Biological psychology summary
Inhoud
Week 1. ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Lecture 1. 28/10/2025 ................................................................................................................... 3
Carlson & Birkett (2022) Chapter 2. ........................................................................................... 8
Lecture 2. 31/10/2025 ................................................................................................................. 11
Carlson & Birkett (2022) Chapter 4. ......................................................................................... 16
Week 2. ............................................................................................................................................... 18
Lecture 3. 04/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 18
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 3.......................................................................................... 24
Lecture 4. 07/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 25
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 6.......................................................................................... 36
Week 3. ............................................................................................................................................... 39
Lecture 5. 11/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 39
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 8.......................................................................................... 47
Week 4. ............................................................................................................................................... 49
Lecture 6. 18/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 49
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 9.......................................................................................... 56
Lecture 7. 21/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 59
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 11. ...................................................................................... 67
Week 5. ............................................................................................................................................... 69
Lecture 8. 25/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 69
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 13. ...................................................................................... 76
Lecture 9. 28/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 78
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 14. ...................................................................................... 85
Week 6. ............................................................................................................................................... 87
Lecture 10. 02/12/2025 ............................................................................................................... 87
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 16. ...................................................................................... 92
Lecture 11. 05/12/2025 ............................................................................................................... 95
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 17. .................................................................................... 102
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 19. .................................................................................... 104
Week 7. ............................................................................................................................................. 106
Lecture 12. 09/12/2025 ............................................................................................................. 106
,Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 18. .................................................................................... 113
,Week 1.
Lecture 1. 28/10/2025
The body contains lots of chemical substances. These elements alone can’t do anything, but
by bonding they can do something.
Bonding elements
1. Ionic bonds: electrostatic force; + attracts -.
2. Covalent bonds: sharing of electrons to form molecules. By sharing electrons, atoms
increase the likelihood that their outer spheres will be filled.
Covalent bond: H2O
➢ Water consists of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms.
➢ H has 1 electron in its outer shell and ) has 2 on the inner sphere and 6 on the outer
sphere.
➢ Since atoms are the most stable with 8 electrons in their outer sphere, O shares 2
electrons with 2 H atoms (H2), forming H2O.
➢ This way, the H atoms become slightly positively charged.
Proteins: set of amino acids.
Peptides: small sets of amino acids coupled to each other; more limited amounts of amino
acids.
Lipids (fat): long carbon chains.
Amino acid: molecule that serves as the building block of proteins. Contains an amino and
carboxyl group. The backbone is the same, but the side chain differs.
If you couple amino acids, you will get a protein.
Carbon chains: molecules made up of carbon atoms
bonded together in a straight or branched line.
Phosphor lipids: carbon chains connected by an extra
phosphate (P) group.
Lipids are very important for making membranes.
Electrons tend to be more intense around the head of
phosphor lipids.
The phosphate group carries a negative charge: they heads are hydrophilic (water
attracting). Because of this, P interacts with the positive side of H2O.
, The tails of the phospholipids are made up of fatty acids and are hydrophobic (water
repelling) and don’t interact with water.
This causes the phospholipids to arrange themselves with their heads
facing the water and tails turned away, forming structures like cell
membranes → gives a double layer of phosphor lipids.
A neuron consists of:
1. Dendrites: receive information from other neurons;
2. Soma (cell body): processes this information.
3. Axon: long, thin tube that carries information from
the soma to the terminal buttons. Also carries the
action potential.
a. The axon is covered by the myelin sheath:
a fatty substance that speeds up the
action potential to the terminal buttons.
4. Terminal buttons: small knobs at the end of axons
that release neurotransmitters that either excite or
inhibit the next cell. Influences whether the next
cell fires an action potential or not.
Inhoud
Week 1. ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Lecture 1. 28/10/2025 ................................................................................................................... 3
Carlson & Birkett (2022) Chapter 2. ........................................................................................... 8
Lecture 2. 31/10/2025 ................................................................................................................. 11
Carlson & Birkett (2022) Chapter 4. ......................................................................................... 16
Week 2. ............................................................................................................................................... 18
Lecture 3. 04/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 18
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 3.......................................................................................... 24
Lecture 4. 07/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 25
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 6.......................................................................................... 36
Week 3. ............................................................................................................................................... 39
Lecture 5. 11/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 39
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 8.......................................................................................... 47
Week 4. ............................................................................................................................................... 49
Lecture 6. 18/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 49
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 9.......................................................................................... 56
Lecture 7. 21/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 59
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 11. ...................................................................................... 67
Week 5. ............................................................................................................................................... 69
Lecture 8. 25/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 69
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 13. ...................................................................................... 76
Lecture 9. 28/11/2025 ................................................................................................................. 78
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 14. ...................................................................................... 85
Week 6. ............................................................................................................................................... 87
Lecture 10. 02/12/2025 ............................................................................................................... 87
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 16. ...................................................................................... 92
Lecture 11. 05/12/2025 ............................................................................................................... 95
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 17. .................................................................................... 102
Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 19. .................................................................................... 104
Week 7. ............................................................................................................................................. 106
Lecture 12. 09/12/2025 ............................................................................................................. 106
,Carlson & Birkett (2022), chapter 18. .................................................................................... 113
,Week 1.
Lecture 1. 28/10/2025
The body contains lots of chemical substances. These elements alone can’t do anything, but
by bonding they can do something.
Bonding elements
1. Ionic bonds: electrostatic force; + attracts -.
2. Covalent bonds: sharing of electrons to form molecules. By sharing electrons, atoms
increase the likelihood that their outer spheres will be filled.
Covalent bond: H2O
➢ Water consists of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms.
➢ H has 1 electron in its outer shell and ) has 2 on the inner sphere and 6 on the outer
sphere.
➢ Since atoms are the most stable with 8 electrons in their outer sphere, O shares 2
electrons with 2 H atoms (H2), forming H2O.
➢ This way, the H atoms become slightly positively charged.
Proteins: set of amino acids.
Peptides: small sets of amino acids coupled to each other; more limited amounts of amino
acids.
Lipids (fat): long carbon chains.
Amino acid: molecule that serves as the building block of proteins. Contains an amino and
carboxyl group. The backbone is the same, but the side chain differs.
If you couple amino acids, you will get a protein.
Carbon chains: molecules made up of carbon atoms
bonded together in a straight or branched line.
Phosphor lipids: carbon chains connected by an extra
phosphate (P) group.
Lipids are very important for making membranes.
Electrons tend to be more intense around the head of
phosphor lipids.
The phosphate group carries a negative charge: they heads are hydrophilic (water
attracting). Because of this, P interacts with the positive side of H2O.
, The tails of the phospholipids are made up of fatty acids and are hydrophobic (water
repelling) and don’t interact with water.
This causes the phospholipids to arrange themselves with their heads
facing the water and tails turned away, forming structures like cell
membranes → gives a double layer of phosphor lipids.
A neuron consists of:
1. Dendrites: receive information from other neurons;
2. Soma (cell body): processes this information.
3. Axon: long, thin tube that carries information from
the soma to the terminal buttons. Also carries the
action potential.
a. The axon is covered by the myelin sheath:
a fatty substance that speeds up the
action potential to the terminal buttons.
4. Terminal buttons: small knobs at the end of axons
that release neurotransmitters that either excite or
inhibit the next cell. Influences whether the next
cell fires an action potential or not.
