Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Psychobiology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Lecturers:
Anna Carballo Márquez (acarballo@uic.es)
Iris Crespo Martín (icrespo@uic.es)
Maxim Canet (maxcanet44@uic.es)
Students will be attended after classes and/or by making an appointment.
Introduction
The subject of Psychobiology aims to offer students the necessary knowledge to understand the biological bases of behavior and human mental processes. In this sense, concepts related to psychogenetics (or behavioral genetics) will be addressed in order to understand the role that genetic factors, the environment and their interaction (epigenetics) play in the development of normal and pathological phenotypes. The structure, organization and functioning of the central and peripheral nervous system will also be studied, both microscopically and macroscopically, as well as the physiological bases that support neural communication. Finally, more complex functional systems will be worked on, such as the neural bases of the different sensory-perceptual systems, so that students are able to understand how the nervous system allows us to relate to the physical and social world in which we live. All this knowledge is considered necessary so that in the future professional development of the students, comprehensive, rigorous and holistic psychological care can be provided.
Pre-course requirements
N/A
Objectives
1. To learn basic principles of psychogenetics and behavioral genetics, as well as the different types of inheritance that can encode diseases, characteristics or disorders.
2. To acquire basic knowledge about the structure, organization and functioning of the central nervous system.
3. To describe the basic characteristics of neural communication.
4. To explain the neural substrate of the different sensory and perceptual modalities that allow us to relate to the physical and social environment.
5. To identify the structure and main functions of the neuroendocrine system.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB01 - Students must demonstrate that they have and understand knowledge in an area of study that is based on general secondary education and that usually includes, through support from advanced textbooks, certain aspects of knowledge from the cutting-edge of their field of study.
- CB03 - Students must have the ability to bring together and interpret relevant data (normally within their area of study) in order to issue judgements that include a reflection on relevant issues of a social, scientific and ethical nature.
- CB04 - Students must be able to convey information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- CE09 - The ability to identify the biological basis of the functions of Psychology and human behaviour, with an understanding of how they work and their influence on other aspects of a person.
- CE18 - The ability to identify the structures and processes involved in basic psychological functions and recognise the nature of individual differences.
- CG03 - The ability to read scientific literature in a critical, well-founded manner, take into account its provenance, situate it within an epistemological framework and identify and contrast its contributions in relation to the disciplinary knowledge available.
- CT04 - The capacity to work in a team
- CT07 - The capacity to learn autonomously
- CT09 - The ability to communicate adequately, both orally and in writing
Learning outcomes of the subject
Once the students have finished the subject they should be able to do the following:
a) Identify the influence of genetic, environmental and epigenetic inheritance on the genetic basis of human behavior.
b) Difference between different types of genetic inheritance and different chromosomal pathologies.
c) Recognizes the different types of neurons and glial cells, their structure and their main functions.
d) Differentiate the different subdivisions of the nervous system.
e) Identify the structures that make up the central nervous system and its protection mechanisms.
f) Difference between an electrical synapse and a chemical synapse and describes its operation.
g) Identify the main neurotransmission systems.
h) Identify the processes of sensory transduction and the pathways involved in the different sensory-perceptual systems: auditory, vestibular, olfactory, gustatory, visual, somatosensory and motor.
i) Describe the functioning of the neuroendocrine system (glands and hormones) and how it influences human behavior.
Syllabus
Theme 0. History and concept of psychobiology.
