1. The Brain

2. PRE-ASSESSMENT Brain Pre-Assessment
1. Which type of psychologist would most likely study the brain?
Social-Cultural psychologist
Neuroscientist
Behaviorist
Psychodynamic psychologist
2. What do we call a brain cell?
Mitosis
Nucleus
Cell
Neuron
3. What is an action potential?
An electrical impulse that causes a brain cell to fire
The ability to move
The energy stored in a brain cell that is not moving
When a director starts filming a movie
4. Which of the following neurotransmitters aids in movement?
a. Serotonin
b. GABA
c. Acetylcholine
d. Norepinephrine

3. 5. Which of the following states is associated with endorphins?
A bad mood
Uncontrollable movements
“Runner’s High”
Illegal drugs
6. Which division of the nervous system helps excite during competition?
Central
Somatic
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic
7. Which brain structure controls balance?
Cerebellum
Thalamus
Medulla
Frontal lobe
8. Which brain structure controls emotion?
Parietal lobe
Limbic System
Brain stem
Temporal lobe
9. A right-brained person would most likely be best at ______________.
logically thinking through his next move
explaining in words how he performed
creating a new play for a game
organizing people into teams
10. What does the endocrine system regulate?
Emotions such fight or flight
Rational thinking
The ability to sense your surroundings
Basic drives such as hunger and thirst

4. Early Brain Psychology
1800’s- German physician Franz Gall invented phrenology.
He thought bumps on the skull could reveal mental abilities and character traits
Today, neuroscientists study the effect of the brain on behavior.

5. Neuron- a brain cell

6. Neuron- a brain cell Dendrites Axon terminal Soma (Cell Body) Nucleus
Myelin Sheath

7. Parts of the neuron Dendrites- receive messages from other cells
Cell body (soma)- keeps the cell alive
Axon- passes messages from the cell body to other cells
Myelin sheath- fatty covering of the axon that speeds up the message
Terminal branches- form junctions with other cells

8. How neurons communicate
The dendrites receive a message from another neuron
If the dendrites receive enough “yes” signals, the neuron sends an action potential down the axon
Definition:
Action Potential: an electrical impulse sent by a neuron through the axon.

9. How neurons communicate
When the message reaches the terminal branches of the axon, they release a neurotransmitter into the synapse.
The neurotransmitter attaches to the appropriate spots in the dendrites of the next neuron.

10. Things to know about neurons
All or nothing principle- a neuron either fires or does not, no partial response
Threshold- the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

11. Definitions:
Neurotransmitter- chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap to bind to receptor sites to continue the electrical impulse
Synapse- the junction between the terminal branch of an axon and the dendrite of the receiving neuron
Threshold- the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse (toilet bowl)

12. Building an Edible Neuron
Twizzler Pull-Aparts- gently separate the pull a parts from the bottom, about halfway up (axon, axon branches, and axon buttons.
Tie each end into a knot (axon buttons)
Insert the end of a toothpick into the top end of the licorice.
Attach the peachy ring to the other end of the toothpick (cell body)
Insert a cherry round into the center of the peach ring (nucleus)
Insert toothpicks into the peachy ring around the outside perimeter.
(Dendrites, sugar crystals are the receptor sites along the dendrites)
7. Attach the gummy worms by sticking them onto the end of the toothpicks
8. Wrap the fruit roll up around the axon (this is the myelin sheath- make sure that there are spaces (nodes of ranvier) between pieces of roll up.

13. Neurotransmitters
Acetylcholine- enable muscle action, learning and memory
Dopamine- influences movement, attention, and emotion
Serotonin- affects moods and drives
Norepinephrine- controls alertness and arousal
Glutamate- major excitatory (YES)
GABA- major inhibitory (NO)

14. 2 Types of Neurotransmitters
Excitatory- like pushing a neuron’s accelerator
Inhibitory- like pushing it’s brake
Each neurotransmitter has a specific shape and only fits in certain places in the dendrites.

15. What are some problems that occur if there are too many neurotransmitters or too few?
Schizophrenia
Parkinson’s Disease

16. Endorphins Feel-good neurotransmitters- elevates moods
Endogenous “produced within” morphine
Released to help reduce pain
Bound to receptors in areas linked with mood and pain sensations

17. Journal #7
Explain a time when you or someone you know has felt the effects of endorphins.
What was it like?
How do you think endorphins help us in sports?
How do endorphins help us feel better?

18. Definition:
Endorphins- (morphine within) natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure
Blood-brain barrier- a “fence” that keeps unwanted substances from the brain

19. Drugs
Blood-brain barrier- a “fence” that keeps unwanted substances from the brain
Drugs can either mimic or block the effects of neurotransmitters
Mimic- brain may stop producing neurotransmitters
Block- the signal doesn’t make it

20. Problems with Opiate Drug Use
When flooded with opiate drugs like heroin and morphine, the brain may stop producing its own natural opiates-
Result- when drug is withdrawn the brain may be deprived of any form of opiate until the brain resumes production of its natural opiates or it receives more artificial opiates.

21. Drugs Affect Communication at Synapse
Agonists- similar enough to neurotransmitter to MIMIC its effects or BLOCK its reuptake.
Antagonists- INHIBITS a neurotransmitters release or enough a like a natural neurotransmitter to occupy its receptor site and BLOCK its effect but not similar enough to stimulate the receptor.

