Crash Course:
|
Exploring the Mind of a Serial KillerWatch Jim Fallon explain the biological makings of a killer.
The link below links to his appearance in "Criminal Minds".. |
Biology of Falling in LoveTED Talk by Helen Fisher.
|
Chapter 3 Outline Notes |
OUTLINE
- Neuroanatomy
- The study of the parts and functions of nerves
- Neurons
- individual nerve cells
- Parts of the Neuron
- Dendrites
- root like parts of the cell
- stretch out from the cell body
- grow to make synaptic connections with other neurons
- Cell body (soma)
- contains the nucleus and other parts of the cell necessary for its life
- Axon
- wire like structure ending in the terminal buttons
- extend from the cell body
- Myelin sheath
- a fatty covering around the axon of some neurons that speeds neural impulses
- Terminal buttons
- end buttons, terminal branches of axon, synaptic knobs
- branched end of the axon
- contains neurotransmitters
- Neurotransmitters
- chemicals contained in terminal buttons that enable neurons to communicate
- Synapse
- the space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of the next neuron
- Dendrites
- Neuroanatomy
- How a Neuron “Fires”
- Resting State
- Neuron has negative charge with positive ions surrounding the cell
- Steps
- Neuron is stimulated
- it releases neurotransmitters
- Neurotransmitters bind to receptor sites on the dendrites of the receiving neuron
- If the threshold is reached, the cell membrane of the receiving neuron becomes permeable
- positive ions rush in
- action potential
- Axons release neurotransmitters to another neuron
- Neuron is stimulated
- All-or-None Principle
- The neuron will fire completely or not at all
- Neurotransmitters
- Acetylcholine
- motor movement
- lack → Alzheimer’s
- Dopamine
- motor movement and alertness
- lack → Parkinson’s disease
- too much → schizophrenia
- Endorphins
- pain control
- involved in addiction
- Serotonin
- mood control
- lack → clinical depression
- Acetylcholine
- Resting State
- Nervous System
- Afferent Neurons (Sensory Neurons)
- Take information from the senses to the brain
- Interneurons
- Send information to elsewhere in the brain or to efferent neurons
- Efferent (Motor) Neurons
- Take information from the brain to the rest of the body
- Central Nervous System (CNS)
- Consists of the brain and the spinal cord
- spinal cord- a bundle of nerves
- Consists of the brain and the spinal cord
- Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
- All nerves not encased in bone
- Somatic
- controls voluntary muscle movements
- Autonomic
- controls responses to stress
- sympathetic arouses
- parasympathetic calms
- Our pain reflexes help prevent us from harming ourselves
- Afferent Neurons (Sensory Neurons)
- Brain
- Ways to Study it
- Accidents
- studying the effects
- Lesions
- the removal or destruction of part of the brain
- studying the effects
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- detects brain waves
- examines brain waves in different stages of consciousness, especially sleep
- Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan
- sophisticated x-ray
- shows brain structure
- uses x-ray cameras to get a 3-D picture
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- shows brain structure
- uses magnetic fields to measure the density and location of brain material
- no radiation
- more detailed than a CAT scan
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
- shows how much of a certain chemical parts of the brain are using
- measures which parts of the brain are most active during certain tasks
- Functional MRI
- ties brain structure to brain activity during cognitive tasks
- combines elements of MRI and PET
- Accidents
- Brain Structure and Function
- Hindbrain
- controls basic biological functions that keep us alive
- medulla
- controls blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing
- pons
- controls facial expressions
- connects the hindbrain with the rest of the brain
- cerebellum
- “little brain”
- coordinates muscle movement
- on the bottom of the brain
- Midbrain
- coordinates simple movements with sensory information
- integrates sensory information and muscle movements
- reticular formation
- controls general body arousal and the ability to focus our attention
- Forebrain
- controls thought and reason
- thalamus
- receives sensory signals coming up the spinal cord and sends them to other forebrain areas
- hypothalamus
- controls hunger, sexual arousal, thirst, and the endocrine system
- amygdala
- vital for emotion
- hippocampus
- vital for memory and retaining new information
- Hindbrain
- Cerebral Cortex
- Gray wrinkled surface of the brain
- the wrinkles are called fissures
- increase available surface area
- the wrinkles are called fissures
- Hemispheres
- contralateral control
- left hemisphere- right half of body
- right hemisphere- left half
- brain lateralization (hemispheric specialization)
- the specialization of function in each hemisphere
- split brain patients
- the corpus collosum has been cut to treat severe epilepsy
- can’t orally report information presented to only the right hemisphere of the brain
- contralateral control
- Association area
- any area of the cerebral cortex not associated with receiving sensory information or controlling muscle movements
- Frontal lobes
- prefrontal cortex
- at front of frontal lobe
- brain’s central executive
- foreseeing consequences, pursuing goals, and emotional control
- Broca’s area
- left hemisphere of frontal lobe
- controls the muscles involved in producing speech
- motor cortex
- at the back of the frontal lobe
- controls our voluntary movements
- top controls toes, bottom controls top of body
- prefrontal cortex
- Parietal lobes
- sensory (somato-sensory) cortex
- right behind the motor cortex
- receives incoming touch sensations
- top receives information from the bottom of the body
- sensory (somato-sensory) cortex
- Occipital lobes
- interprets messages from the eyes in the visual cortex
- messages in the left half of the retina go the to right visual cortex
- Temporal lobes
- process sound
- sound waves are processed by the ears and turned into neural impulses that temporal lobes interpret
- Gray wrinkled surface of the brain
- Brain Plasticity
- Parts of the brain can adapt to perform other functions
- Because dendrites grow throughout our lives
- Younger brains are more plastic
- Ways to Study it
- Endocrine System
- Adrenal Glands
- Produce adrenaline → “fight or flight” prep
- Ovaries and Testes
- Produce sex hormones
- May explain gender differences
- Controlled by the hypothalamus
- Adrenal Glands
- Basic Genetic Concepts
- Twins
- Identical (monozygotic) twins
- effective psychological environment
- physical similarity in twins causes them to be treated the same way
- effective psychological environment
- Identical (monozygotic) twins
- Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Turner’s Syndrome
- only single X chromosome
- causes shortness, webbed necks, and different sexual development
- Klinefelter’s Syndrome
- XXY chromosome pattern
- causes minimal sexual development and extreme introversion
- Down’s Syndrome
- extra chromosome on 21st pair
- mental retardation
- Turner’s Syndrome
- Twins