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Intro To Psych L2
Intro To Psych L2
INTRODUCTION
Every year, computers get smaller and smarter. Brains have always been small and
smart. A human brain weighs only 1.2 to 1.4 kg (2.5 to 3 lb), and a bee’s brain weighs only a
milligram. With that tiny brain, a bee locates food, evades predators, finds its way back to the
hive, and then does a dance that directs other bees to the food. It also takes care of the queen
bee and protects the hive against intruders.
Everything you perceive or do is a product of your brain activity. How does the brain do
all that? We would like to know for both practical and theoretical reasons. Some of the practical
issues relate to abnormal behavior. Are psychological disorders biological in origin? Can we
treat them effectively with drugs or other biological interventions? Can we prevent brain
deterioration in old age? Theoretical issues relate to what makes us tick. How does brain activity
relate to consciousness? Do people differ in personality because of differences in their brains?
The fascination of such questions impels researchers to tireless efforts.
LESSON OUTCOMES: At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
2. Explain how the nervous system and the endocrine system work together to influence
behavior.
COURSE MATERIALS
• Brain
• Spinal Cord
1. Causes sensory information to the brain via: afferent nerves and efferent nerves).
2. It plays a key role in various reflexes.
Peripheral Nervous System – consist of nerves, bundles of axons from many neurons
connects C.N.S with sense organs and muscles and glands throughout the body. Nerves
are attached to the spinal cord (spinal nerve) to serve all of the body below the neck; cranial
nerve – extends from the brain and carry information from receptor in the eyes, ears and
other sense organs. Carry information from C.N.S., muscles in head and neck.
Divisions of P.N.S.
2. Autonomic Nervous system – connects the C.N.S to internal organs and glands and to
muscles over which we have little voluntary center.
1. Receiving sensory input can be manifested in various forms, including pressure, taste,
sound, light, or hormone levels, which are converted to a signal and then sent to the
brain or spinal cord.
2. Integrating the input through the sensory centers of the brain or in the spinal cord.
1. Dendrites - receive the information from another cell and are the one to transmit the
message to the cell body.
Types of Neuron:
1. Sensory neurons as classified into its appearance typically possess a long dendrite and
short axon, and its role is that they carry messages from sensory receptors to the central
nervous system.
2. Interneurons are located only in the central nervous system where there is a connection
of neuron-to-neuron.
3. Motor neurons based into appearance, have a long axon and short dendrites and
responsible to transmit messages from the central nervous system to the muscles or
even to the glands.
BRAIN
• the largest part of the nervous system that is protected by the skull.
• Spinal cord runs along the dorsal side of the body and links the brain to the rest of the
body.
1. Parietal lobe located in in the central fissure from the frontal lobe.
2. Frontal lobe – nearest to the face ( motor cortex) Function: controls the body
movement.
4. Temporal lobe - along the side of each hemisphere. Function: concern with hearing
If in the right – can recognize speech but unable to recognize other organizations of
sounds.
Hindbrain
Medulla
Cerebellum
Introduction to Psychology/ Compiled by: Minera Laiza C. Acosta 5
• Governs body balance, posture and muscular coordination
Pons
Contain nerve fibers from both sides of the cerebellum as well as the tracts of sensory and
motor nerve fibers that connect upper brain to the spinal cord
Midbrain
• Tracts between the cerebrum and the spinal cord and functions as part of the overall
impulse conduction system.
• It also controls some auditory and visual responses such as regulation of the size of the
pupil of the eye.
Forebrain
• Occupies the largest of the three divisions of the brain and occupies the entire upper
portion of the skull
Cerebrum
• The main area of the forebrain, governs emotion, learning, thinking, remembering and
sense perception.
Cerebral Cortex
• The outer layer of the cerebrum, directs the activities of the entire nervous system
Thalamus
• Interprets and sorts the sensory and motor impulses that travel to and from the cerebrum
Hypothalamus
• A group of neurons that occupy a portion of the hindbrain and midbrain that serves as an
arousal system
Corpus Callosum
It connects the glands and organs of your body that are involuntary in nature. It has two
subsystems:
is made up of glands that produce and secrete hormones. These hormones regulate the
body’s growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function.
HORMONES
• Secrete special messengers known as hormones that are directly released into
bloodstream because they have no ducts.
Pituitary Gland
• Has been called the “master gland”, influences growth, metabolism and regeneration
Oxytocin
• Influence the contraction of the uterus during childbirth and the reflexive reaction of milk
from the mammary glands.
Vasopressin
• Regulates the amount of water in the body cells and thus directly controls blood
pressure
Anterior pituitary hormones – include control of timings and amount of body growth
• The inner core of the adrenal gland secretes EPINEPHRINE also called ADRENALINE
and NOREPINEPHRINE (NORADRENALINE)
• Located in the neck in front of the windpipe and weighs less than ounce
Hypothyroidism
• The result of underactivity of the thyroid gland, which characterized by laziness and
dullness on the part of the organism
• These are two small pea-shaped glands close to the thyroid glands
PARATHORMONE
PANCREAS
• Located near the stomach secretes two hormones which control the level of blood sugar
or glucose in the bloodstream
Glucagon
• Releases glucose into the bloodstream from the glycogen stored in the liver
Insulin
• Enables glucose to move out of the blood into the cells of muscles and tissues
GONADS
• The sex or puberty glands which produce the sperm and egg cells for reproduction
TESTES – testosterone
WATCH:
ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT:
1. Homosexuality
2. Criminals
1. With the knowledge of the nervous system, behavior then is biological or innate.
2. Knowledge on the nervous system can then control behavior.