Discuss the historical use of alcohol, opium, cocaine, and morphine for analgesia and anesthesia. Explain how alcohol affects the different areas of the brain, starting from the cerebral cortex and working down to the medulla. Discuss endorphins and their ability to increase the production of dopamine, the "pleasure transmitter". Elicit a list of items which usually are associated with increased pleasure. Include items such as eating, chocolate, exercise, music, and meditation.
Discuss how pain functions to help prevent damage to tissues.
Explain how pain receptors function to receive the stimulus and then transmit them to the central nervous system. Elicit the methods used prior to the 1850's to help control pain and also to allow surgeons to operate. Discuss the introduction of Anesthesia in the 20th century. Elicit the outcomes anesthesia should provide. These include loss of pain sensation, paralysis of muscle, analgesia, and amnesia of the procedure.
Follow a series of printed images to lead to a discussion of the human cerebrum. Discuss a hypothetical case of a person presenting with the symptoms of a cerebral stroke. Discuss the hemispheres of the cerebrum, the corpus which crosses the signal from left to right and right to left of the brain. Elicit the lobe which would be affected based on the symptoms. Discuss the primary motor area of the frontal lobe. Hand out a diagram of the frontal lobe along with all the functions which are initiated and controlled by this lobe. Discuss the executive functioning of planning, motivation, judgement, impulse control, social behavior and learning which are controlled here. View a diagram of comparative brain anatomy, compare the folds found in many lower life forms to those found in humans. Elicit a possible meaning for these foldings
Introduce the 3 major parts of the brain, along with the main function of each part. Compare the human brain with some other life forms, and draw conclusions as to the function.
Review the synapse and its function. Discuss how neurotransmitters are synthesized in the terminal buds of the neurons, excreted into the synapse and then taken up by receptors in the post synaptic nerve. Introduce, using examples, how nerves, through the use of neurotransmitters, can cause a target organ to become excited or suppressed. List specific neurotransmitter, such as Dopamine, Serotonin, GABA, and Acetylcholne. Indicate that each will be discussed individually
lab to demonstrate the method for producing wet mounts of living cells in water, well as in a dye. Check cells were used from both Andrew and myself. Attention being paid on how to prepare the slides, adjust the lighting for each objective lens, disregard unwanted material such as toothpick pieces, on the slide. Also view some prepared slides of nerves in cross section.
Discuss the course material to be covered over the next 3 weeks.
View diagram of pre and post synaptic neurons. Discuss the terms pre and post synaptic, synapse, neurotransmitter, direction of nerve impulse. Explain that both excitation and depression of activity is found within a target organ. Define target organs.
Elicit after questioning the main function reflex responses serve in humans.
Watch video which outlines the four major reflex responses observed, and then concentrates on the reflex arc.
Discuss the function of the reflex, and outline the pathway from a hot stimuli to the muscle involved in removing the finger from the stimuli. View a diagram of the this reflex pathway, and indicate the receptor, sensory neuron, interneuron, motor neuron, nad muscle
Define and discuss the difference between innate and learned reflexes.
Derive a list of changes in environment which will elicit an innate response. Define response.
Determine a physiological definition of an innate reflex. Discuss a few innate reflexes which humans are born with, such as eyelid reflex, infant grasping reflex, patella reflex.
View diagram of a simple reflex arc.