Block I: Fundamentals of Genetics
Theme 1. Genetic bases of behaviour
1.1. The genes
1.2. Inheritance-Environment: Epigenetics
1.3. Monogenic inheritance
1.4. Multifactorial inheritance
Block II: Functional and structural neuroanatomy
Theme 2. The cells of the nervous system
2.1. The neuron
2.1.1. Basic structure of the neuron
2.1.2. Classification: types and functions.
2.2. Neuroglia of the central nervous system
Theme 3. Neuroanatomy
3.1. Organization of the nervous system
3.2. Neuroaxis
3.3. CNS Protection
3.4. Telencephalon
3.5. Diencephalon
3.6. Brainstem and cerebellum
3.7. Spinal cord
Theme 4. Neural communication
4.1. Synaptic transmission
4.1.1. Synapse concept
4.1.2. Types of synapses
4.1.3. Basic mechanisms of chemical synaptic transmission
4.1.4. Neurotransmitter systems
Block III: Sensory-perceptual system
Theme 5. Neural bases of sensory and perception
5.1 Auditory and vestibular system
5.1.1. Auditory System
5.1.2. Vestibular system
5.2. Olfactory and gustatory system
5.2.1. Taste
5.2.2. The sense of smell
5.3. Visual system
5.4. Somatosensory system
5.5. Motor system
Bloque IV: Neuroendocrine system
Theme 6. Structure of the neuroendocrine system
6.1. Endocrine glands
6.2. Hipotalimc-pituitary axis
6.3. Hormones
6.4. Neuroendocrine regulation and control
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | METHODOLOGY | EVALUATION SYSTEM |
|---|---|---|
| Lectures will be the setting in which students will learn and use the terminology and linguistic structures related to the sphere of study, for the purpose of practising and developing oral and written communication skills and becoming familiar with the literature and instruction materials provided to better integrate the curricular content. | This is the method whereby students work on their own. In each subject, the students will complete assignments that reflect their autonomous learning experience. The students will also prepare themselves for lifelong learning by learning to use educational materials and multimedia resources autonomously. This will be where they learn to self-regulate learning and develop their time management skills. Practical classes enable students to gain first-hand experience with their future work tools; small practical demonstrations of the theoretical knowledge acquired during the theory classes will be carried out in small groups or individually. Debates and discussion in large and small groups, which help develop the students’ critical thinking and judgement skills. This method encourages participation and initiative, the asking of constructive questions and the presentation of new problems that promote critical thinking. Group work promotes the convergence of the students’ ideas, tasks and proposals for the purpose of carrying out a cooperative project based on each student’s inter- and intrapersonal competences. This is where the students consolidate what they have learned through study, the looking up of information, the processing of data and the process of integration. | A circuit with 12-20 stations in which the person being evaluated must carry out a series of tasks in a certain period of time. The format will vary and may include procedures with standardised patients, computerised cases, the evaluation of a test, the preparation of a report, the interpretation of test results, problem solving, etc., all of which make it possible to evaluate the students’ performance, skills and competences in a standardised manner. The students’ active attendance in class reflects their degree of involvement in the form of interest and their interaction with the lecturer and the rest of their classmates. An individual written test that includes the most general and relevant aspects of the subject matter under evaluation. These exams will assess the students’ capacity to listen and understand the main ideas of the course content, as well as their capacity to understand the literature specific to their area of study and use the relevant terminology. On the other hand, the written exams will also assess concepts specific to the degree programme’s various subjects. They will be structured into partial and/or final exams, final exercises, online questionnaires and the analysis of scientific articles. The project must reflect what the students have learned and the effective use of the resources available to efficiently solve any problems that may arise while carrying out the project. An evaluation will be made of the students’ capacity to express themselves orally and in writing, in a professional context, with the correct terminology and specific concepts. Content and overall coherence will also be evaluated. |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Evaluation:
- 50% Written evaluation (20% mid-term test + 30% final test)
- 10% "PIR" test
- 30% Works
- 10% Participation in class
A minimum of 5 will be required in the written content tests to be able to average the other grades, and the subject will be approved with a minimum average of 5 taking into account all the evaluated parts. In case of suspending the written tests, it must be recovered in the 2nd call.
Retake:
- 50% Written (or oral) test (all contents, no parcial marks will be considered)
- 10% PIR test (same grade than 1st call)
- 30% Works (same grade than 1st call)
- 10% Participation in class (same grade than 1st call)
A minimum of 5 will be required on the test to average. The subject will be approved with a minimum average of 5 taking into account all the evaluated parts.
The evaluation will always respect the general regulations established in the Degree of Psychology regarding spelling mistakes, redaction and plagiarism.
Students who repeat the subject:
Repeat students can waive the continuous assessment and go directly to the subject's final exam (whose mark will represent 100% of the subject's mark), as long as they have all the activities and works approved, a high level of attendance and the approval of the responsible teaching staff.
|
ASSESSMENT SYSTEM |
|
The students’ active attendance in class reflects their degree of involvement through their level of interest and their interaction with the lecturer and the rest of their classmates. An individual written test that includes the most general and relevant aspects of the subject matter under evaluation. These exams will assess the students’ ability to listen to and understand the main ideas of the course content, as well as their ability to understand the literature specific in their area of study and use the relevant terminology. The written exams will also assess concepts specific to the degree programme’s various subjects. They will be structured into partial and/or final exams, final exercises, online questionnaires and the analysis of scientific articles. Students will be asked to deal with case studies, in order to apply the theoretical content learned in class in a real or simulated situation. |
Bibliography and resources
- Alberts, B., Bray, D., Hopkin, K., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., y Raff, M. (2011). Introducción a la biología celular. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.
- Carlson, N.R. (2014) Fundamentos de fisiología de la conducta. 11ª edición. Madrid: Pearson.
- Kolb, B.Y., y Whishaw, I. (2006). Neuropsicología humana. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana
- Netter, F. (1989). Sistema nervioso. Anatomía y fisiología. Barcelona: Salvat.
- Pinel, J. (2009) Biopsicología. Madrid: Prentice-Hall.
- Purves, D. (2016). Neurociencia. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.
- Redolar, D. (2014). Neurociencia cognitiva. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.
- Rosenzweig, M.R.; Breedlove, S.M; y Watson, N.V. (2005). Psicobiología: una introducción a la neurociencia conductual, cognitiva y clínica. Barcelona: Ariel.
- Stahl, S.M. (2002). Psicofarmacología esencial. Bases neurocientíficas y aplicaciones clínicas. Barcelona: Ariel.
- Talairach, J., y Tournoux, P. (1993). Referentially Oriented Cerebral MRI Anatomy. Atlas of Stereotaxic Anatomical Correlations for Gray and White Matter. Stuttgart: Georg Thieme Verlag/Thieme medical Publishers.
Evaluation period
- E1 12/01/2023 A02 08:00h
- E2 14/06/2023 I2 12:00h