Post on 24-Feb-2016
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CEREBRAL LATERALITY: RIGHT BRAIN/LEFT BRAINDominant brain and dumb brain
SPLIT-BRAIN RESEARCH Split-brain surgery:
when the corpus callosum is cut to reduce severity of epileptic seizures
Has shown that right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vice versa
SPLIT-BRAIN RESEARCH Roger Sperry and
Michael Gazzaniga studies
Showed language is housed in the left hemisphere
Right hemisphere: visual-spatial tasks (colors, arranging, recognizing)
HEMISPHERIC SPECIALIZATION IN THE INTACT BRAIN Perceptual
Asymmetries: left-right imbalances btwn cerebral hemispheres in the speed of visual or auditory processing
Studied to show which hemisphere is more dominant in certain situations
HEMISPHERE SPECIALIZATION
Better at: Verbal processing Language, speech,
reading, writing Possible: handling
emotions, links to schizophrenia
Better at: Nonverbal
processing Spatial, musical, and
visual recognition Possible: expression
of emotions, recognition of other’s emotions; classical conditioning, links to depression
LEFT HEMISPHERE RIGHT HEMISPHERE
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Glands that secrete
chemicals (hormones) into the bloodstream that help control body functioning
30 different hormones
Hypothalamus controls the endocrine system
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Hypothalamus
connected to the… Pituitary gland:
releases variety of hormones that fan out in the body, stimulating actions in other endocrine glands
Pituitary gland is the “master gland” of the endocrine system
HEREDITY AND BEHAVIORBehavioral genetics: interdisciplinary field that studies the influence of genetic factors on behavioral traits
CHROMOSOMES AND GENES Chromosomes: strands
of DNA molecules that carry genetic info.
46 chromosomes (23 pairs, 1 chromosome from each parent)
Each chromosome contains Genes: DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission
CHROMOSOMES AND GENES Homozygous
condition: two genes in specific pair are the same
Heterozygous condition: 2 genes in a specific pair are different
When heterozygous, the dominant gene is expressed
GENOTYPE VS. PHENOTYPE Genotype: a
person’s genetic makeup
Phenotype: ways in which a person’s genotype is manifested in observable characteristics
POLYGENIC INHERITANCE Polygenic traits:
characteristics that are influenced by more than one pair of genes
Most human characteristics are polygenic
RESEARCH METHODS FOR INVESTIGATING HEREDITARY INFLUENCE
Family studies: examining blood relatives to see how much they resemble one another on a specific trait
Shows traits that “run in the family”
Only correlative
RESEARCH METHODS CONTINUED Twin studies:
comparing the resemblance of identical and fraternal twins w/respect to a trait
Identical (monozygotic) twins: one zygote, split
Fraternal (dizygotic) twins: 2 eggs fertilized by different sperm cells, 2 separate zygotes
RESEARCH METHODS CONTINUED Adoption studies:
examining resemblance btwn adopted children and both their biological and adoptive parents
Usually done only with babies given up at birth
GENETIC MAPPING Def: process of
determining the location and chemical sequence of specific genes on specific chromosomes
Technology only allows for single gene mapping
Most human traits are polygenic