biology and behavior chapter 3. the nervous system two main parts central nervous system: the brain...

BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR Chapter 3

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

Two main partsCentral Nervous System: the brain and the spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System: contains nerve cells; has two divisions Somatic Nervous System: activated by touch, pain, and temp

Automatic Nervous System: regulates the body’s vital functions (like our heartbeat)

THE BRAIN

PARTS OF THE BRAIN Pons: help regulate sleep

Cerebellum: controls balance and coordination

Limbic System: involved in learning, memory, emotion, hunger, sex, and aggression

Cerebrum/Cerebral Cortex: the part that does the thinking

THE TWO HALVES

Connected by the corpus callosum

Information received by one side of the body is transmitted to the opposite hemisphere of the brain

Don’t act independently, but some think…Right brained people are creativeLeft brained people are logical

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM Contains the glands

that release hormones into our bloodstreamPituitary Gland: releases

growth hormones

Thyroid Gland: controls our metabolism

Adrenal Glands: help us with stressful situations

Testes/Ovaries: important for reproduction

HEREDITY: OUR GENETIC BACKGROUND

Heredity: passing along traits from parents to offspring

Nature-Nurture Debate: How did we develop who we are?Through Nature: our genetic make-up

Through Nurture: from our environment

KINSHIP STUDIES

Explore the Nature-Nurture DebateTwin Studies: look at identical and fraternal twins

Adoptee Studies: look at siblings not raised together

Twins Reared Apart: combines Twin Studies and Adoptee Studies

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Read about Bouchard’s study on page 73 and answer the question at the bottom. Do you agree with Bouchard?

Which side of the Nature-Nurture Debate are you on? Are you who you are from genetics or your environment?