PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
o Brain served as the source if all
INTRODUCTION: Biopsychology as a
Neuroscience
Biopsychology
 Branch of psychology
 Analyzes how the brain,
neurotransmitters, and the other aspects
of our biology influence our behaviors,
thoughts, and feelings.
 Often refers to variety names including:
o Physiological Psychology
o Behavioral Neuroscience
o Psychobiology
Biopsychologist
 Often look at how biological processes
interact with emotions, cognitions, and
other mental processes.
 Related to other areas:
o Comparative Psychology
o Evolutionary Psychology
Brief History of Psychology
 While biopsychology might seem like a
recent development thanks to the
introduction of advanced tools and
technology for examining the brain ,
the roots of the field date back
thousands of years to the time of the
early philosophers.
 While we now consider the mind and
brain synonymous, philosophers and
psychologists long debated what was
known as the mind/body problem.
 Philosophers and other thinkers
wondered what the relationship was
between the mental world and the
physical world.
Philosophers’ Views on Biopsychology
 Aristotle
o Our thoughts and feelings arose
from the heart
 Hippocrates and Plato
o The brain was where the mind
resides
thoughts and action
 Rene Descartes and Leonardo da
Vinci
o Introduced theories about how
the nervous system operated
o But these early theories were
later proven wrong
o They established an important
idea that external stimulation
could lead to muscle response.
 Rene Descartes
o Introduced the concept of reflex
o Although researchers
demonstrated it was the spinal
cord that played a critical role in
these muscle responses.
Link Between Biopsychology and Human
Behavior
Phrenology
 One early attempt at understanding how
different parts if the brain control human
behavior led to the development of
pseudoscience
 Certain human faculties could be linked
to bumps and indentations of the brain
which could be felt on the surface of the
skull.
 Soon dismissed by other scientist,
however, the idea that certain parts of
the brain were responsible for certain
functions played an important role in the
development of future brain research.
Phineas Gage
 A railroad worker who suffered a
devastating brain injury
 How damage to certain parts of the
brain could impact behavior and
functioning.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
The Human Brain
 Far from impressive
 Squishy
 Wrinkled
 Walnut-shaped hunk of tissue
 1.3 kilograms
 An amazingly intricate network
neurons
Neurons
 Cells that receive and transmit
electromagnetic signals.
Neuroscience
 Scientific study of nervous system
 May prove to be the brains ultimate
challenge: Does the brain have the
capacity to understand something as
complex as itself?
D.O Hebb
 Published a theory called The
Organization of Behavior in 1949
o Hebb developed the
comprehensive theory of how
complex psychological
phenomena, such as perceptions,
emotions, thoughts,
memories, might be produced by
brain activity.
o Based his theory on:
 experiments involving both
humans and laboratory
animals,
 on clinical case studies
 on logical arguments
developed from his own
insightful observation of
daily life.
What is the relation between Biopsychology
and the other disciplines of Neuroscience?
 Biopsychologists are neuroscientist who
bring to their research a knowledge of
behavior and of the methods of
of behavioral research.
Disciplines of Neuroscience that are
particularly relevant to Biopsychology:
 Neuroanatomy
o The study of the structure of the
nervous system
 Neurochemistry
o The study of chemical bases of
neural activity.
 Neuroendocrinology
o The study of interactions between
nervous and the endocrine
system.
 Neuropathology
o The study of nervous system
disorders.
first  Neuropharmacology
o The study of the effects of drugs
on neural activity.
 Neurophysiology
and o The study of the functions and
activities of the nervous system.
Career Opportunities in Biopsychology
 Behavioral Neuroscientist
o Analyzes how the brain, nervous
system, and other organ impact
our behavior
 Cognitive Neuroscientist
o Investigates brain activity and
scans to research how people
think, learn, and solve problems
 Comparative Psychologist
o Looks at the behaviors of
different species and compares
them to each other and to
humans.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
 Evolutionary Psychologist
o Examines the evolutionary bases
of behavior.
 Neurologist
o Treats patients with damage or
disease which affects the brain
and nervous system.
 Evolutionary continuity of the brain
 Human brain is different from the brain
of mammals in their:
o Overall size
o The extent of their cortical
development

