PSYC 1101 Lecture Notes - Y Chromosome, Sensory Cortex, Motor Cortex
31 Jan 2014
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Document Summary
Branch of psych concerned with the links between biology and behavior. Some biological psychologists call themselves behavioral neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behavior geneticists, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists. The basic building block of the nervous system. Myelin sheath increases transmission speed of a signal. Action potential electrical charge that stimulates communication. Synapse space between sending and receiving cell. Neurotransmitters chemical messengers that travel from sending to receiving cell over synapse. Malfunctions: excess dopamine receptor activity linked to schizophrenia, starved of dopamine, the brain produces the tremors and decreased mobility of parkinson"s disease. Malfunction: undersupply linked to depression; prozac and some other antidepressant drugs raise serotonin levels. Malfunction: undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia. Function: a major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory. Malfunction: oversupply can overstimulate brain, producing migraines or seizures (which is why some people avoid msg, monosodium glutamate, in food) Binds a receptor site and triggers an action in the cell that the receptor is located on.
