EXPLAIN TWO EFFECTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT ON PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES:
Certain effect of the environment can affect physiological processes such as hormones, neurotransmitters and the brain. The two effect of the environment on physiological processes that will be discussed are the enrichment of certain environments on brain plasticity and the observation of experiences actions on the activation of mirror neurons.
The first effect of environment on physiological processes that will be discussed is brain plasticity. Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to rearrange its connections with its neurons, that is, the changes that occur in the structure of the brain as a result of learning or experience (exposure to different environments). The
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The MRI scans showed no structural differences in the groups’ brains before juggling and there was an increase in volume of 2 regions of the jugglers brains associated with the retention of visually detected movement information of learning. Practicing watching balls move and learning to move in response has strengthened the neural connections in brain areas responsible for the activity. This study demonstrates the effect of enrichment on brain plasticity in participants who juggled.
The research studies above demonstrate that the more a person performs a particular activity, the more neural connections are formed in the area of the brain responsible, creating a physical change in the brain. This represents the bidirectional relationship between the environment and physiological processes occurring in the brain.
Another way in which the brain interacts with the environment has to do with how people learn is through a unique physiological process called mirror neurons. One of the ways that people learn is by observing others and then imitating their behaviour. Mirror neurons are special neurons, which may play a vital role in the ability to learn as well as empathize with another person. They placed electrodes in the inferior frontal cortex of macaque monkey’s brains to study neurons dedicated to control of hand movement. This led to the observation that some neurons
This information can come from a variety of sources including: visual, tactile, temperature, or odor. Additionally, it could come from physical surroundings such as buildings, streets, or parks. The amount of stimulation from this data fluctuates in “intensity, frequency, duration, number of sources and by type (Hutchison, 2015)”. This theory believes that both too much and too little stimulation is damaging to the human psyche. Too much stimulation is known as stimulus overload and too little stimulus is called restricted environmental stimulation. Stimulation interrupts the way a person feels and thinks, as well as the way they react in social atmospheres. Furthermore, it affects an individual’s mental and physical health. Moderate levels of stimulation are desired for optimal
These changes have a greater impact on the subjects and change them and their lives in multiple ways. Castro demonstrates this where he says, “The most interesting part of the study, however, came when the researchers examined the brain changes that paralleled the changes in exploratory behavior. Before ending the experiment, the mice were injected with a compound that’s selectively incorporated into dividing cells, and hence labels adult-born neurons. While most neurons are fashioned during early development, there are a handful of well-studied brain areas in which new neurons are continuously produced even in adulthood. Strikingly, the mice which were the “wanderers” at the end of the study were also those who experienced the greatest proliferation of adult-born neurons. While the usual caution of correlation not implying causation applies here, the result is still intriguing. Even after the genetic die are cast at conception, and after the bulk of the neural scaffolding is laid down in early life, the brain maintains a trickle of raw potential through its ability to grow a limited number of new neurons. The authors conjecture that these neurons are involved in tailoring and tuning our behaviors, applying context-specific corrections and adjustments to the more hard-coded aspects of our behavior. In their words,
Throughout the course of history, the phenomenon of psychology has drawn countless psychologists and scientists to further comprehend the depths and fascinations of the human mind and body. Using experimentation as a source of obtaining and recording desired information regarding the new realizations of the mind, cognitive scientists continue to fathom at the intricate revelations the mind has to offer. Although the complexities of the mind have brought scientists to puzzling conclusions, scientists have used a series of experimental steps to conclude how and why the processes of the brain can change the actions and personalities of an individual.