BIOPSYCHOLOGY AS NEUROSCIENCE: Advantages of nonhuman animals over

OVERVIEW AND MAJOR ISSUES humans as subjects in biopsychological
research:
Man is unique among animals
 Man is strikingly different 1. The brains and behavior of nonhuman
 Man is not identical with any animal. subjects are simpler
o The study of nonhuman species
Two Views of Human Brain is more likely to reveal
 Dorsal View (From above) fundamental brain behavior
 Ventral View (From below) interactions
2. The insights frequently arise from the
Three Main Points to Remember: comparative approach
 Perception occurs in your brain o The study of biological species by
 Mental activity and certain types of brain comparing different species
activity are inseparable o Example:
 We should be cautious about what is an  Comparing the behavior of
explanation and what is not. species that do not have a
cerebral cortex with the
What types of research characterize the behavior of species that do
Biopsychological Approach? can provide valuable clues
Three major dimensions along which about cortical functions
approached to biopsychological research vary: 3. It is possible to conduct research on
 Human or nonhuman subjects laboratory animals that is not possible
 Formal experiments or nonexperimental with human subjects
studies o For ethical reasons
 Pure or applied

Human and Nonhuman Subjects

 Both human and nonhuman are the
subject of biopsychological research

HUMANS
 Have several advantages over other
animals as experimental subject in
biopsychological research:
o They can follow instructions
o They can report their subjective
experiences
o They have human brains

NONHUMANS
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
NERVE CELLS
 Almost no human life is truly
independent
 People can do an enormous amount
together, but very little by themselves
The Cells of the Nervous System
Two Kinds of Cells:
 Neurons
o Receives information and
transmit it to other cells
 Glia
o Are non-neuronal cells of the
nervous system with various
types
o Not nerves
Santiago Ramon y Cajal
 A pioneer of Neuroscience
 An outstanding anatomical researcher
and illustrator
 Draws the details of nervous system
 Receives a Nobel prize for research on
the stricture of the nervous system in
1906 with Camillo Golgi
The Structure if a Neuron
Neuron
 Nerve cell that is the basic building
blocks of the nervous system
 Specialized to transmit information
throughout the body
 Contain a nucleus
o Hold genetic information
 Surrounded by a membrane
o Protects the cell
 Organelles that support the life of the
cells:
o Mitochondria
o Golgi bodies
o Cytoplasm
Glia
 Neuroglia
 Other components of nervous system
that performs many functions
 From Greek word means glue
 Like a glue that held the neurons
together
 Glia outnumbers neurons in cerebral cortex
 Neurons outnumbers glia in several other
brain areas especially the cerebellum
Astrocytes
 Star-shaped
 Wrapped around the synapses of
functionally related axons
 By surrounding a connection between
neurons, astrocytes shield it from
chemicals circulating in the surround
Microglia
 Act as a part of immune system
 Removes virus and fungi in the brain
 They proliferate after brain damage,
removing dead or damaged neurons
Oligondendrocytes & Schwann Cells
 Build the myelin sheaths that surrounds
and insulates certain vertebrate axons.
 They also supply an axon with nutrients
necessary for proper functioning
o Oligondendrocytes
 in the brain, spinal cord or
in central nervous system
o Schwann Cells
 In periphery of the body
Radial Glia
 Guide the migration of neurons and their
axons and dendrites during embryonic
development
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Active Transport
 The brain uses for certain other
chemicals
 A protein mediated process that
expands energy to pump chemicals from
the blood into the brain

The Blood-Brain Barrier

 The mechanism that excludes most Chemicals that are actively transported into the
chemicals form the vertebrate brain brain include:

