I. Biological bases of behavior
Students should recognize biological psychology as a perspective of psychology. Specifically, students should recognize:
1. The organization of the nervous system into the CNS and PNS:
• The Central Nervous System-CNS- Brain and Spinal Cord. The Peripheral Nervous System-PNS- are the Nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord.
2. The structure and functions of neurons:
• Neurons are the basic building blocks of the nervous system. The human central nervous system contains about 100 billion neurons. Neurons have a communicative role in the nervous system. Neurons can receive, integrate, and transmit information.
3. How neurotransmitters are related to behavior:
• Acetylcholine (Ach) - Activates motor neurons controlling skeletal muscles. Contributes to the regulation of attention, arousal, and memory. Some Ach receptors stimulated by nicotine (the nicotine acts like Ach itself and binds to receptor sites for Ach).
• Dopamine (DA) – Contributes to control of voluntary movement, pleasurable emotions. Decreased levels associated with Parkinson’s disease. Over activity at DA synapses with schizophrenia. Cocaine and amphetamine elevate activity at DA synapses.
• Norephinephrine (NE) – Contributes to modulation of mood and arousal. Cocaine and amphetamines elevate activity at NE synapses.
• Serotonin (SHT) – Involved in regulation of sleep and wakefulness, eating, and aggression. Abnormal levels may contribute to depression and OCD. Prozac and Zoloft are antidepressant drugs that affect serotonin.
• GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) – Most common inhibitory NT. Valium and Xanex (also alcohol) are anti-anxiety drugs that work at GABA synapses. GABA appears to be responsible for much of the inhibition in the CNS. GABA contributes to the regulation of anxiety.
4. The specialized functions of the brain's hemisphere: The Hindbrain consists of the medulla, oblongata, pons, and the cerebellum.
• The medulla contains 3 vital centers:
• Cardiac center- This controls rate and force of the heart beat
• Vasomotor center-adjust blood vessel diameter to regulate blood pressure and reroute blood from one part of the body to another.
• Respirator centers- control the rate and depth of breathing.
Pons – contains nuclei that relay signals from the cerebrum to the cerebellum. It is concerned with sleep, hearing, equilibrium, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensations, respirations, swallowing, bladder control and posture.
Cerebellum- mostly concerned with muscular coordination.
Midbrain- Short segment of the brainstem that connects the hindbrain and forebrain.
Reticular Formation- runs vertically through the core of the midbrain, pons, and medulla, it functions modulations of muscle reflexes, breathing, and pain perception; it has an equal role in the regulation of sleep and arousal.
In the beginning of the novel Candide is described as extremely optimistic person who always sees the best in everything. Not only is Candide very optimistic, but he does not really understand how the world works. He seems to be simple minded and immature toward any and all of the harsh realities of the real world. His philosophy towards life is that he is living in “the best of all possible worlds”. Candide gets this philosophy from his teacher Pangloss, who is also an extreme optimist. Both Pangloss and Candide are faced with horrible suffering and misfortune, almost in spite of their optimistic outlook on
Nuclear energy is used today for energy supply and about 15% of the world’s energy comes from nuclear power plants some forms of medicine such as nuclear medicine rely solely on nuclear technology. This technology was developed through the process of creating the first atomic bomb and would not exist if not for the advancements made during the Manhattan project.
Voltaire was the French author of the novella Candide, also known as "Optimism" (Durant and Durant 724). Famous as a playwright and essayist, Voltaire’s Candide is the book where he tries to point out the fallacy of Gottfried William von Leibniz's theory of Optimism. He uses satire, and techniques of exaggeration to contrast highlight the evil and brutality of war and the world in general when men are meekly accepting of their fate. Leibniz, a German philosopher and mathematician of Voltaire's time, developed the idea that the world they were living in at that time was "the best of all possible worlds." This systematic optimism shown by Leibniz is the philosophical system that believed everything already was for the best, no matter how terrible it seemed. In this satire, Voltaire also used contrast in the personalities of the characters to convey the message that Leibniz's philosophy should not be dealt with any seriousness.
Blind optimism has concealed the eyes of human beings from the defects of the world since the age of Enlightenment. Defying the archaic thinking of society, Voltaire searched for practical and useful knowledge to explain the world he lived in. Voltaire mocked philosophers, such as Leibniz ,who believed in the “best of all possible worlds” ,and presupposed that all things happen for a reason rather than convincing himself that good and bad are one and the same( 12). The term blind optimism refers to naievty, or having a tendency to expect the best of all possible outcomes and never accepting conclusions in a negative way. In the novel Candide, Voltaire strikes his major characters with atrocious events to challenge the unquestionable optimistic view of the world, showing how ludicrous blind optimism truly is. Voltaire exemplifies this notion by utilizing characterization of his characters Candide, Pangloss, and Martin to satirically demonstrate how blind optimism hinders the perception of reality
Candide is well known for its critique of optimism by Voltaire. The title character, along with his companions, bears many hardships throughout the novel and philosophizes about the nature and necessity of good in the world. Whether there is truly any good in the world is debated between the characters, particularly between the very discouraged Martin and Candide, who carries with him the optimistic words of Dr. Pangloss, a believer in the good nature of the world. While the characters debate why man must carry such burdens, Voltaire shows us that it is dealing with the bad that makes us human. While discussing Cunegonde Martin says to Candide, "I wish" that she may one day make you happy. But I very much doubt she will. ‘You are a bit hard,’ said Candide. ‘That’s because I’ve lived,’ said Martin.
