PSYCH 202 Lecture 9: Biological Psychology II
Biological Psychology II: Brain Structure and Function
Overview and Goals:
0. Review Major Structures
1. Indicate How Structures Relate to Functions
2. Review Methods Leading to this Knowledge
3. Examine “Split Brain” Research
4. Examine How Brain is Affected by “Mother’s Touch”
In Following Slides, we go from the Spine Up to the Cortex
Overview of all areas and their interrelations:
Brainstem:
Connected to spine. Brainstem
0. “Inner Core” of Brain; Regulates Life-Support
0. Rests Atop and Connects to Spinal Cord
0. Contains Medulla inside brainstem (Vital Involuntary Functions, i.e. breathing,
heartbeat, etc.), Pons (???), Reticular Formation group of tissues, lots of
serotonin neurons (Sleep, Arousal, Attention)
0. Attaches to Cerebellum, big kind of under brain. Critical to fine motor
movements. Mia Hamm left footed kicks (Balance/Movement)
Limbic System
0. Above Brainstem, Surrounded by Cortex
Important. Big story in psych
0. Critical to Motivation, Emotion, Memory
Contains:
• Thalamus (“Sensory Relay Station”)
Vision, incoming sensory info, touch, taste, sight, sounds, NOT smell. Info gets
sent to other areas. Takes incoming info and distributes to proper areas
• Amygdala (“Aggression and Fear-Anxiety Center”)
Learning of fear.
• Hippocampus (Memory Formation)
Remember Clyde? Oh the irony. Explicit memories. You damage that shit? You’re not going to
learn much in terms of long term. Anterograde amnesia. Identity is ruined
• Basal Ganglia (movement and, via nucleus accumbens
(substantia Niagara, reward)
Parkinson’s. Dopamine containing neurons. N.A. is very activated during reward,
drug addiction, “burst of pleasure”, addictions in general.
• Hypothalamus (Regulates Temperature, Hunger, Activity of
ANS, hormone release via pituitary, site of “pleasure center”)
HPA axis and stress. really know this and how it works. Regulates endocrine
system. Eating processes pleasure. Stimulate certain areas, animals won’t stop
eating. Other areas, they’ll starve themselves. Obesity, processes we don’t
understand. Eating disorders.
Four Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
0. frontal
“right here in the front”. Intellectual, decision making. Require other areas as well
0. temporal
“off to sides, behind front.
0. parietal
Behind frontal, above temporal
0. occipital
In the back
Note Specialization and Localization of Functions in Cerebral Cortex
Document Summary
Overview and goals: review major structures, indicate how structures relate to functions, review methods leading to this knowledge, examine split brain research, examine how brain is affected by mother"s touch . In following slides, we go from the spine up to the cortex. Brainstem: inner core of brain; regulates life-support, rests atop and connects to spinal cord, contains medulla inside brainstem (vital involuntary functions, i. e. breathing, heartbeat, etc. ), reticular formation group of tissues, lots of serotonin neurons (sleep, arousal, attention: attaches to cerebellum, big kind of under brain. Limbic system: above brainstem, surrounded by cortex. Big story in psych: critical to motivation, emotion, memory. Vision, incoming sensory info, touch, taste, sight, sounds, not smell. Takes incoming info and distributes to proper areas. You"re not going to learn much in terms of long term. Basal ganglia (movement and, via nucleus accumbens (substantia niagara, reward) N. a. is very activated during reward, drug addiction, burst of pleasure , addictions in general.
