Psychology Final Project: Sexual Orientation, Factors

PSYCHOLOGY FINAL PROJECT
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1 If sexual orientation is determined by biological factors, then how might this influence social policy decisions?
Heterosexuals tend not to question their sexual orientations or the privileges and protections they enjoy because of this aspect. In as much as no one knows where the element of sexual orientation originated from, most researchers allude to the fact that it is a basic emotional need that persists in the face of repression. Homophobia, an irrational hatred and fear of same-sex relations is common in several societies around the world, in as much as the degree of such hostile actions towards individuals in same sex relationships vary considerably. Homophobia is therefore considered as a social construction and hatred produced by institutionalized biases in a culture or society. In as much as the homosexuality of these individuals are accepted by their loved ones, the focus on aspects such as activism has slowly changed from familial relations to public legal issues. Given this, the variances in laws and restrictions based on the aspect of sexual orientation are evident across the world.
Several countries have therefore developed and passed national laws aimed at protecting homo and bisexuals from discrimination. Such countries include Denmark, Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Sweden, and Spain among others. The United States has the civil right laws that include the sexual orientation act. On the other hand, there are other states that have placed bans on the practice of certain sexual acts between individuals of the same gender while other states have included the heterosexual couples in the same ban on specified sexual acts. This has seen international organizations take an active role in protecting sexual orientations through the consideration of human rights policies. The United Nations through its programs among other commissions such as the International Labor Office, the U.N High Commission for Refugees and the Development Program are additionally involved in the promotion and monitoring of the rights of homo sexuals.
2 In the 60 minutes segment, “The science of sleep”, the latest research on this important aspect of human existence is examined. Review this research. Be sure to include information regarding behavioral and biological functioning following complete and partial sleep deprivation.
For several years, the physiological function of the element of sleep has not been made clear. In several peoples mind, sleep is primarily associated with a time for mental regeneration and rest. However, restorative, energy-conserving and protective theories on the concepts of sleep allege that a long-lasting sleep episode with consciousness and suppression do not address the evolution of toxic wastes, depleted resources, and energy conservation. For instance, muscles may not need to shut of completely in order to rest. Partial deprivation of sleeps therefore occurs in three ways. First, the prevention of sleep from psychological consolidations is reffered to as sleep fragmentation, an aspect that occurs in particular sleep disorders.
During sleep fragmentation, the sequencing and normal progression of sleep stages is disrupted to a varying degree, thus resulting in less time in consolidated physiological sleep, relative to time in bed. Secondly, partial sleep deprivation includes the loss of physiological sleep stages, an aspect that is reffered to as a selective sleep stage deprivation. A selective sleep stage deprivation occurs in instances when sleep fragmentation is isolated within a specified sleep stage. The third type of partial sleep deprivation is considered as sleep restriction which is considered as a sleep debt, characterized by a reduction in sleep durations.
Given this, it is essential to consider that an increase in mental activities makes the brain of a human being tired, thus forcing the brain to display delta activities the following night. The nutrient that conducts this activity is glucose that is carried in the blood system. The blood in this case delivers adequate amounts of glucose, thus resulting in some regions of the brain turning out inactive since the cells located within these regions consumer glucose at a faster rate than the supply. The cells within the region therefore rest, thus enabling the astrocytes to renew their stock of glycogen, an aspect that leads to delta activities in a humans slow-wave sleep.
3 Discuss the most recent research on the biology of learning and memory. Be sure to include in your answer a discussion of protein phosphatase 1 (PPI), long term potentiation (LTP) and ontogenetic, state dependent effects, dendritic sprouting, work memory in the prefrontal cortex and brain areas involved in memory (e.g. hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, cortex) as revealed by pathological states
Contradicting the old axiom that the brain doesn't "grow" and that all changes occurring in adults are only for the worse (with loss of neurons over time), new data hint at the possibility that, in suitable circumstances and in receptive subjects, "renewal" of certain brain regions may indeed be possible, with acquisition of new memories and new functional potential. Interest in de novo synapse formation and synapse plasticityis more than a transitory scientific fad, as they represent the structural and functional correlates of our memory, learning ability, and, ultimately, our intelligence. Beyond cells, signaling pathways, and higher-order systems, plasticity may be the operative word when we look at the future of neurobiology.
Short-term memories may become long-term ones, and repetition has been found to be one of the critical factors in this process. In other words, "practice makes perfect." From a biological standpoint, long-term memory stems from a series of covalent modifications and stabilization of synaptic connectivity. Aplasia has represented a very accessible model for neurobiologists: for instance, tactile stimuli lead to organ retraction (the gill withdrawal reflex) and synaptic activation. Following a train of noxious stimuli, animals have been shown to learn how to better react with a more powerful retraction. With a fairly long training, memory and the associated retraction reflex can last for weeks. Of note, sensitization during prolonged training strengthens the monosynaptic connection leading to gill withdrawal, with growth of new synapses. Thus, in the presence of 1 shock, only transient facilitation occurs with induction of serotonergic activity and increased cAMP. Following multiple shocks, a far more substantial increase in cAMP leads to increased transcription, augmented enzymatic activity (MAP kinase activation, CRE protein activation, increased activity of ubiquitin hydrolase and proteasome), as well as enhanced phosphorylation of presynaptic targets. Ultimately, repeated noxious stimulations lead to growth of new synaptic connections.
4 The movie “The Lobotomist” portrays the life of psychiatrists and neurologist Walter Freeman. Summarize the contents of the movie and pay special attention to (1) the conditions responsible for the development of the procedure called lobotomy, (2) the behavioral effects (both good and bad) produced by it, (3) the conditions that lead to its demise as a therapeutic tool, and (4), its importance for the development of the field of behavioral neuroscience.
The Lobotomist explores the darkest chapters of American medicine and the desperate attempts derived in the treatment of psychiatric patients in need of help during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Walter...