The Body and Behavior
The Nervous System: The Basic Structure
How the Nervous System Works
Neurons: the long, thin cells of ______along which ______travel to and from the brain
Transmission between neurons or nerve cells occurs whenever the cells are stimulated past a minimum point and emit a signal.
Neuron Activity
The ______of activity in each neuron depends on how many other neurons are acting on it.
Each individual neuron is either ______or ______, depending on whether most of the neurons acting on it are exciting it or inhibiting it.
Voluntary and Involuntary Activities
Some of the actions that your body makes in response to impulses from
the nerves are ______acts, such as lifting your hand to turn a page (which actually involves many impulses to many muscles).
Others are ______acts, such as changes in the heartbeat, in the blood pressure, or in the size of the pupils.
Somatic nervous system (SNS): the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls ______activities.
Autonomic nervous system (ANS): the part of the nervous system that controls ______activities, or those that ordinarily occur “automatically.”
The autonomic nervous system itself has two parts:
The ______nervous system prepares the body for dealing with emergencies or strenuous activity.
In contrast, the ______nervous system works to conserve energy and to enhance the body’s ability to recover from strenuous activity.
The Brain
*Download the free app “3D Brain” to guide you through the parts of the brain!*
The Three Brains
The Forebrain
Thalamus: integrates ______.
A relay station for all the information that travels to and from the cortex.
Hypothalamus: controls functions such as ______and temperature reactions.
The “higher” thinking processes–those that make us unique–are housed in
the forebrain.
Cerebral cortex: gives you the ability to ______and store complex and abstract information, and to think into the future
Cerebrum: the site of your conscious ______
Limbic system: found in the core of the forebrain; regulates our ______and ______
Includes the hypothalamus (formation of memories), amygdala (rage and fear), thalamus, and hippocampus.
The Lobes of the Brain
The cerebral hemisphere is connected by a band of fibers called the
______.
Left and Right Hemispheres
The left hemisphere controls the movements of the ______side of the body; for most people, ______is located here; specialized for mathematical ability, calculation and ______.
The right hemisphere controls the ______side of the body; the right hemisphere is more adept at ______and spatial relations; ______and intuition are also found in the right hemisphere.
Split-Brain Operations
In a normal brain, the two hemispheres communicate using the ______.
Whatever occurs on one side is communicated to the other side.
Many psychologists became interested in differences between the cerebral hemispheres when “split brain” operations were tried on ______.
Not only did the operation reduce the severity of seizures, but it also resulted in ______.
Research on split-brain patients has presented evidence that each hemisphere of the brain is unique with specialized functions and skills.
Accidents
Psychologists can learn from the tragedies when some people suffer accidents.
Psychologists try to draw a connection between the damaged parts of the brain and a person’s behavior.
Example: Phineas Gage’s Skull
Critical Thinking:
If a person suffers a traumatic head injury and then begins behaving differently, can we assume that brain damage is the reason for the personality change? Why or why not?
______
The Endocrine System
The Endocrine System
The nervous system is one of two communication systems for sending information to and from the brain; the second is the endocrine system.
Endocrine system: a ______, using ______, by which messages are sent through the bloodstream
Hormones: chemical substances that carry messages through the body in blood
The Pituitary Gland
Under the direction of the hypothalamus in the brain, the pituitary gland acts as the “______.”
Pituitary gland: the center of control of the endocrine system that secretes a large number of hormones
Secretes a large number of hormones, many of which control the output of hormones by other endocrine glands.
What do hormones tell the body to do?
They carry messages to organs involved in regulating and storing nutrients so that despite changes in conditions outside the body, cell metabolism can continue on an even course.
They also control growth and reproduction.
The Thyroid Gland
Adrenal Glands
Become active when a person is angry or frightened
They release ______(also called adrenaline) into the bloodstream.
The adrenal glands also secrete ______.
Cortical steroids help muscles develop and cause the liver to release stored sugar when the body requires extra energy for emergencies.
Apply what you’ve learned!
List the endocrine glands that would secrete hormones for each of these behaviors.
Fear –
Lethargy –
Anxiety –
Identify the hormones produced by the glands and the function of those hormones.
Gland / Hormone(s) released1. Pituitary
2.Thyroid
3. Adrenal
What is the major difference in how the nervous and endocrine systems work to help the brain monitor and control most human behavior?
The ______sends ______messages directly to the neuron of the cell it wishes to direct, creating rapid responses. The ______secretes______(chemical messages) into the bloodstream to create slower but more widespread communication within the body.
Vocabulary Review Activity
Complete on your own.
- The brain and spinal cord comprise the ______.
- Messages move to and from the brain along thin cells called ______.
- Voluntary movements are controlled by the ______.
- One’s heartbeat is controlled by the ______.
- The ______is involved in the part of the brain involved in the most basic processes of life.
- The ______covers the brain’s central core.
- The cerebral cortex is divided into different regions known as ______.
- The ______system sends chemical messages to and from the brain.
- The master gland that controls the chemical messages of other glands is the ______.
- The pituitary gland is located in the ______.