What Is It?The biological perspective of psychology is taking a look into the brain to see why a person may be behaving or thinking in a certain way. In this approach, you take into account the brain, the immune system, nervous systems, and genetics. You can use this method to treat patients with behavioral issues, brain diseases, and mental disorders. This perspective looks at these disorders being caused by their genetics. This could be a result of Darwin's theory of gene variation and natural selection.
Charles Darwin formulated a theory of natural selection while studying finches in the Galapagos on a tour with the H.M.S. Beagle. This theory stated that evolutionary change comes with genetic variation passed through generations. These genetic changes normally were to an animal's benefit, such as moths that blend in with their surroundings or birds with beaks that help them find food. |
Vocabulary
- Neuroanatomy-the anatomy of the nervous system
- Neuron-a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses
- Dendrites-a short branched extension of a nerve cell
- Axon-the long threadlike part of a nerve cell along which impulses are conducted from the cell body to other cells
- Myelin sheath- the insulating covering that surrounds an axon with multiple spiral layers myelin (increases the speed at which a nerve impulse can travel along an axon)
- Terminal buttons-tiny bulblike structures at the end of the dendrites, which contain neurotransmitters that carry the neuron’s message into the synapse
- Neurotransmitters-a chemical substance that is released at the end of a nerve fiber by arrival of a nerve impulse and causes the transfer of an impulse to another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber or some other structure
- Synapse-a junction between tow nerve cells consisting of a minute gap across the diffusion by a neurotransmitter
- Receptor sites-a molecular site or the docking port on the surface of, or within, a cell, usually involving proteins that are capable of recognizing and binding with specific molecules
- Action potential-the change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along the membrane of a muscle cell or nerve cell
- Acetylcholine-a compound that occurs throughout the nervous system in which it functions as a neurotransmitter
- Dopamine-a compound present in the body as a neurotransmitter
- Endorphins-any of a group of hormones secreted within the brain and nervous system and having a number of psychological functions
- Serotonin-a compound present in blood platelets and serum that constricts the blood vessels and acts as a neurotransmitter
- GABA-gamma-aminobutyric acid
- Glutamate-a salt or ester of glutamic acid
Mnemonics
Behaviors Natural selection
Instincts Adaptation
Origin of Species Genetics
Low ecological validity Sociobiology
On the voyage of the H.M.S Beagle
Genetics Medical science
Inheritance Evolution
Compares species
Adaptation
Limited without cognition
Videos
Phineas Gage's Legendary Injury
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Jane Goodall: What Separates Us From Chimps
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Psychology 101
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