People are effected biologically in different ways. The brainstem / hypothalamus, the limbic system, and the
In classical neuroscience, there was the theory that the adult brain was considered fixed and inflexible; every part had a specific purpose and function and when it is damaged, cannot be replaced or repaired. Today experimental techniques suggest and embrace the recognition that the brain is plastic and can change itself with exercise and understanding whether you are an infant or an adult. It explains that the brain is constantly seeping out in various directions and is apparently able to respond to injury with a striking functional reorganization, and sometimes actually thinks itself into a new structure of body arrangement. Doidge also argues that plasticity can be good or bad based on the way a brain is used. For instance, on the wrong side individuals who watches pornography have deleterious part of their brain that makes them addictive to watching porn and
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences. (2012, May 16). Damaged connections in Phineas Gage's brain: Famous 1848 case of man who survived accident has modern parallel. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 1, 2017 from
have had some influences over the basic wiring of the brain, affecting how ones in power extend
In the present scenario researchers are very much spotlighted on the neurobiological factors but no apposite consequence has cropped up. The
Ecosystems is the dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment that work together to form a functional unit and they are constantly changing due to the fluctuating equilibrium from natural stress and human action which has had adversarial impacts on ecosystems. This is evident in Minnamurra rainforest as human induced modifications and environmental stresses had resulted in a vulnerable ecosystem. Furthermore, the removal of factors that contribute to the vulnerability of an ecosystem is important as it affect the functioning of the ecosystem as processes are accelerated, biodiversity is decreased which greatly affects humans. Despite the negative effects caused by humans, they have discovered that ecosystems are susceptible from harm caused by natural environmental factors or human impacts and realised the importance of protecting and managing ecosystems therefore have implemented management strategies that are supposed to prevent further detriment and as a consequence may induce resiliency.
Other characters that are important are Daniel, Bo and Aunt Annie. Daniel is Kate’s boyfriend, whom she is very interested in. She sees open-mindedness and a kindness soul in him, qualities, which she is lacking in herself. He reminds Kate of Matt even though she disagrees with that fact, for example she says, “But Daniel is a curious man. He shares with Matt.” (36) It is very surprising he is interested in her bitter personality and also after many times asking her to tell him about herself, but denying. He knows completely nothing of her. But, I believe he is mostly attracted to her because of her trustworthiness. Bo, the youngest sibling was only at the age of one and a half years when their parents died. But, from what I can collect
After reading this chapter and the section specifically about the use of metaphors in film, I realized that metaphors are essential when it comes to non-fiction and fiction films. I agree with Nichols that Metaphors are powerful and help us understand something in a different perspective. For example, if a film is about a complex subject like politics and there is no metaphors I personally will be disengaged. For a few reasons: one some aspects of politics are confusing and two the topic is not interesting. By using just facts and the standard definition of something will bore your audience.
The 1920s were an economic boom, but a majority of the country could not enjoy the wealth and prosperity. Only a small percentage of the country enjoyed huge sums of wealth, and the majority of families, about 3/4s, were poor and lived in poverty (“Great Depression”). These statistics are surprising considering the growth of consumerism and advertising of the time. Even though most of the country did not share the wealth, they still engaged in the consumerism and culture of the time. Products started to be mass-produced and therefore more affordable. A culture of buying the latest and greatest products developed. Advertisements tempted people, promising that their product would give them the life they wanted. In order to keep up with the new products and devices, poorer families spent a majority of their incomes on unnecessary consumer goods (“1920s Vintage Ads”). For the rich, the culture of consumerism was not a problem as they had plenty of money to spare; however, for the poor this culture was damaging. Many people took out loans to pay for things such as cars and houses, and this was an economic problem that contributed to the depression (“Great Depression”). Even though most people’s lives were difficult in the 1920s, people were still hopeful. They believed in the country, themselves, the economy, and the idea that consumerism could improve your life.
Equally important to the characteristics of a mentally healthy individual, in today’s fast-paced world, is the psychological health of the brain, the genetic, biological and environmental factors that play an integral role in general wellness.
“Biocycles influence overall physical strength and body temperature, immune system, alertness, and even memory….The bottom line is tat every brain varies
Behavior in which a child would want to explore is triggered, leading to new information and discovery. Curiosity can lead to the rapid trajectory of learning in the earliest months of infancy. Additionally, emotions can also impact learning. Emotions can be thought of as brain processes triggering physical and cognitive reposed to prompt individuals to act. As individuals experience environments through the different senses, information passes to the brain through structures in the midbrain. There is then a reaction to the information that registers the emotion-processing area, where it is assessed as to how the environment is affecting us. This reaction simultaneously integrates with specific reasoning and planning areas of the