Biological Psychology
TERRY  FETTERMAN                                                             Fall 2010

MW 11:10-12:30 Rm 456  Final - 10:00 am Wednesday Dec 15
TTh  8:00 - 9:20 Rm 456   Final - 7:00 am  Thursday Dec 16
Office: RM 457B Phone: 479-6489   
E-mail:  tefetter@cabrillo.edu

Office Hours:  MW 9:30 - 11:00 & TTh 11:00 - 12:30

Back to Terry's Homepage

Biological psychology is the most interesting subject in the world. I'm sure all instructors feel this way about their subject. But the others are wrong; this really is the most interesting. It is the study of how physiology causes thinking, feeling and behavior. It deals with fundamental questions such as: what is the human mind? what is the mind's relationship to the brain? how does the brain work? and why are we the way we are? We will find out how the cells of the nervous system work individually, and how they work together to produce thought and action. We'll look at perception, emotion, learning, memory, and certain disorders.

Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Online study guide
Course Schedule
Brain Talk from Harvard

The prerequisite is Psych 1. If you've had some biology and chemistry, so much the better, but we'll go over everything you need to know to learn the material.. This is a difficult and time consuming course, be prepared to work.

TEXT: Foundations of Behavioral Neuroscience (Custom edition ) Neil Carlson (2011) available at our campus bookstore. You can also use Carlson's hardbound 8th edition, Allyn & Bacon. Copies of the text are on reserve at the Cabrillo Library.

RESPONSIBILITIES: It is essential that you attend every class meeting. I expect each of you to keep up with the reading and to be prepared to discuss the material in class.  You are responsible for the material presented in class (and for any changes to the schedule). If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get the missed material from a classmate, review it carefully, and come to my office hours if you have any questions. After three absences you can be dropped from class. However, do not assume you will be dropped. You can drop yourself via HawkTalk or WebAdvisor if you wish to withdraw from the course. 

It is your responsibility to come to class on time in order to minimize interruptions. Respect each other’s rights.  Turn off the sound on cell phones.  Students walking in late to class or leaving early tend to disrupt the whole class, and chatting, text messaging, playing games, listening to music, and eating noisily during lecture are also distracting.

I'd also like you to work together. Studying with a group is a good way to improve your grade. (Research confirms this, as do observations in this course.) Study groups should have 3 to 5 members and meet at least weekly.

TESTING: Tests will be multiple choice, fill-in, and short essay. You'll need one Apperson answer sheet (it's blue), and a #2 pencil for each test. Cheating: During tests try to sit so that every other seat is empty. Put away all notes and books. Turn off your cell phone. NO talking. It is your responsibility to make it abundantly clear that you are not cheating. Anyone caught cheating will get an F in the class.

GRADING: There will be three tests worth 350 points and a comprehensive final worth 200 points. Each test will cover the material from the readings and lectures since the previous test. The content of the final will be distributed as follows: approximately 1/2 will be new material and 1/2 will be previous material. There will be NO make-up tests during the semester. Make sure you see me if you have to miss a test or do miss a test.  

Your grade will be calculated from a total of 550 points as follows:
A
90%-100% 
=
495
to
550
B
80%-89%
=
440
to
494
C
70%-79%
=
385
to
439
D
60%-69%
=
330
to
384
F
0% -59%
=
0
to
329

There is NO extra credit. Time that would be spent on extra credit should be spent studying.
 

NEED HELP?Got a problem? Need to talk? Get in touch with me! When you have a question, don't hesitate to ask. I encourage students with disabilities, including “invisible”disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning, and psychological disabilities, to explain their needs and appropriate accommodations to me during my office hours.  If you need accommodations, please bring verification of your disability from the Learning Skills Program (479-6220, for students with learning disabilities or attention deficit disorder) or Disabled Student Services (479-6379) and their recommendations for accommodating your needs. If you think you may have a disability that might require accommodations for this class, please contact the Learning Skills Office and make arrangements to visit them as soon as possible. Both of these programs are staffed by great people. Their lives are dedicated to helping others, and that means you. Please talk to them and see how they can help.  

Don't forget the tutorial center in the library Room 1080-drop in or call to see about times (479-6470).  Apply for a tutoring slot in as early as possible if you’re interested.  On average, you should spend about 6 hours per week outside of class reading and studying for PSYCH 4.