Why do we need blood-brain barrier?  Glucose

 When a virus invades a cell, BBB o The brain’s main fuel
exclude virus particles through the  Amino Acids
membrane so that the immune system o The building blocks of protein
can find them
 Purines
 The vertebrate brain DOES NOT
 Choline
replace damaged neurons
o to minimize the risk of irreparable  Few vitamins
 Iron
brain damage
o the body lines the brain blood
Insulin and probably certain other
vessels with tightly packed cells
hormones also cross the BBB at least in small
that keep out most viruses,
amounts
bacteria, and harmful chemicals
Nourishment of Vertebrate Neurons
How Blood-Brain Barrier works?
 Vertebrate neurons depend almost
 It depends in the endothelial cells
entirely on glucose
o Form the walls of capillaries
o A sugar.
 Outside the brain
 Metabolizing glucose requires oxygen,
o Endothelial cells are separated by
 Neurons need a steady supply of
small gaps
oxygen
 Inside the brain
 Neurons depend so heavily on glucose
o Endothelial cells are joined so
because it can and sometimes do use of
tightly that they block viruses, ketones and lactate for fuel
bacteria, and other harmful o A kind of fat
chemicals from passage.
 Glucose shortage is rarely a problem
 No special mechanism is required for
except starvation
mal, uncharged molecules that they can
cross through cell walls freely such as:
o Oxygen
o Carbon dioxide
o Molecules that dissolve in the fats
of the membrane can cross easily
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
 The gaps between adjacent neurons
across which chemical signals are
transmitted
Endoplasmic reticulum
 A system of folded membranes in cell
body
 Rough portions (with ribosomes)
o Plays role in the synthesis of
proteins
 Smooth portions (without ribosomes)
o Plays role in the synthesis of fats
Cytoplasm
 The clear internal fluid of the cell
Ribosomes
 Internal cellular structures on which
proteins are synthesized
OTHER TERMS AND DEFINITIONS UNDER  Located in the endoplasmic reticulum
NERVE CELLS

