Biopsychology Biopsychology the mechanics of behavior Rene Descartes the father of biopsychology o Study of life mechanisms of behavior o He wanted to know what made a cat tail move and began to investigate further o I think therefore I am The mind body problem how does the brain move the body o Cartesian hydro mechanics o People aren t the same as animals because of our mind and soul Pineal gland the interaction between non physical soul and the physical body Julien Offray de la Metrie o How can a physical object e g alcohol affect the soul o The brain is the soul it is an enlightened machine TO UNDERSTAND THE MIND WE MUST STUDY THE BRAIN Luigi Galvani physicist Otto Leowi o He was a gourmet cook who made frog legs When he accidentally electrocuted the wire carrying the frog legs they began to kick which led to his discovery that electricity helps muscles move o He questioned Galvani s conclusion by asking if muscles use electricity why does transmission take so long o Decided to experiment with chemicals and muscle movement and came to the conclusion that muscle movement is part electricity and part chemical Neuron the building blocks of the nervous system o Made up of a nerve cell myelin sheath soma axon and presynaptic terminal 3 types of neurons o Sensory under the skin o Interneurons in cell body o Motor control muscles Synapse space in between neurons o Electrochemically charged 50 but 5 important ones are Neurotransmitter a chemical substance released at the end of a nerve fiber there are o Acetylcholine ACH makes muscles move and memory formation Cholinergic transmission at heart o Noradrenaline NA activates or slows heart contributes to love Adrenergic transmission at liver o Dopamine DA causes pleasure contributes to love Too much causes schizophrenia and too little causes Parkinson s o Serotonin SE affects mood body weight control Too much causes fatigue and too little causes depression o GABA controls the ability to pay attention and controls other neurotransmitters Decreases with age Functional neuro anatomy is divided into two parts central within the brain and peripheral anything outside the brain Central Nervous System CNS complex of nerve tissues that activates the body located in the brain and spinal chord