By the way, here's a site about Attention Deficit Disorder



Course Schedule        Fall 2010


Week #
 Monday
Topic
Reading
1
Aug 30
Cells, Genetics, Evolution Chapter 1
2
 Sept 6
 Neurons Pages 24 - 33 in Chapter 2
3
Sept 13
PNS & CNS - Neuroanatomy & Physiology
Brain Images    
Chapter 3
4
Sept 20
Test 1 (100 pts)
5
Sept 27
Neural Impulse / Action & Graded Potentials  Chapter 2  
6
Oct 4
Synapse    Neurotransmitters & Drugs Chapter 4,  Drug Table, & pgs 490-508
7
Oct 11
 Methods of Studying the Brain Chapter 5
8
Oct 18
Test 2 (150 pts)
9
Oct 25
Brain Damage, Emotion Chapters 14 & 10
10
Nov 1
Depression , Schizophrenia , and Anxiety Chapter 15, 16, & Drug Table
11
Nov 8
 Test 3 (100 pts)
12
Nov 15
Sensation & Perception : Vision Chapter 6
13
Nov 22
Audition, Chemical and Body Senses Chapter 7
14
Nov 29
Learning Chapter 12
15
Dec 6
Memory, & Amnesia  
16
Dec 13
Finals Week (Comprehensive) (200 pts)  
Back to the Top of page
 
 
  

TEST 1  (Chapter 1, pgs 24 to 33, & Chapter 3 )

What are the basic structures & functions of the organelles? What’s the difference between mitosis & meiosis?  between phenotype & genotype?
What are the nucleotide bases, codons, amino acids, peptides and proteins?
Using the concepts of natural selection, fitness and mutations describe how evolution occurs?  What do DNA and RNA do?
What are the parts of a Neurons? Describe the shapes of the following neurons; unipolar, bipolar & multipolar.
Name the kinds of Glia cells and their CNS or PNS functions.
What areVentricles?  Where are the lateral, 3 and 4, and Cerebral Aqueduct? What is CSF?  What is the function of the Blood-brain-barrier?
What is the function of the Meninges?
Spinal Cord - What are the neurons of a Reflex? How does a reflex work?   What are the functions of afferent, efferent & interneurons (local-circuit & projection)?
What makes up the Central versus the Peripheral Nervous Systems (CNS/PNS)?
What’s the difference between the Somatic (Skeletal) Nervous System and the
Autonomic Nervous System?
What’s the difference in structure & function between the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic divisions of the ANS?
Where would you find Acetylcholine versus Norepinephrine in the ANS?
What are the following(?) and what are the differences between them? Nerves vs Tracts, Ganglia vs Nuclei, Gyri vs Sulci & Fissures

BRAIN -(Click on colored brain, then ATLAS, then 3D objects)

Know the structures and their functions.
Hindbrain - myelencephalon - medulla
                  metencephalon - pons, cerebellum, ARAS

Midbrain - mesencephalon  tectum {superior & inferior colliculi
                                        tegmentum {red nucleus, substantia nigra, periaqueductal gray

Forebrain - diencephalon {thalamus, hypothalamus (pituitary)
                 telencephalon {basal ganglia, limbic system, cerebral cortex,
                                        lobes, hemispheres, corpus callosum

Top of page
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

TEST 2  (Ch 2, 4, 5, pgs 490 to 508 & the Table)

What are Diffusion and Electrostatic gradients?
What are the Resting Potential and the Threshold of excitation?
What do Sodium pumps do? What is depolarization?  hyperpolarization?
What are the differences between voltage-gated & chemically-gated channels?
What is the difference between Absolute & Relative refractory periods?
What are Na K Cl & Ca? Where are these Ions located and where do they move during Graded & Action? During depolarizations or hyperpolarizations?
What are the differences between Action Potentials vs Graded Potentials?
What is Saltatory conduction?
What are EPSPs & IPSPs?
Describe spatial & temporal summation. Where would this happen?
What is the Second messenger system? How does it work?
Where and how do autoreceptors work?  Describe presynaptic inhibition by modulation neurons.  What are postsynaptic supersensitivity and subsensitivity?