Cell Body
 metabolic center of the neurons
 the soma Golgi Complex
Cell Membrane  a connected system of membranes that
 semipermeable membrane that packages molecules in vesicles
encloses the neurons Nucleus
Dendrites  The spherical DNA-containing structure
 the short processes emanating from the of the cell body
cell body Mitochondria
 receive most of the synaptic contacts  Sites of aerobic (oxygen-consuming)
from other neurons energy release
Axon Hillocks Microtubules
 cone-shaped region at the junction  Tubules responsible for the rapid
between the axons and cell body transport of material throughout neurons
Axons Synaptic Vesicles
 the long, narrow process that projects  Spherical membrane packages that
from the body cells store neurotransmitter molecules ready
Myelin for release near synapses.
 The fatty insulation around the axons Neurotransmitters
Nodes of Ranvier  Molecules that are released from active
 Ran-vee-yay neurons and influence the activity of
 The gaps between sections of myelin other cells
Buttons
 The button-like endings of the axon The diverse shapes of Neurons
branches  Purkinje Cells
 Release chemicals into synapses o A cell type found only in
Synapses cerebellum
 Sensory neurons from skin to spinal
cord
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
 Pyramidal cell of the motor area of the  It maintains an electrical
cerebral cortex gradient/polarization
 Bipolar cell of retina of the eye  All parts of a neuron are covered by a
 Kenyon cells membrane with about 8
o From a honeybee nanometers(nm) thick.
o The membrane is composed of 2
layers that is free to float relative
to each other:
 Phospholipid Molecules
 Contains chains of
fatty acids and a
phosphate group
 Protein Molecules
 Cylindrical
 Which certain
chemicals can pass
 Protein channels
that permit ions to
cross through the
NERVE IMPULSES membrane at a
controlled rate
Axons
 produce action potential
 Convey information from the touch
receptors in hands or feet toward your Forces Acting on Sodium and Potassium
spinal cord and brain Ions
 Instead of conducting electrical impulse,
the axons regenerate an impulse at  If charged ions could flow freely across
each point the membrane, the membrane would
o Example depolarize
 A long line of people o Eliminating the negative potential
holding hands inside
 If the first person  The membrane has selective
squeezes the permeability
second’s person’s o That is, some chemicals pass
hand, who then through it more freely than others
squeeze the third’s do.
person’s hand, and  Oxygen, carbon dioxide, urea and
so forth. water cross freely through channels that
 Axons transmit information at only are always open.
moderate speeds  The several biologically important ions
o less that 1meter/second to about that cross through membrane channels
100m/s or gates that are sometimes open and
sometimes close are:
The Resting Potential of the Neuron o Sodium
Resting Potential o Potassium
 Messages in a neuron develop from o Calcium
disturbances of the resting potential o Chloride
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
 When a channel opens,
o It permits some type of ion to
cross the membrane
 When a channel closes
o It prevents passage of that ion
 When the neuron is at rest;
o Two forces act on sodium
 Both tending to push it into
the cells
o Consider the electrical gradient
 Sodium is positively
charged
 The inside of the cell is
negatively charged
o Opposite electrical charges
attract
 So, the electrical gradient
tends to pull sodium into
the cell.
Why Resting Potential?
 It is because the body invests much
energy to operate sodium-potassium
pump
o Maintains the resting potential
Why is it worth so much energy?
 It is because the resting potential
prepares the neuron to respond rapidly
o The excitation of neuron opens
channels that allow sodium to
enter the cells rapidly
 Because the membrane did its work in
advanced by maintaining the
concentration of gradient for sodium,
o The cell is prepared to respond
vigorously to a stimulus
 The resting potential remains stable until
the neuron is stimulated’
o Example:
 An archer who pulls the
bow in advanced is ready
to fire at the appropriate
moment.
o The stimulation of the neuron
takes place at synapses
The Action Potential
 Messages sent by axons
Negative Potential
 It is when an axon’s membrane is at
rest
 -mV
Hyperpolarization
 The change when a different electrode
was used to apply a negative charge
 When the negative charge increases
inside the neurons
 Increased polarization
 Increased of resting potential
To depolarize neuron:
 Apply a current to the neuron that is
reduce/decreased its polarization (RP)
toward zero.
The Molecular Basis of the Action Potential
 The chemical events behind action
potential may seem complex but they
make sense by the help of these three
principles:
1. At the start, sodium ions are mostly
outside the neuron, and the
potassium ions are mostly inside.
2. When the membrane is depolarized
(stimulus/AP), sodium and potassium
channels in the membrane open.
3. At the peak of the action potential,
the sodium and potassium channels
close.
Propagation of the Action Potential
 Describes the transmission of an action
potential down an axon.
 As an action potential occurs at one
point on the axon,
