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Unit 1 - Biological Bases of Behavior - Module 1.1
Psychology
● Science of behavior & mental processes
● Nature vs Nurture
○ Argues whether genes & heredity or environment play a greater role in
psychological traits & behaviors
● Evolutionary psychologists
○ Focus on what makes us alike as humans
● Survival of the Fittest
○ Natural Selection
○ Adaptation
○ Mutation
● "Everything psychological is biological"
● Behavior Genetics
○ Heredity
○ Environment: every non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and
things around us
● Breaking Down Genes
○ Chromosomes
○ DNA
○ Genes
○ Genome: Complete instructions for making an organism
○ Molecular genetics: subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and
function of genes
○ Heritability: proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can
attribute to genes
Additional Notes from the Text:
Unit 1 - Module 1.2 - The Nervous System
Nervous System
● CNS (Central Nervous System): brain and spinal cord
● PNS (Peripheral Nervous System): sensory and motor neurons that connect brain and
spinal cord
○ Autonomic nervous system: controls involuntary functions, such as heartbeat,
digestion, breathing, etc.
■ Sympathetic nervous system: "fight or flight" response; automatically
accelerates heart rate, breathing, dilates pupils, slows down digestion
■ Parasympathetic nervous system: "rest and digest"; automatically slows
down the body after a stressful event
○ Somatic nervous system: controls voluntary functions
■ Afferent nerves: sensory neurons
■ Efferent nerves: motor neurons
Unit 1 - Module 1.3 - The Neuron & Neural Firing
Other Parts of the Nervous System
● Interneurons: Neurons in brain and spinal cord that are serving between sensory and
motor neurons; carry info around brain to process
● Reflexes: automatic responses to stimuli
● Enteric Nervous System: directly controls gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, & gallbladder;
, contains efferent, afferent, and inter neurons
Neurons
● Soma/Cell body: contains nucleus & DNA
● Dendrites: receives signals from other neurons
● Axon (covered in Myelin Sheath - insulates & protects axon): carries signals from one end
to the other
● Axon Terminals/Terminal Buttons: send signals to next neuron
Other Parts of the Neuron
● Schwann Cells: produce myelin for myelin sheath
● Nodes of Ranvier: spaces between Schwann Cells
● Glial cells (glia): support cells for nervous system; support & nourishment for neurons
Neural Communication
● Neurons transmit messages when stimulated by our senses or by neighboring neurons
1. When at rest, a neuron has a slightly negative charge - resting potential; ions are
aligned or polarized
2. If stimulation reaches threshold (minimum stimulation needed to trigger a neural
impulse), a neuron will fire
■ When firing an impulse, a neuron is active and ions are exchanged - action
potential
■ All-or-Nothing Law/Response: neuron's reaction of firing or not firing is not
determined by the strength of stimulation, as long as the threshold is met
3. Before neuron can fire again, ions need to return to their original position, or
repolarized. This brief pause is called the refractory period
4. Once polarized, the neuron is back to resting potential
Exchanging Energy
● Communications between neurons is chemical
○ Axon terminals convert electrical signals to chemical messengers or
neurotransmitters
○ These neurotransmitters are released into the synapse (small space between
neurons)
○ They reach dendrites of next neuron and are absorbed
○ Process called reuptake
● How do drugs work?
