Unit 3 - Biological Bases of Behavior
"Our minds influence the key activities of the brain, which then influences everything: perception, cognition, thoughts and feelings, personal relationships - they're all projection of you." -- Deepak Chopra
Module 9
Module 9 Powerpoint
​Module 9 Demonstration
Objective 3-1: Describe the following components of biological psychology (may require more than 1 page)
  1. Identify the basic parts of the neuron (dendrites, cell body, axon, terminal buttons, synaptic vesicles, receptor sites)
  2. Describe the process of neural firing (ions, resting potential, action potential, threshold, all-or-nothing principle, refractory period)
  3. Describe the chemical process of transmitting a signal between neurons with specific reference to the synapse (synaptic vesicles, synaptic cleft, receptor sites), neurotransmitters (excitatory and inhibitory), drugs (agonists and antagonists), and reuptake
  4. Describe the function and disorders related to key neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, acetylcholine, GABA, norepinephrine)
Module 10
Module 10 Powerpoint
Objective 3-2: Describe the nervous and endocrine systems, including
  1. The subdivisions and functions of the nervous system (central nervous system, spinal cord, peripheral nervous system, somatic nervous system, autonomic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, fight-or-flight, parasympathetic nervous system, reflexes)
  2. Key glands of the endocrine system (pancreas, pineal, adrenal) and behavioral effects
Module 11
Module 11 Powerpoint
Older Brain Structures Worksheet
Objective 3-3: Describe brain research by
  1. Detailing historic and modern research on the brain, including the study of Phineas Gage, EEGs, CAT/CT scans, PET scans, MRI, fMRI
  2. Describe the structure and functions of the brain stem (medulla, pons, reticular formation, cerebellum, the thalamus) and the limbic system (hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus)
Module 12
Module 12 Powerpoint
Objective 3-4: Identify the regions of the cerebral cortex (left/right hemispheres, corpus callosum, occipital, parietal, temporal, and frontal lobes, motor cortex, sensory cortex), their function, and neuroplasticity
Module 13
Module 13 Powerpoint
Blindsight Article
Objective 3-5: Explain split-brain research and left/right differences in the brain, and dual-processing
Module 14
Module 14 Powerpoint
Objective 3-6: Explain how heredity (genes and heritability) and gene-environment interaction, paying specific attention to twin and adoption studies, monozygotic vs. dizygotic twins, and molecular genetics
Module 15
Module 15 Powerpoint
Objective 3-7: ​Explain key behaviors that evolutionary psychologists believe exist because of their adaptive value

Unit 3 Articles and Videos