o enough sodium enters to
depolarize the next point to its
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
threshold, producing an action
potential at that point.
 In this manner, the action potential flows
along the axon, remaining at equal
strength throughout
 Behind each area of sodium entry,
o Potassium ions exist, restoring
the resting potential
Local Anesthetic Drugs
 Novocain
 Xylocaine
 Attach to the sodium channels of the
membrane
 Prevents sodium ions from entering
 Axons cannot transmit the message to
the brain, so that you don’t feel pain
during the administration of anesthesia.
The Myelin Sheaths and Saltatory
Conductions
 In the thinnest axons,
o Action potentials travel at a
velocity of less than
meter/second
 Increasing the diameter brings
conduction velocity up to about 10 m/s.
Myelin Sheaths
 a special mechanism evolved by
vertebrate axons
 to increase the speed still more
 an insulating material composed of fats
and proteins
 interrupted by Nodes of Ranvier
o short sections of axons
o 1 micrometer wide
 In myelinated axons, the action potential
starts at the first node of Ranvier
Saltatory Conduction
 The jumping action potentials from node
to node
 From Latin word saltare, to jump
In Multiple Sclerosis
 The immune system attacks myelin
sheaths.
 An axon that never had myelin sheaths
conducts impulses slowly but steadily
 An axon that has lost its myelin sheaths
is not the same because it lacks sodium
channels where the myelin used to be.
 Most action potential die out between
one node and the next.
Local Neurons
 Many small neurons have no axons
 The only closest neighbors where
1 neurons without axon exchange
information with.
 Are difficult to study because it is almost
impossible to insert an electrode into a
tiny cell without damaging it.
 Neuroscientist knew about local neurons
was:
o They were small
o Small neurons were immature
o Underdeveloped
o Not yet utilized in the individual’s
cerebral activity
 Small cells would contribute to behavior
only if they grew
 10% of the brain usage (non sensical)
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
 Spasms
 Epileptic Seizure
Synaptic Transmission
Synapse
 Meeting point between two neurons
 From the Greek word to clasp or join
 When an action potential sends an
electrical message to the end of an
axon,
o that message hits a synapse that
then translate or converts it into
different type of signal and flings
it over to another neurons.
 Are numerous
 The brain has 100 billion neurons and
each of those has 1000 to 10000
synapses
 Able to change and adapt in response to
neuron firing patterns
 Allows you to learn and remember
 Roots of psychiatric disorders
 Reason why drug and addiction exist
Electrical Synapses
 Would be like an immediate group text
 Are much more abundant in embryonic
nervous tissue where the help guide
neural development
 As the nervous system matures, many
electrical synapses are replaced by
chemical ones
 Send an ion current flowing directly from
the cytoplasm to one nerve cell to
another, through small windows called
gap juctions.
 An action potential in one neuron will
generate an action potential in the other
cells across the synapse.
Chemical Synapses
 They take more than time to be received
and read
 But used more often
 Are much easier to control
 Sending signals to only certain
recipients
 More precise
 Use neurotransmitters, or chemical
signals
Advantage of Chemical over Electrical
Synapses
 They can effectively convert the signals
in steps,
o From electrical to chemical back
to electrical which allows for
different ways to control that
impulse.
This sort of long-term translation could be the
result of:
 Potentiation
o the strengthening of a synapse
through like, classical
conditioning
 Habituation
o When a synapse decreases its
response to a common stimulus
 Sensitization
o When a reaction to one stimulus
causes other synapses to be
more sensitive to reactions
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
In synapse, immediately or over longer periods
of time, that signal can be:
 Modified
 Amplified
 Inhibited
 Split
This set-up has two principal parts:
 Presynaptic Neurons
o The cell that’s sending the signals
o Presynaptic Terminal
 Transmitted or receives
the signals from
presynaptic neurons
 Knoblike structure
 Usually the axon terminal
 Holds a whole bunch of
tiny synaptic vesicles
sacs
 Loaded with
thousands of
molecules of a
given
neurotransmitter.
 Postsynaptic Neurons
o The receiving cell
o Accepts neurotransmitters in its
receptor region (usually on the
dendrite or just o the cell body
itself)
 These results in unidirectional or one-
sided communication between neurons.
 When an action potential races along
the axon of a neuron, activating sodium
and potassium channels in a wave,
o It eventually comes down to the
presynaptic terminal,
o and activates the voltage-gated
calcium(Ca2+) channels there
to open and release the calcium
into the neuron’s cytoplasm.
 This flow of positively-charged
calcium ions causes all those tiny
synaptic vesicles:
o to fuse with the cell membrane
o and purge their chemical
messages
 it’s these neurotransmitters
that act like couriers
diffusing across the
synaptic gap and binding
to receptor sites on the
postsynaptic neurons.

