Transcript BRAINS, CHEMICALS, and ELECTRICITY

BRAINS, CHEMICALS, and
ELECTRICITY
Introduction to Psychology SS124-26AU
Tristram Jones, Ph.D. Kaplan University
Neurons consist of THREE PARTS: CELL BODY
(houses chromosomes, DNA); DENDRITES (receive
info); Axon (sends messages from neurons, to
muscles, glands)
And then there’s the synapse....
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What’s cool about synapses is they don’t touch, they
send neurotransmitters across the synaptic gap
electrochemically! You have about 500 trillion synapses
in your brain! So what are neurotransmitters???
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that
transmit information across the synaptic
divide...
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Some NEUROTRANSMITTERS ARE LINKED TO
MENTAL HEALTH,
ESPECIALLY DOPAMINE,
NOREPINEPHRINE AND
SEROTONIN!
Neurotransmitters in the axon’s “bags” transmit info to dendrites,
which contain receptors. The message travels down the receiving
neuron’s axon and travels to yet another neuron.
This is called: SYNAPTIC TRANMISSION
But...it doesn’t always work. Sometimes neurotransmitters can’t make
the jump!
THEY CRASH INTO THE SYNAPTIC GAP!!!
But we have brain drugs!!!
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SSRIs and SNRIs
Your Autonomic Nervous System
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The ANS is called autonomic because it
works all by itself—you can’t turn it on or
off! (Somatic is the one you can!)
It controls two separate aspects of your
nervous system which communicate with
each other electronically!
These two nervous systems have two
distinct functions: Disequilibrium and
Homeostasis!
They are the sympathetic and
parasympathetic nervous systems!
BEAR IS COMING/BEAR IS LEAVING
BEAR IS COMING! The SYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM automatically dilates
your eyes, floods your system with
adrenalin and glucose, shuts down bowels
and bladder, diverts blood to brain and
muscles, dulls ability to sense pain! RUN!
BEAR IS LEAVING! The
PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYTEM
KICKS IN, restoring homeostasis!
Digestive, urinary and bowel activities
return to normal, pupils contract to normal,
Heart rate returns to normal, blood
redirected to normal distribution! Relax!
And now, a word from your
hormones!
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Pituitary gland is the master gland
for hormone production! The Limbic
includes the hypothalamus controlling
emotion, memory, learning & memory.
The hypothalamus sends messages to
the pituitary gland which passes them
on to gland controlling digestion,
stress, and reproductive processes. Increasingly, the endocrine
system is viewed as a significant part of the interweave of
brain-function and mental stability or instability! Consider:
Estrogen/ Insulin/ Testosterone/ Adrenaline/ Cortisol =
MENOPAUSE/ LUST/ ANGER/ PANIC/ SEXUAL PROCLIVITIES
Childhood Amnesia –just
for fun!
What is your earliest childhood
recollection?
 Freud said childhood amnesia
was rampant and suspicious.
 Are your memories confabulated because of psycho-sexual
trauma? (Freud)?
 Can you recall being 3 and a half?
 Is trauma positively correlated with
amnesia in childhood?
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BRAIN DEATH...are you dead?