Voltaire's Candide is a philosophical tale of one man's search for true happiness and his ultimate acceptance of life's disappointments. Candide grows up in the Castle of Westfalia and is taught by the learned philosopher Dr. Pangloss. Candide is abruptly exiled from the castle when found kissing the Baron's daughter, Cunegonde. Devastated by the separation from Cunegonde, his true love, Candide sets out to different places in the hope of finding her and achieving total happiness. The message of Candide is that one must strive to overcome adversity and not passively accept problems in the belief that all is for the best.
The human nervous system is divided into two parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system, CNS, is just the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system, PNS, includes the nerves and neurons that extend outwards from CNS, to transmit information to your limbs and organs for example. Communication between your cells is extremely important, neurons are the messengers that relay information to and from your brain.
During the age of Enlightenment, the philosophes believed that reason could be used to explain everything. The philosophes believed that people could make the world a better place to live in. Voltaire is against such optimism. Ian Bell Says "The 'optimist' argument then, was complex and sophisticated, but like all ironists Voltaire chose to simplify it to the extent that it seemed complacent and absurd, and he went on to cast doubt on our chances of ever securing 'eternal happiness'"(1-2). According to Voltaire true happiness can only be experienced in an unreal world. The multitudes of disasters that Candide endures after leaving Eldorado culminate in his eventual abandonment of optimism. Candide loses four of his sheep laden with priceless jewels due to natural causes, and then sees his two remaining sheep stolen, and the local magistrate indifferent to the theft. "Certainly, [says Candide,] if everything goes well, it is in Eldorado and not in the rest of the world" (42). Candide goes a step further, "Oh Pangloss, cried Candide, you have no notion of these abominations! I'm through, I must give up your optimism after all. What's optimism? said Cacambo. Alas, said Candide, it is a mania for saying things are well when one is in hell" (40). Candide's enthusiastic view of life is contrasted with, and challenged by suffering that he endures throughout the book. Hence, Voltaire uses the book to satirize the foolishness of optimism.
Through the steady adversity faced by Candide, Voltaire brings up important questions about how the nature of optimism appears to commoners. Pangloss's philosophy of "the best of all possible worlds" - an example of the misleading optimistic theory advocated by the philosophers of the Enlightenment which Voltaire deems absurd, - is "listened to attentively and believed innocently" (2) by the young and naive Candide at the beginning of the novel. However, as the novel progresses Candide begins to balks at this optimist idea, in the end suggesting to his comrades to "cultivate our garden" (87). This, his own conclusion, can be interpreted as humble work is the only answer to a life continuously plagued with bad luck. Through the actions of his silly characters, Voltaire preaches that man is unable to understanding the evils in this world and concludes that the basic goal of life is not to seek pure and trivial happiness, rather it is to learn to survive.
1938 discovery of nuclear fission, Germany had a two-year head start on developing nuclear energy. The Americans' fear was that the Nazis would shape it into a weapon of mass destruction. Germany also had in its grasp two materials critical to its development, heavy water and uranium. They were available in abundance only in Norway and Czechoslovakia, both under Nazi control.
The Nervous System can be divided into two different categories, the central nervous system (CNS), and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS is made up of the brain and spinal cord, and the PNS is made up of the rest of the nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. The major functions of the nervous system are sensory, integrative and motor function. The sensory function of the nervous system receives sensory receptors by detecting changes inside and outside of the body. The integrative function processes the information. Motor nerves convey information from the CNS to the body, and make the necessary response (Herlihy & Macbius, 2000).
A bunch of nerves put together is called the Nervous system. The Nervous system helps with body coordination and provides sensory information about external problems. The nervous system controls the brain, spinal cord, sense organs, etc. Without our nervous system, we would not be able to function, since
The nerves are made of neurons which are the cells that receive, process and transmit messages from one neuron to another. The nervous system is separated into two main parts; the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and the spinal cord. The second part of the nervous system is the peripheral nervous system which allows the central nervous system to communicate with the muscles, joints, glands and organs.
The cerebrum consists of two hemispheres, separated by a deep fissure called the Corpus Callosum, the hemispheres are divided into four lobes; the frontal, partials, occipital and temporal.
There are possible solutions for the problem of advertising to children some being already used in other countries.