○ Psychoactive drugs primarily work by stimulating, inhibiting, or mimicking
neurotransmitter activity
● Neurotransmitters
○ Chemical messengers of the nervous system
○ Many drugs work because they either increase/mimic a neurotransmitter action
(agonists) or block receptor sites (antagonists)
○ Reuptake inhibitors block the reuptake process, leaving the drug/neurotransmitter in
the synaptic gap longer
● Endocrine System
○ Body's slow chemical communication system; consists of a series of glands that
secrete hormones into the bloodstream
○ Hormones are the chemical messengers of the endocrine system
○ The nervous system has a quicker reaction, but the sensation quickly fades, while
the endocrine has a slower response but lingers longer
Examples: Types of Drugs
Unit 1 - Biological Bases of Behavior - Module 1.1
Psychology
● Science of behavior & mental processes
● Nature vs Nurture
○ Argues whether genes & heredity or environment play a greater role in
psychological traits & behaviors
● Evolutionary psychologists
○ Focus on what makes us alike as humans
● Survival of the Fittest
○ Natural Selection
○ Adaptation
○ Mutation
● "Everything psychological is biological"
● Behavior Genetics
○ Heredity
○ Environment: every non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and
things around us
● Breaking Down Genes
○ Chromosomes
○ DNA
○ Genes
○ Genome: Complete instructions for making an organism
○ Molecular genetics: subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and
function of genes
○ Heritability: proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can
attribute to genes
Additional Notes from the Text:
Unit 1 - Module 1.2 - The Nervous System
Nervous System
● CNS (Central Nervous System): brain and spinal cord
● PNS (Peripheral Nervous System): sensory and motor neurons that connect brain and
spinal cord
○ Autonomic nervous system: controls involuntary functions, such as heartbeat,
digestion, breathing, etc.
■ Sympathetic nervous system: "fight or flight" response; automatically
accelerates heart rate, breathing, dilates pupils, slows down digestion
■ Parasympathetic nervous system: "rest and digest"; automatically slows
down the body after a stressful event
○ Somatic nervous system: controls voluntary functions
■ Afferent nerves: sensory neurons
■ Efferent nerves: motor neurons
Unit 1 - Module 1.3 - The Neuron & Neural Firing
Other Parts of the Nervous System
● Interneurons: Neurons in brain and spinal cord that are serving between sensory and
motor neurons; carry info around brain to process
● Reflexes: automatic responses to stimuli
● Enteric Nervous System: directly controls gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, & gallbladder;
, contains efferent, afferent, and inter neurons
Neurons
● Soma/Cell body: contains nucleus & DNA
● Dendrites: receives signals from other neurons
● Axon (covered in Myelin Sheath - insulates & protects axon): carries signals from one end
to the other
● Axon Terminals/Terminal Buttons: send signals to next neuron
Other Parts of the Neuron
● Schwann Cells: produce myelin for myelin sheath
● Nodes of Ranvier: spaces between Schwann Cells
● Glial cells (glia): support cells for nervous system; support & nourishment for neurons
Neural Communication
● Neurons transmit messages when stimulated by our senses or by neighboring neurons
1. When at rest, a neuron has a slightly negative charge - resting potential; ions are
aligned or polarized
2. If stimulation reaches threshold (minimum stimulation needed to trigger a neural
impulse), a neuron will fire
■ When firing an impulse, a neuron is active and ions are exchanged - action
potential
■ All-or-Nothing Law/Response: neuron's reaction of firing or not firing is not
determined by the strength of stimulation, as long as the threshold is met
3. Before neuron can fire again, ions need to return to their original position, or
repolarized. This brief pause is called the refractory period
4. Once polarized, the neuron is back to resting potential
Exchanging Energy
● Communications between neurons is chemical
○ Axon terminals convert electrical signals to chemical messengers or
neurotransmitters
○ These neurotransmitters are released into the synapse (small space between
neurons)
○ They reach dendrites of next neuron and are absorbed
○ Process called reuptake
● How do drugs work?
○ Psychoactive drugs primarily work by stimulating, inhibiting, or mimicking
neurotransmitter activity
● Neurotransmitters
○ Chemical messengers of the nervous system
○ Many drugs work because they either increase/mimic a neurotransmitter action
(agonists) or block receptor sites (antagonists)
○ Reuptake inhibitors block the reuptake process, leaving the drug/neurotransmitter in
the synaptic gap longer
● Endocrine System
○ Body's slow chemical communication system; consists of a series of glands that
secrete hormones into the bloodstream
○ Hormones are the chemical messengers of the endocrine system
○ The nervous system has a quicker reaction, but the sensation quickly fades, while
the endocrine has a slower response but lingers longer
Examples: Types of Drugs
