PSYC 1st Edition Lecture 4 Outline of Last Lecture I Scientific Method II Failure to Replicate A Taraxein B Dicara Experiments C Bottom Line III Studies A Experimental Studies B Observational Studies Outline of Current Lecture I The Brain A Chemistry of the Synapse B Autonomic System II The Cortex A Sensory Areas B Language Areas C Left Right Side of Brain Current Lecture l A The brain has about 40 billion nerve cells called neurons Neurons release this chemistry into the Synapse which can excite or inhibit senses Neurons communicate by sending neurotransmitters from the axon to the dendrite Each nerve cell in the brain can release up to 3 different neurotransmitters from the axon Some neurotransmitters can inhibit nerve cells so they can t respond which can be good because it calms the brain down Neurotransmitters can do this because of chemical reactions with neurons When neurotransmitters are released in the synapse the synapse has to remove it by one of two ways It has to reuptake the neurotransmitters back into the brain or it can terminate it by breaking down the chemicals in it B The Autonomic System connects the central system to non voluntary muscles and glands This system then branches off into the Sympathetic system and the These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Parasympathetic system The sympathetic system deals with arousing it readies the body for activity and use of energy The parasympathetic system is calming it readies the body for restoration of energy If infants are very reactive to everything then when they turn 2 they ll become shy and introverted to cope with that energy If infants don t easily react they want more stimulation so when they turn 2 they become excited and extroverted ll A The cortex is the proportion of the brain largest in humans The cortex provides for plasticity which allows us to change and evolve easily The sensory areas of the brain consist of vision touch taste and hearing The nerve cells in each sensory area are organized in columns In the sensory areas there is the frontal lobe temporal lobe occipital lobe and the parietal lobe The parietal lobe is shrouded in mystery but we know that it deals with a person s sense of self and their recognition of physical properties The occipital lobe deals with vision and the conscious experience of vision Someone who injures their occipital lobe will be blind but can still see unconsciously The frontal lobe deals with cognition and recent memory and the temporal lobe deals with hearing and advanced visual processing B The language areas of the brain are Broca s area Wernicke s area and the Angular Gyrus Broca s area consists of the ability to talk If this area was damaged the person would still be able to understand what people say they just have a hard time talking back to them although they can sing Wernicke s area if damaged causes devastating language impairments They can t write speak or understand a language although they can talk but it just comes out garbled because they no longer understand what they are saying If the Angular Gyrus was hurt then one could no longer read or write C When looking at an object the left eye transmits the picture to the right side of the brain while the right eye transmits to the left side of the brain Speech is in the left half of the brain so people who have had their cortex separated surgically can say what they see with their right eye but not with their left Most people use the right side of their brain more and in doing so we often look at the left side of someone s face when talking because the right side of the cortex moves the left side of the face more affectively The right side of the cortex controls understanding of others