PSY 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Midbrain, Electroencephalography, Cell Nucleus
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Chapter 3: The Brain and the Nervous System
At the end of this Chapter you should be able to:
• Understand the structure of the brain and the nervous system
• Learn about modular organisation of the brain
• Learn the methods used to study the brain
The Organism as a Machine
•Descartes, early 1600s: first to think of this notion
•Machines, principles of physics, math & astronomy: applied to human behavior for the first
time
The Nervous System
• Nervous System: the body’s speedy, electrochemical communication system
• consists of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems.
• It has two parts;
•Central Nervous System (CNS): controls the brain and spinal cord
• Brain: directs mental processes and maintains basic life functions
• Spinal Cord: receives sensory input, sends info to the brain, responds with motor output
•Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
• Nerves in body - Afferent nerves, Efferent nerves
• Divided into two: somatic division and autonomic division
How the Nervous System is Studied
Field: NEUROSCIENCE
Study of: nature, functions, origins of the nervous system: multidisciplinary;
Begins with studying cells of the nervous system
Neurons
- up to one billion cells
- inter-connections up to 50,000 per neuron
Studying the Nervous System
• Clinical observation - Phineas Gage: frontal lobe damage
• Neuropsychology - what happens to behavior when brain structures are damaged
• Experimental techniques
• Lesioning brain structures, observing consequences
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation: temporary loss of brain function in isolated areas near
surface of brain (just under scalp)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 3: the brain and the nervous system. At the end of this chapter you should be able to: understand the structure of the brain and the nervous system, learn about modular organisation of the brain, learn the methods used to study the brain. The organism as a machine: descartes, early 1600s: first to think of this notion, machines, principles of physics, math & astronomy: applied to human behavior for the first time. The nervous system: nervous system: the body"s speedy, electrochemical communication system consists of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. It has two parts: central nervous system (cns): controls the brain and spinal cord. Spinal cord: receives sensory input, sends info to the brain, responds with motor output: brain: directs mental processes and maintains basic life functions. Peripheral nervous system (pns: nerves in body - afferent nerves, efferent nerves, divided into two: somatic division and autonomic division.