Synaptic cleft
 Tiny gap between presynaptic and
postsynaptic neurons
 The first neuron has managed to
 Less than five millionths of a centimeter convert the electrical signal into a
apart. chemical one.
 But for it to become an action potential
 Messages that travel via chemical again in the receiving neuron, it has to
synapses are technically not be converted back to electrical.
transmitted directly between neurons,  It happens once a neurotransmitter
like they are in electrical synapses. binds to a receptor.
 There’s a whole chemical event that  That causes the ion channels to open.
involves the:  Depending on which particular
o Release neurotransmitter binds to which
o Diffusion receptor, the neuron might either get
o Receptions excited or inhibited
 Of neurotransmitters in order to
transmits signals. Excitatory Neurotransmitters
 Depolarize the postsynaptic neuron by
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
o making the inside of it more
positive and Cocaine
o bringing it closer to its action  Once it hits the bloodstream, it targets
potential threshold three major neurotransmitters:
o making it more likely to fire that o Serotonin
message on to the next neuron. o Dopamine
o Norepinephrine
Inhibitory Neurotransmitters
 hyperpolarized the postsynaptic neuron Three Major Neurotransmitters
by  Serotonin
o making the inside more negative, o Mainly inhibitory
o driving its charge down away o Plays an important role in
from its threshold regulating
o the message would not get  Mood
passed along  Appetite
o it’s harder to excite that portion of  Circadian
neurons  Rhythm
 Sleep
 Any region of a single neuron may have o Some antidepressants can help
hundreds of synapses stabilize moods by stabilizing
o Each with different inhibitory or serotonin levels
excitatory neurotransmitters  Dopamine
 Post-synaptic neuron developing an o Released during pleasurable
action potential depends on the sum of activities
all of the excitations and inhibitions in o Influences emotion and attention
that area o Makes you feel awesome
 Norepinephrine
o Amps you up by triggering your
fight or flight response
o Increase the heart rate
o Priming muscles to engage
o While an undersupply of the
chemical can depress a mood.
After neurotransmitter deliver their
messages:
o They just sort of pop back out,
 During the sober state, these
and
neurotransmitter does their thing in the
o Then either degrade or get
body
recycled.  But once they’ve delivered their
o Some kinds diffuse back across chemicals payloads,
the synapse and are immediately o They usually diffused right back
re-absorbed by the sending out across the synapse to be
neuron, in a process called absorbed by the neuron that sent
reuptake. them
o Others are broken down by  Cocaine blocks that reuptake,
enzymes in the synaptic cleft or especially of dopamine, allowing these
sent away from the synapses by powerful chemicals to float around and
diffusion. accumulate
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
o Making the user feel euphoric for
a time, paranoid and jittery.
 When cocaine and drugs adapted by the
targeted neurotransmitters, synapses wil
remember how great those extra
chemical feels.
 As a result, the receptors will start to
lose and takes even more dopamine, or
cocaine to function normally.

