Running Head: Biological Psychology Paper

Biological Psychology Paper
Biological Psychology Paper
Biological psychology is a vital part of psychology; without it psychology would not be considered a science, rather it may still be considered an art. Biological psychology has an extensive history, and each step has brought us closer to the reality that the brain is our main power source, and how much it affects our behavior. There have been many scientists and theorists that have contributed to the field of biological psychology, each having their own beneficial impact. As stated, biological psychology is vital to psychology, as well as other fields in psychology and neuroscience. Biological psychology seems to bring to mind many
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“By the turn of the century the study of neuroanatomy had become an established discipline” (Wickens, 2005, p. 12). Otto Loewi helped explain and discover that “neurons communicate with each other, across the synapse, by releasing chemical transmitters” (Wickens, 2005, p. 12). This discovery was a rather pivotal moment for biological science; it aided the discovery that there is the “possibility of modifying brain function (and behaviour) by the use of drugs that affect the action of neurotransmitters” (Wickens, 2005, p. 14).
In 1936 John Z. Young found a neuron in a squid that was “large enough to allow the insertion of a stimulating or recording electrode”; mostly everything known about neurons has been discovered by using this research about the giant squid (Wickens, 2005). Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley made many discoveries using Youngs’ discovery; they “were able to show that the electrical pulse was caused by sudden movements of ions across the neural membrane” (Wickens, 2005, p. 19).
In the 1950’s it was found that scientists could trace the chemical pathways in our brain; cells in the adrenal gland would light up when “treated with formaline and exposed to ultraviolet light” (Wickens, 2005, p. 39). With this technique, Dahlstrom and Fuxe distinguished “between noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA)” in 1964 (Wickens, 2005, p. 40). As the above paragraphs prove, the history