUTLINE
Basic Life Processes
Central Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System
Neurons
Endocrine System

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BASIC LIFE PROCESSES

IRRITABILITY is the ability to react to stimulus.

CONTRACTILITY refers to the ability to contract and relax in order to move, as in the cells of the muscle tissue.
CONDUCTIVITY refers to the ability to conduct impulses from one point to another.
METABOLISM is the process of building protoplasm out of food for cell growth and repair, and breaking down of
food into simpler substances for the liberation of energy.
REPRODUCTION is the process wherein living cells repair and reproduce themselves.
INTEGRATION refers to the ability to coordinate and speed up or inhibit activities so that they work together
effectively.
ADAPTATION refers to the ability of the organisms to redirect its activities in response to the external
environment.
SENSITIVITY is the attunement or organisms to stimuli determined by receptors that initiate responses.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. It is the decision maker.

BRAIN is pinkish white color, relatively small melon shaped structure and has the consistency of firm gelatin and
uses sugar (glucose) as its fuel. It is made up of about 1 trilion cells (glial and neurons). It is the master control
center of all human activities.

Parts of the Brain:

FOREBRAIN is the largest part of the brain consisting of right and left hemispheres, is connected by a wide band
of fibers, corpus collosum.
CEREBRUM is the most recently evolved part of the brain almost like a cap. It is the largest part of the
brain and makes up about 80% of its volume.

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 HEMISPHERES are responsible for vast array of responses including learning and memory,
speaking and language, emotional responses, experiencing sensations, initiating voluntary
movements, planning and making decisions.
FRONTAL LOBES are the relatively large cortical area in the front part of the brain that is
involved in many of our social-emotional behaviors, such as behaving normally in social and
emotional situations, maintaining a healthy personality and making and carrying out plans.
PARIETAL LOBES are the portion of the cerebrum at the top of the head and toward the rear. It
is involved in processing body sensations.
OCCIPITAL LOBES are the region at the back of the brain involved in vision.
TEMPORAL LOBES are the segment of the brain located directly below the parietal lobe that is
critical to hearing, speaking coherently, and understanding verbal and written materials.
CORPUS COLLOSUM is the large bundle of axons that connects the brain’s two hemisphere.
LIMBIC SYSTEM is a group of interconnected structures in the core of the forebrain that are involved in
many motivational and emotional behaviors.
THALAMUS is a structure of the limbic system located in the middle of the forebrain and is
involved in receiving sensory information, doing some initial processing and then relaying the
sensory information to appropriate areas of the cortex.
HYPOTHALAMUS is a structure of the limbic system that is located in the near bottom middle of
the brain and involved in many motivational and emotional behaviors. It controls much of the
endocrine system by regulating the pituitary gland.
AMYGDALA is a structure in the limbic system that is located in the tip of the temporal lobe and
is involved in emotional behaviors.
HIPPOCAMPUS is the curve structure within the temporal lobe that is involved in transforming
many kinds of fleeting memories into permanent storage.
MIDBRAIN is the smallest division of the brain. It makes connection with the hindbrain and forebrain and alerts
the forebrain to incoming sensations.
HINDBRAIN is an area at the base of the brain that is involved in sleeping, walking, coordinating body
movements, and regulating vital reflexes (heart rate, blood pressure and respiration).
RETICULAR ACTIVATING SYSTEM is a complex network of neurons that monitors the general level of activity in
the hindbrain, thereby maintaining a state of arousal.
CEREBELLUM is a region of the hindbrain that is involved in coordinating movements but not initiating voluntary
movements.
PONS are bridges that connects the spinal cord with the brain and parts of the brain with another. Cells in the
pons manufacture chemicals involved in sleep.
MEDULLA is an area in the hindbrain that controls vital reflexes such as respiration, heart rate and blood
pressure.

SPINAL CORD is the brain’s link to the peripheral nervous system. It receives information from the skin and
muscles and transmit it to the brain. At the same time, it routes commands coming down from the brain to the
appropriate muscle and glands of the body. It is also fully capable of analyzing certain kinds of data and initiating
commands for reflex responses (immediate involuntary actions).

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PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM contains 2 elements, the ganglia and the nerves. It is made up of nerves which
we located throughout the body, except in the brain and the spinal cord.

GANGLIA are collection of nerve-cell bodies. Many are located just outside the vertebrae that form the
backbones or spinal column. Others are located close to the internal organ with which the nervous system
connects.

NERVES are string-like bundles of axons and dendrites that come from the neurons and are held together by
connective tissue. Nerves carry information from the senses, skin, muscles and the body organs to and from the
spinal cord. Nerves in the peripheral nervous system have the ability to re-grow, regenerate or re-attach if
severed or damaged.

SOMATIC SYSTEM (voluntary) both transmits sensations from the outside world to the spinal cord and/or brain
and relay’s central nervous system’s orders to contract the body’s skeletal muscles, thus generating movements.

AUTONOMIC SYSTEM (involuntary) affects the heart rate, certain glandular secretions, and the activities of the
smooth muscles (internal organs).

SYMPATHETIC DIVISION prepares the body to fight or flee (during emergency/stressful situations) by increasing
heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar level and by slowing down digestion.

PARASYMPHATETIC DIVISION enhances digestions and conserves energy by slowing down the heart rate and the
blood flow to the skeletal muscles (during relax situations).

NEURONS is basically a brain cell with specialized extensions.

Reference:

1. Gaerlan, Josefina, et.al., GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 5TH Ed., Ken Inc., 2000
2. Carson-Arenas, Dr. Aggie, INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY: Understanding Human Behavior, Rex
Printing Co., 2004