Thinking About Psychology

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Thinking About Psychology

The Science of Mind and Behavior 3e

Charles T. Blair-Broeker & Randal M. Ernst

PowerPoint Presentation Slides by Kent Korek

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The Nervous System and the

Endocrine System

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Module Overview

• Neurons: The Building Blocks of the Nervous System

• How Neurons Communicate

• The Structure of the Nervous System

• The Endocrine System

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Neurons: The Building

Blocks of the Nervous

System

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Nervous System

• The electrochemical

communication system of the body

• Sends messages from the brain to the body for movement

• Brings information to the brain from the senses

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Neuron

• A nerve cell;

• the basic building

block of the nervous system.

• Neurons perform three basic tasks – Receive information

– Carry the information

– Pass the information on to the next neuron

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Parts of the Neuron - Dendrites

•Dendrite – The branching extensions of a neuron that receive information and conduct impulses toward the cell body (soma).

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Parts of the Neuron - Soma

•Soma – The cell body of a neuron, which contains the nucleus and other parts that keep the cell healthy

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Parts of the Neuron - Axon

•Axon – The extension of a neuron through which neural impulses are sent.

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Parts of the Neuron – Myelin Sheath

•Myelin Sheath – protects the axon and influences the speed of the neural impulse.

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Parts of the Neuron - Terminals

•Axon terminals – The endpoint of a neuron where neurotransmitters are stored.

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How Neurons

Communicate

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How Neurons

Communicate:

The Neural Impulse

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Action Potential

• A neural impulse;

• a brief electrical charge that travels

down the axon of a neuron.

• Considered an “on” condition of the neuron

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Refractory Period

• The “recharging phase” during which a a neuron, after firing, cannot generate another action potential

• Once the refractory period is complete the neuron can fire again

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Resting Potential

• The state of a neuron when it is at rest

and capable of generating an action potential.

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All-or-None Principle

• The principle stating that if a neuron

fires, then it always fires at the same intensity;

• all action potentials have the same

strength.

• A neuron does NOT fire at 30%, 45% or 90% but at 100% each time it fires.

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How Neurons

Communicate:

Communication Between

Neurons

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Synapse

• The tiny, fluid-filled gap between the

axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another.

• The action potential cannot jump the gap

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Neurotransmitters

• A chemical messenger that travels

across the synapse from one neuron to the next and influences whether a

neuron will generate an action potential.

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Excitatory Effect

• A neurotransmitter effect that makes

it more likely that the receiving neuron will generate an action potential or “fire.”

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Inhibitory Effect

• A neurotransmitter effect that makes

it less likely that the receiving neuron will generate an action potential or

“fire.”

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How Neurons

Communicate:

The Neural Chain

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Receptor Cells

• Specialized cells in the sensory

systems of the body that can turn other kinds of energy into action

potentials (neural impulses) that the brain can process.

• Receptor cells in the eye turn light into a neural impulse the brain understands.

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Sensory Nerves

• Nerves that carry information from

the sensory receptors to the spinal cord and brain.

• Connect the sense organs to the brain and spinal cord

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Interneurons

• Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord

responsible for processing information.

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Motor Nerves

• Nerves that carry information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands.

• Carries messages from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of your body

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The Structure of the

Nervous System

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Central Nervous System (CNS)

• The brain and spinal cord.

• The brain is the location of most information processing.

• The spinal cord is the main pathway to and from the brain.

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Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

• The sensory and motor nerves that

connect the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body.

• Peripheral means “outer region” • The system is subdivided into the

somatic and autonomic nervous systems.

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Somatic Nervous System

• The division of the peripheral nervous

system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles.

• Contains the motor nerves needed for the voluntary muscles

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Autonomic Nervous System

• The division of the peripheral nervous

system that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs;

• its subdivisions are the sympathetic

(arousing) division and the

parasympathetic (calming) division.

• Monitors the autonomic functions

• Controls breathing, blood pressure, and digestive processes

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Sympathetic Nervous System

• The part of the autonomic nervous

system that arouses the body to deal with perceived threats.

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Parasympathetic Nervous System

• The part of the autonomic nervous

system that calms the body.

• Brings the body back down to a relaxed state

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The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Divisions of the Autonomic Nervous System

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The Endocrine System

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Endocrine System

• One of the body’s two communication

systems;

• a set of glands that produce

hormones, chemical messengers that circulate in the blood.

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Hormone

• A chemical messengers produced by

the endocrine glands and circulated in the blood.

• Similar to neurotransmitters in that they are also messengers

• Slower communication system, but with longer lasting effects

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Pituitary Gland

• The endocrine system’s “master gland”

that,

• in conjunction with adjacent the brain

area, controls the other endocrine glands.

• Called the “master gland”

• Located at the base of the brain and connects to the hypothalamus

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Hypothalamus

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Thyroid Gland

• Endocrine gland that helps regulate the energy level in the body

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Adrenal Gland

• Endocrine glands that help to arouse the body in times of stress

• Located just above the kidneys

• Release epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline)

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Pancreatic Gland

• Regulates the level of blood sugar in the blood

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Sex Glands

• Ovaries (females) and testes (males) are the glands that influence emotion and

physical development.

• Testosterone – primary males hormone • Estrogen – primary female hormone

• Males and females have both estrogen and testosterone in their systems.

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