Brain Anatomy, Development, and Plasticity

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
 100% PREVENTABLE!!!

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, is a severe birth defect caused by heavy alcohol use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.  If a pregnant woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, the alcohol crosses the placental barrier and affects the highly vulnerable infant brain. Alcohol has an effect on the levels of glutamate by suppressing its release and enhancing GABA activity.   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States .2 to 1.5 for every live births are FAS cases.  Children that are born with FAS have distinctive facial features (e.g. small head, narrow eye openings, short upturned nose),  low birth weight, slow growth, central nervous system abnormalities, intellectual disabilities, and behavioral and cognitive problems. 
It is important for pregnant women to be aware of the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.  Unfortunately, some women may not be aware of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.  Information about FAS can be found at the N.O.F.A.S website. 

In the case of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, should the mother be charged with abuse to the child?  If the mother has complete control of what she consumes during her pregnancy, is it possible that she purposely caused the damage to her unborn child and has condemned the child with both physical and mental disabilities for life?

Synapses

Marijuana: Should it be legalized?

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug; it is derived from the Cannabis plant.  According to a government survey, about 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana within a time span of 12 months.  Its main active chemical is tetrahydrocannabanol, known as THC and other cannabinoids.  

                                                         
So how exactly does marijuana affect the brain? 
Once marijuana is inhaled or ingested, the active THC enters the blood stream and is carried to the brain. The brain contains Cannabinoid receptors which are located on the presynaptic neurons; THC (the active chemical in Cannabis plant) attaches to the cannabinoid receptors.  The chemicals decrease excitatory and inhibitory messages from many neurons. The cannabinoids indirectly cause the release of dopamine  in the nucleus accumbens.  

Some effects of marijuana include intensification of sensory experiences, impairments of memory and cognition,  and the illusion that time has slowed down.  
 But some argue that not all effects are negative.  Advocates of legalization of marijuana argue that the Cannabis plant  is less harmful than other legalized substances such as alcohol and tobacco.  Furthermore, advocates argue that marijuana has proven to have medicinal purposes. 
Let's view some points of the debate.....

For legalization:                                                            Against legalization:
* Marijuana is no more harmful than                     * Marijuana is worse for individuals and society.
 tobacco and alcohol.                                               *Marijuana use impairs the immune system.
* Marijuana can have beneficial mind-                  * Marijuana use impairs hormone production.
altering effects if used properly.                             * Marijuana smoke is highly damaging to lungs.
*Marijuana is NOT addictive.                                 * Increase crime rates.
* Marijuana can curb psychotic
symptoms in people with
schizophrenia.

The video above mainly focuses on some factual information that claims marijuana does indeed have positive effects.

Currently, there is ongoing research to show the effects of marijuana use.
Below is a diagram of some physiological effects.

Historically, the use, sales, possession and association of marijuana was criminalized in 1951.  In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has jurisdiction over the legal status of marijuana.



Please feel free to comment on your opinion of the legalization of marijuana.. :)

Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses

The B-R-A-I-N, simple word but complex in its entity.....
The brain is the center of the nervous system.. And this system lives up to its name, it makes ME very

NErVous...

So how does the nervous system work and what is it composed of???
The anatomy of the nervous system is composed of neuron cells and glia.
First, let's examine the neurons. 
Neurons receive and transmit information to other cells.
The neuron is composed of four major structures; dendrites, the soma, an axon, and presynaptic terminals. The human brain is composed of about 100 billion neurons!
                                                  
Next, let's examine the glia.
Glia was discovered in 1846 by Rudolph Virchow.
Glia perform many functions; provide support and protection to neurons, maintian homeostais, remove waste, transport of nutrients, form myelin.  Some of the types of glia include astrocytes, microglia, oliogodendrocytes, schwann cells, and radial glia.  Each type performs a specialized function.

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But there is so MUCH more to neurons and glia than  the basic functions stated above.....

 Neurons, the electrochemical messengers, are in a stage known as the "resting potential". During the resting potential, neurons have a slightly negative charge inside the cell.  The slight negative charge is obtained by the sodium-potassium pump.  The sodium-potassium pump transports three sodium ions out of the cell and draws two potassium ions inside the cell. The resting potential of a neuron is disturbed and messages are carried out.  This event is known as the action potential. Click here to see how an action potential plays out.

Introduction to PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

What is Physiological Psychology?  If the term is broken down; physiological is referring to  physiology and psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior.  When referring to physiological psychology, the goal is to look at the relationship between biological processes and psychological issues. But this is an elusive goal to accomplish. This field of psychology is a complex and fascinating field of study. If you are interested in learning about how the brain works and how it effects human behavior, this may be the field to look into.
Although it seems obvious that  brain activity is the explanation for human behavior, there are different views and unanswered questions.
 David Chalmers, a philosopher, proposed a problem which still remains unanswered.  He presented the hard problem, which questions  the existence of consciousness, today this problem is known as the mind-body problem.  How does the brain create mental experiences?
Physiological psychology provides explanations to behavior in four different categories; physiological, ontogenetic, evolutionary, and functional.  Many different sub fields within psychology will provide different explanations according to the principles of the field.
Much of the explanations within physiological psychology will focus on the brain activity.  Furthermore, physiological psychology focuses on brain functioning in the microscopic level by studying neurons and glia.
Neurons, glia, neurotransmitters, nervous system, brain; ALL these terms come to mind when studying physiological psychology!! So let's find out how the brain works and why......