Neurotransmitters - ACh, NE, DA, 5-HT, GABA, Glutamate, & Aspartate
Know the synthesis, action, deactivation, locations, and functions of each.
Know the table/handout

Drugs  Define addiction and withdrawal. Explain three mechanisms by which tolerance occurs?
Know which drugs are agonists or antagonists of which neurotransmitters.(Handout)
Which drugs are stimulants? Depressants? Opiates? Hallucinogens?
What are the behavioral effects and withdrawal symptoms of each drug?
For information on  Alcoholism  or   Smoking
How do the following work and what is each used for? EEG, EMG, EKG, EOG, CT or CAT, PET
MRI, Oscilloscope, Polygraph & Skin conductance response.
How is stereotaxic surgery used?  What kinds of lesions are there?
What are event-related potentials?
What are Intra and Extracellular unit recordings?

Top of page
 
 
 
 
 
 
   


TEST 3  (Ch 14, 10, 15, 16 & the Table)

Briefly describe these theories emotion; James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Cognitive, & Facial Feedback.
Which neurotransmitters and brain areas are involved in Fear and Aggression?

What are the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Schizophrenia? What drugs work on what neurotransmitters?

What are the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Affective Disorders? BipolarUnipolar
What drugs work on what neurotransmitters?

What are the anxiety disorders? What brain areas and neurotransmitters are involved?
Head Trauma - What is the difference between a concussion & a contusion?
For information on Headaches

Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA) (Stroke) (Brain attack)
What is the difference between an Infarction (Ischemia) and Hemorrhage?

What are the symptoms, causes of symptoms and treatments of the following Neurodegenerative Disorders?  (How would you make a Differential Diagnosis?)
Alzheimer's
Parkinson's
Huntington's
Korsakoff's
MS
What is Epilepsy? What is the difference between a seizure and a convulsion?
What’s a Generalized Seizure?  Describe a Petit Mal and a Grand Mal episode.
What’s a Partial Seizure?  Describe a Simple and a Complex seizure.
How is epilepsy diagnosed?
For more information on Mental Disorders - NIMH
Top of page
 
 
   
 
 

 FINAL EXAM (Ch 6, 7, 12 & all previous material)

All the old stuff and :

What do receptors do?  What is Transduction?  What’s the difference between Anatomical & Functional Coding?

What is Light? What are the colors of the spectrum? How does wavelength relate to color?
Know the Anatomy & Physio of EYE
In the Retina, what are Rods & Cones, other cells?  What do they do?
What Chemicals are involved in vision?  Describe Dark Adaptation and the underlying mechanisms involved. What are scotomas? What does blindsight tell us about visual processing?
Color Vision - What are the Trichromatic (component) & Opponent-Process theories? Explain Complementary Afterimages
What is Lateral Inhibition and what is it doing for you? What are Receptive Fields? Center-Surrounds?  What are the receptive fields of Simple & Complex cells in the cortex? What is Retinotopic organization?  What areas of Cortex (Primary, Secondary & Association, Inferotemporal, and Posterior Parietal) are involved?  What characteristics of vision do they process? What are the dorsal and ventral streams? What’s the difference between parallel and serial processing?

Audition - What is sound? What’s the difference between pitch, loudness, frequency, and amplitude?
Know the Anat & Physio of EAR.  What are the functions of outer, middle & inner ear?  What is the Organ of Corti? How do we localize sounds in the environment?
What is Tonotopic organization of the Cortex?

Taste & Smell - What are the theories?  What and where are the Receptors?  What are the basic Pathways?  What areas of cortex are involved in each?

Classical & OperantConditioning
  Sensitization / Habituation
  CS, US, CR, UR
  Pavlov - Lashley  Where and what are engrams?
  Hippocampus
  Kandel & his Aplysia
 

  Working memory / Long Term Memory
  Encoding, storage and retrieval
  Consolidation
  Retrograde & Anterograde Amnesia & Facilitation
  What are the effects of electrical brain stimulation, drugs, and arousal on memory?

  Research on degenerative disorders
  Memory deficits and amnesia
  Alzheimer's, Korsakoff's Syndrome and H.M.
  Hippocampus / Temporal Lobes
  proactive interference and temporal sequence
  Where are memories stored?

  NMDA receptors and Long Term Potentiation (LTP)
  glutamate and the retrograde messenger
   ("Just say NO")

  State-dependent learning

Return to Top of page