PSYC 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Brainstem, Motor Cortex, Brain Damage

• School: Binghamton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 111
• Professor: Lanora Duell

Document Summary

. everything psychological is simultaneously biological; we think, feel & act w/ our bodies. humans are biopsychosocial in which biological, psychological & social cultural factors interact to influence behavior. psychologists working from biological perspective study link b/w biology & behavior. Enables us to gain better understanding of our experiences of sights & sounds, meanings & memories, pain & passion, etc. franz gal (1800s) = (cid:272)hara(cid:272)ter traits/(cid:373)e(cid:374)tal a(cid:271)ilities (cid:272)ould (cid:271)e re(cid:448)ealed (cid:271)(cid:455) readi(cid:374)g (cid:862)(cid:271)u(cid:373)ps(cid:863) o(cid:374) skull (phrenology) Nerve cells conduct electricity & communicate through chemical messages across tiny separating gaps; specific brain systems serve specific functions & info is integrated to construct wide range of experiences. neuron consists of a cell body & branching fibers (dendrite, axon, myelin sheath) . neurons cluster in to working networks & include 3 types: Sensory neurons: (cid:272)arr(cid:455) (cid:373)essages fro(cid:373) (cid:271)od(cid:455)"s tissues & se(cid:374)sor(cid:455) re(cid:272)eptors i(cid:374)(cid:449)ard to spi(cid:374)al cord & brain for processing. Motor neurons: (cid:272)arr(cid:455) i(cid:374)stru(cid:272)tio(cid:374) fro(cid:373) (cid:272)e(cid:374)tral (cid:374)er(cid:448)ous s(cid:455)ste(cid:373) out to (cid:271)od(cid:455)"s (cid:373)us(cid:272)les.