 Electrical synapses use on current over

gap junctions to transmit neurological
signals
 Chemical synapses turn electrical
signals into chemical ones
 Chemical synapses use
neurotransmitters
 Effects of cocaine in the electrochemical
system
Anatomy of the Brain

Brain
 Most complex and sensitive organ
 Responsible for all the functions of the
body
 Coordinating center for all:
o Sensations
o Mobility
o Emotions
o Intellect

NEUROANATOMY Nervous
System

Peripheral
Central
nervous
nervous system
system

Somatic Autonomic
Brain Spinal cord nervous nervous
system systen

Afferent Efferent Afferent Efferent

nerves nerves nerves nerves

Sympathetic Parasympa
nervous system nervous s
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Division of Nervous System

 Central Nervous System (CNN)
o Located between the skull and
spine
o The brain and spinal cord are
located on this division Protection of the Brain
 Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
o Located outside the skull and  Scalp/ Skin
spine o Covers the skull
o Somatic Nervous System (SNS) o Composed of outer layer of skin
 Interacts with the external o Loosely attached to aponeurosis
environment  Aponeurosis
o Autonomic Nervous System o Flat
(ANS) o Broad tendon layer
 Regulates the body’s o Anchors the superficial layers of
internal environment the skin
 Sympathetic Nervous System  Periosteum
o Stimulate o Firmly encases the bones of the
o Organize skull
o Mobilize energy resources by o Provides:
threatening situations:  Protection
 Psychological arousal  Nutrition to the bones
 Feelings of energy  The capacity for bone
for pleasurable repair
states  Bone
 Tension for o Under the periosteum
unpleasant states
 Parasympathetic Nervous System
o Act to conserve energy
 Psychological
Relaxation
 Free of stress and
distraction
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
 Meninges
o 3 layered membrane that
surrounds the brain
 Dura Mater
 Meningeal layer
closest to bones
 Tough mother or
durable
 Arachnoid Mater
 Below dura mater
 Spider-like mother
 Pia Mater
 Innermost
meningeal layer
 Delicate membrane
 Tender mother
 Firmly adheres to
the convoluted
surface of the brain
 Subarachnoid Space
o Between arachnoid and pia mater
o Filled with Cerebrospinal fluid
(CSF)
 Watery fluid that is
produced by cells of
choroid plexus
 Deliver nutrients
 Remove wastes from
neural/ brain tissues
3 Main Parts of the Brain
1. Cerebrum
a. Largest part of the brain
b. Composed of right and left
hemisphere
c. Performs higher functions like
interpreting touch, vision, and
hearing, as well as speech,
reasoning, emotions, learning,
and fine control of movements
2. Cerebellum
a. Located under cerebrum
b. To coordinate muscle
movements, maintain posture
and balance
3. Brainstem
a. Relay center
b. Connecting cerebrum and
cerebellum to the spinal cord
c. Performs automatic functions
such as breathing, heart rate,
body temperature, wake and
sleep cycles, digestions,
sneezing, coughing, vomiting,
and swallowing.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Deep Structure of the Brain

 Hypothalamus
o Located in the floor of third
ventricle
o The master control of the
autonomic system
o plays a role in controlling
behavior such as
 hunger
 thirst
 sleep
 sexual response
o regulates
 body temperature
 Blood pressure
 Emotions
 Secretion of hormones
 Thalamus
4 Lobes of Brain o Relay station for almost all
1. Frontal Lobe information that comes and goes
a. Personality, behavior, emotions to the cortex
b. Judgement, planning, problem o Plays role in
solving,  Pain sensation
c. Speech: speaking and writing  Attention
i. In Broca’s Area  Alertness
d. Body movement (motor strip)  Memory
e. Intelligence, concentration, self-  Lateral Ventricles
awareness o To house cerebrospinal fluid
2. Parietal Lobe o Provide the passage for its
a. Interprets language, words circulation
b. Sense of touch, pain temperature
(Sensory strip)  Motor Cortex
c. Interprets signals from vision,
hearing, motor, sensory and
memory
d. Spatial and visual perception
3. Occipital Lobe
a. Interprets vision
i. Color, light and
movements
4. Temporal Lobe
a. Understanding language
i. In Wernicke’s Area
b. Memory
c. Hearing
d. Sequencing and organization
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
threatening or dangerous
stimuli.
 Medulla Oblongata
o Medulla
o the lowest part of the brain
o the lowest portion of the
brainstem.
o plays a critical role in transmitting
signals between the spinal cord
and the higher parts of the brain
o in controlling autonomic activities,
o Region of cerebral cortex
such as heartbeat and
o Involved in the planning, control respiration.
and execution of voluntary
movements
 Putamen  Hippocampus
o Involve in learning and motor o is a complex brain structure
control embedded deep into the temporal
o Including speech articulation lobe.
o Language function o It has a major role in learning and
o Reward memory.
o Cognitive functioning
o And Addiction
 Pons
o Contains nuclei that relay signals
from the forebrain to the
cerebellum
o Along with nuclei that deal
primarily with
 Sleep
 Respiration
 Swallowing
 bladder control
 hearing
 equilibrium
 taste
 eye movement
 facial expressions
 facial sensation
 posture
 Amygdala
o is commonly thought to form the
core of a neural system for
processing fearful and
threatening stimuli
 including detection of
threat and activation of
appropriate fear-related
behaviors in response to