neuro2.docx

2

Biological Psychology

Student’s name

Instructor

Course

Date

Biological Psychology

Research in the field of biological psychology aims to establish correlations between biological, physiological, and genetic factors and mental health and behavior (greatpacificmedia, 2009). Considering that the brain is the command center for all behavior, biological psychologists investigate its inner workings to better comprehend human nature. According to proponents of the biological view, human behavior directly results from our biological makeup. It's the only school of psychology that takes a physical, biological stance on investigating mental states and actions. Thus, it may be concluded that the physiological basis for the psychological is absolute. In this discussion, three significant technology advances such as High-throughput screening (HTS) technology, DNA synthesis technology, nanotechnology and biotechnology will be discussed in relation to the history of biological psychology

The term "high-throughput screening" (HTS) technology refers to a way to test a large number of biomolecular or chemical compounds quickly and efficiently for certain qualities. Access to these kinds of technologies is significant for reaping any benefits from building extensive libraries of compounds since they are used to zero down on a specific chemical with the needed qualities. Some examples of these traits are the biochemical or enzymatic activity that is wanted in a potential therapeutic drug or toxicity that would usually be avoided in such an agent. Increased productivity in biological assays is a hallmark of HTS, which has been made possible by developments in miniaturized screening technologies, bioinformatics, robotics, and other technologies (greatpacificmedia, 2009).

The merging of nanotechnology and biotechnology and the progress in both fields have impacted biological psychology. The growth of this field is also affected by what has been learned and how it has been used in RNAi and synthetic biology. Biomolecules are made to do certain things but are not called nanomaterials because they are not made in a lab. The progress in understanding the sequences of nucleotides and amino acids in nucleic acids and proteins is also crucial (Mazziotta, 2000). As time goes on, it becomes clearer that RNAi is linked to the broad control of gene expression by micro-RNAs, which are tiny RNA molecules produced endogenously (miRNA). There is a lot of interest in how miRNAs control gene expression during and after development. Every day, latest information comes out about this. Endogenous miRNAs reduce the expression of proteins that interact inside the cell by making the mRNA less stable or stopping it from being translated into protein (Bassett & Bullmore, 2009).

To instruct cells to produce a particular protein, DNA synthesis technology allows for the de novo production of genetic sequences. It is not brand new, but technological advances have made it possible to synthesize chemically ever-longer sequences with ever-greater speed, simplicity, and precision. Researchers had already shown they could successfully design and implement synthetic genes by the early 1970s. A cascade of techniques for analyzing gene expression, structure, and function was not developed until the early 1980s, after the automation of de novo DNA synthesis and the advent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Mazziotta, 2000). Viruses and other genes that cause disease can be made quickly and easily with DNA synthesis technology. This technology can be used for good (vaccine and drug research and development) or bad (either on purpose or by accident).

References

Bassett, D. S., & Bullmore, E. T. (2009). Human brain networks in health and disease.  Current opinion in neurology,  22(4), 340.

greatpacificmedia. (2009, October 24).  Neuron synapse. YouTube. Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT3VKAr4roo

Mazziotta, J. C. (2000). Imaging: window on the brain.  Archives of Neurology,  57(10), 1413-1421.