Biological Psychology

Introduction: the goals of biological psychology; biological explanations of behaviour; in closing - the biology of experience. Human behaviour in the context of the animal kingdom: the genetics and evolution of behaviour; the genetics of behaviour; the evolution of behaviour; in closing - genes and behaviour; the use of animals in research; reasons for animal research; the ethical debate; in closing - humans and animals. Nerve cells and nerve impulses: the cells of the nervous system; neurons and glia; structural changes in neurons and glia; the blood-brain barrier; the nourishment of vertebrate neurons; in closing - neurons; the nerve impulse; the resting potential of the neuron; the action potential; propagation of the action potential; the myelin sheath and saltatory conduction; signaling without action potentials; in closing - neural messages. Synapses and drugs: the concept of the synapse; the properties of synapses; relationship among EPSP, IPSP, and action potential; in closing - the neuron as decision maker; chemical events at the synapse; the discovery that most synaptic transmission is chemical; the sequence of chemical events at a synapse; in closing - neurotransmitters and behaviour; synapses, drugs, and behaviour; how drugs can affect synapses; synapses, reinforcement, and addiction; some other self-administered drugs; in closing - drugs and behaviour. The anatomy and investigation of the nervous system: the divisions of the vertebrate nervous system; some terminology; the spinal cord; the autonomic nervous system; the hindbrain; the midbrain; the forebrain; the ventricles; in closing - structures of the nervous system; the cerebral cortex; organization of the cerebral cortex; the occipital lobe; the parietal lobe; the temporal lobe; the frontal lobe; in closing - functions of the cerebral cortex; investigating how the brain controls behaviour; the stereotaxic instrument; lesions and ablations; stimulating and recording brain activity; studying the structure of living human brains; measuring human brain activity; in closing - identifying the functions of brain areas. The development and evolution of the brain: the development of the brain; the growth and differentiation of the vertebrate brain; pathfinding by axons; fine-tuning by experience; the vulnerable developing brain; in closing - brain development; the evolution of the brain and its capacities; inferring the evolution of the brain and behaviour; what makes the human brain special?; in closing - the evolution of the brain and intelligence. Vision: visual coding and the retinal receptors; reception, transduction and coding; the eye and its connections to the brain; visual receptors - rods and cones; color vision; in closing - visual receptors; the neural basis of visual perception; an overview of the mammalian visual system; mechanisms of processing in the visual system; concurrent pathways in the visual system; the cerebral cortex - the shape pathway.