22. The Nervous System
Organs and glands
Muscles
Arousing
Calming

23. The Nervous System Central Somatic Peripheral Autonomic Sympathetic
Links CNS to body’s sense receptors, muscles, and glands
Brain and Spinal cord
Somatic
Autonomic
Organs and glands
Voluntary movements of skeletal muscles
Controls glands and muscles of internal organs
Muscles
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic
Arouses you for defensive action
Conserves energy by slowing system down
Arousing
Calming

24. Types of Neurons Sensory- they sense the outside world
Motor- they tell the body to move
Interneurons- connect sensory and motor neurons

25. Definitions
Neural Networks- groups of neurons that work together to perform a function
Reflexes- automatic, inborn responses to sensory input

26. ALS- Lou Gehrig’s Disease “Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis”
Progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
As motor neurons degenerate they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement.
When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons they begin to atrophy.
Motor Neurons die and the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscles movements is lost.

27. Multiple Sclerosis
Myelin Sheath (insulates the axon and helps speed their impulses)
Myelin Sheath degenerates
Slowing of all communication to muscles
Eventual loss of muscle control

28. The Brain CEREBRAL CORTEX
Fabric of interconnected neural cells that for a thin surface layer over your lobes
The Brain
PARIETAL LOBE
Data from skin
Neurons process touch and sensation info (hot, cold, pain)
Position of body in space
FRONTAL LOBE
Control planning, reasoning, movement, and some speech
Emotions
Limbic system
OCCIPITAL LOBE
Processes and interprets info from eyes
Controls sight
‘visual cortex’
TEMPORAL LOBE
Hearing, speech perception, some memory
Auditory center
BRAIN STEM
Oldest and most basic
Breathing, heartrate, sleeping, walking, digestion, temperature, and elimination of waste
CEREBELLUM
Posture, balance, and coordination
Learned physical skills

29. CEREBRAL CORTEX
Fabric of interconnected neural cells that for a thin surface layer over your lobes
Body’s ultimate control and information-processing center

30. Brain Parts Frontal Lobe- thinking and reasoning
Parietal Lobe- sensation and spatial thinking
Temporal Lobe- hearing
Occipital Lobe- sight
Cerebellum- “little brain”, coordination and balance
Brain Stem- automatic functions such as breathing

31. Limbic System THALAMUS
Receives info from all senses but smell and routes to the higher brain regions that deal with senses
Takes messages from higher brain replies and directs to medulla and cerebellum
HYPOTHALAMUS
Controls drives such as eating, drinking, body temperature
AMYGDALA
Controls fear and emotion
HIPPOCAMPUS
Maintenance duties for the body
Influence hunger, regulate thirst, body temperature, monitors blood chemistry
Takes orders from other parts of the brain

32. Limbic Parts Thalamus- sensory control switch
Hypothalamus- drives (eating, sleeping, drinking)
Hippocampus- memory
Amygdala- emotion

33. BRAINSTEM Medulla- heartbeat and breathing
Reticular Formation- controls arousal
Thalamus- sensory switchboard

34. Journal #8
Choose something you like to do (i.e. reading, dancing, driving a car, playing a game, etc…)
How are the nervous system and the brain engaged when you do this activity?
How does your body and brain work together to achieve desired results?
What can you do to improve at your activity based on what you now know?

35. Association areas- connections
In humans there is ¾ of the cerebral cortex uncommitted to sensory or muscular activity-
What is going on in these areas?

36. Neurons in the Association Areas integrate information
They associate various sensory inputs with stored memories
The MORE association area we have, the better we are at learning and thinking
Frontal Lobe Association Area
Judge
Plan
Process new memories
Personality
Parietal Lobe Association Area
Mathematical
Spatial reasoning
Temporal Lobe Association Area
Recognize faces

37. Definitions Plasticity- the ability of the brain to change itself
Unused areas get taken over and reengineered to do something new
Corpus Callosum- the neural fibers that connect to the halves of the brain

38. Hemispheres Left Right Right side Speech Rational Thinking
Literal Comprehension
Left side
Emotion
Creativity
Subtle Inferences

39. How the Body and Brain Relate to Each Other
The body senses the outside word and relates that information to the brain
The brain makes a decision about how to respond to the environment and sends the signal to the body
The body responds to the brain

40. Broca & Wernicke Areas BROCA AREA WERNICKE AREA
Controls muscles for speech
Damage would cause a person to struggle to form words, but they could sing familiar songs with ease
WERNICKE AREA
Controls language comprehension such as understanding sounds
Damage caused people to speak only meaningless words and unable to comprehend words

41. Motor & Sensory Cortex Motor Cortex- (pink)
Area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
Sends messages out to the body
Sensory Cortex- (green)
Runs parallel to motor cortex
Receives information from the skin senses and movement of body parts

42. Definitions
Endocrine System- the body’s slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream
Hypothalamus Pituitary gland  all other glands (esp. adrenal glands)

43. Journal #9 Of the following areas;
brain/nervous system/limbic system/association areas/language areas/motor&sensory cortex /hemispheres
-identify at least 2 that are predominant or you are strong in and WHY
-identify at least 2 parts that you are weak in and WHY

44. Part 1:
Your group will have fifteen minutes to create an activity or scene using Play dough.
Example: If you like basketball, you could create a basketball.
Explain in one sentence what your creation is about.

45. Part 2:
Get out a sheet of paper. Put your name at the top.
When I say rotate, you will go to the next table (moving clockwise) and analyze the creation there.
Read the description, then explain on your sheet of paper how at least THREE parts of the brain are involved in that activity.
For example: In basketball one would need to use the parietal lobe for spatial reasoning to know where the ball is on the court and where the other players are. One would also need to use the frontal lobe to plan his next move and his motor cortex to move up and down the court. Finally, one would need the amygdala to regulate his emotions during the game to stay focused despite the competition.