This Wednesday, the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to two Americans, Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka, for their study of protein receptors that enable our cells to sense and respond to stimuli.
It was previously unknown how cells interacted with and adapted to the environment, like the activation of the fight-or-flight response, but scientists believed there was some type of receptor on cells. Now, Scientists Lefkowitz and Kobilka have discovered a whole family of mysterious G-protein-coupled receptors, on which many medications act. These receptors allow the body to sense chemical signals, and things like light, sound, and smell. This discovery will lead to the development of medications that act better on these receptor and are better able to fight diseases.
This discovery is also explained in the video below between 3:22 to 5:25, this is a little hard to follow, but still interesting if you want to know more about these proteins!
Some may hate the biochemical aspect of psychology while some may love it. What do you all think about the connection between chemistry and psychology? How important do you think the study other science is to psychology? Is psychology an interdisciplinary field?
I definitely think that psychology is an interdisciplinary field. Like we discussed in class, both nature and nurture play heavy roles in our behavior and development: it's impossible to rely completely on one side and ignore the other. If we want to better understand our minds and actions, we really need to take the biopyschosocial approach, looking at all aspects of the situation and interpreting how they play off each other to create the person we are. And it's also great that the science we have today allows us to make these discoveries. I'm sure the discovery of these proteins will really influence the continual study of the body, it's processes, and what we can do to solve many health issues.
I agree with Jess! Psychology is, without a doubt, an interdisciplinary field. Anyone studying Psychology must have knowledge of the basic principles of Biology and Chemistry that are in fact responsible for behavior itself. If a psychologist lacks the understanding of the communication of neural cells, it is nearly impossible for them to suggest some sort of cure for any psychological disorder. Therefore, and understanding about Biological principles at a molecular level is crucial in finding both the cause and the treatment for psychological diseases. With this in mind, it is evident that the fields of Psychology, Biology, and Chemistry are undoubtedly related. Every area of scientific study and research gives rise to important discoveries in related fields. It is through the joining of these fields, interdisciplinary study, that important advancements can be made in health and science.
I believe that the subfields of Psychology such as Neuroscience and Psychiatry show how much of an interdisciplinary field Psychology really is. Subfields such as these utilize the life sciences in order to figure out how the brain works and how to treat disorders that stem from the brain. It is impossible to understand, diagnose, and medicate all neurological and some psychological disorders without knowledge of the molecular functions and processes of the human body, because the brain and the mind are so deeply intertwined.
Totally in agreement with Jess, Suzanne and Devin. Psych is so filled with different fields and subfields, and no one is more "important", I think, than the other. From a biological and chemical standpoint, Psychology could honestly be one of the most interesting things to study, but for people who are more interested in the Psycho/Social aspect, it might not be as eye catching, but still inevitably important and relevant. Like Suzanne said, every area of study gives rise to discoveries in another study, they're all so intertwined with each other it's almost hard to separate them, at times.
Psychology is definitely built on the foundations of chemistry and biology, like in class we studied a whole unit just on the biology and anatomy of the brain. This topic is vital in understanding processes within our bodies that influence the way we act. I think there are so many subfields of psychology that all relate in some way back to science, so it is important for a student to have a strong background in biology and chemistry. Scientific advances like the one featured in this article can help those interested in psychology to fully grasp the density of the subject.
I agree that it is necessary to have a concrete understanding of chemistry and biology in order to comprehend the basics of psychology. As many of the other girls have pointed out, many of the primary chapters that we have learned deal with biology in some capacity. For example we just learned about the brain, which is the most complex and essential organ in our body, and much of psychology relates back to the brain. It is especially important for clinical psychologist to have studied biology because they need to not only diagnose the patient's disorder but also prescribe a healthy amount of medicine. I also agree with Suzanne that every field of study leads to discoveries that can be applied to other related fields; and this is definitely the case with biology and psychology.
Psychology is definitely an interdisciplinary field. It encompasses many factors in order to gain the best possible understanding of the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group. One huge topic in psychology is the nature-nurture debate which deals with the impacts of biological and environmental factors on development. This debate clearly demonstrates how psychology embraces many different aspects.
The biological study behind psychology is majorly important. It offers evidence to base theories off of. Scientific experimentation gives us an explanation for why something happens and a systematic way to gather and analyze the information discovered. Scientific studies and discoveries such as the one that Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka made will only foster new discoveries which psychologists will be able to build upon in order to make new inferences. Research into the biological processes will provide continual growth for the study of psychology as a whole.
I definitely think that psychology is an interdisciplinary field. Like we discussed in class, both nature and nurture play heavy roles in our behavior and development: it's impossible to rely completely on one side and ignore the other. If we want to better understand our minds and actions, we really need to take the biopyschosocial approach, looking at all aspects of the situation and interpreting how they play off each other to create the person we are. And it's also great that the science we have today allows us to make these discoveries. I'm sure the discovery of these proteins will really influence the continual study of the body, it's processes, and what we can do to solve many health issues.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jess! Psychology is, without a doubt, an interdisciplinary field. Anyone studying Psychology must have knowledge of the basic principles of Biology and Chemistry that are in fact responsible for behavior itself. If a psychologist lacks the understanding of the communication of neural cells, it is nearly impossible for them to suggest some sort of cure for any psychological disorder. Therefore, and understanding about Biological principles at a molecular level is crucial in finding both the cause and the treatment for psychological diseases. With this in mind, it is evident that the fields of Psychology, Biology, and Chemistry are undoubtedly related. Every area of scientific study and research gives rise to important discoveries in related fields. It is through the joining of these fields, interdisciplinary study, that important advancements can be made in health and science.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the subfields of Psychology such as Neuroscience and Psychiatry show how much of an interdisciplinary field Psychology really is. Subfields such as these utilize the life sciences in order to figure out how the brain works and how to treat disorders that stem from the brain. It is impossible to understand, diagnose, and medicate all neurological and some psychological disorders without knowledge of the molecular functions and processes of the human body, because the brain and the mind are so deeply intertwined.
ReplyDeleteTotally in agreement with Jess, Suzanne and Devin. Psych is so filled with different fields and subfields, and no one is more "important", I think, than the other. From a biological and chemical standpoint, Psychology could honestly be one of the most interesting things to study, but for people who are more interested in the Psycho/Social aspect, it might not be as eye catching, but still inevitably important and relevant. Like Suzanne said, every area of study gives rise to discoveries in another study, they're all so intertwined with each other it's almost hard to separate them, at times.
ReplyDeletePsychology is definitely built on the foundations of chemistry and biology, like in class we studied a whole unit just on the biology and anatomy of the brain. This topic is vital in understanding processes within our bodies that influence the way we act. I think there are so many subfields of psychology that all relate in some way back to science, so it is important for a student to have a strong background in biology and chemistry. Scientific advances like the one featured in this article can help those interested in psychology to fully grasp the density of the subject.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is necessary to have a concrete understanding of chemistry and biology in order to comprehend the basics of psychology. As many of the other girls have pointed out, many of the primary chapters that we have learned deal with biology in some capacity. For example we just learned about the brain, which is the most complex and essential organ in our body, and much of psychology relates back to the brain. It is especially important for clinical psychologist to have studied biology because they need to not only diagnose the patient's disorder but also prescribe a healthy amount of medicine. I also agree with Suzanne that every field of study leads to discoveries that can be applied to other related fields; and this is definitely the case with biology and psychology.
ReplyDeletePsychology is definitely an interdisciplinary field. It encompasses many factors in order to gain the best possible understanding of the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group. One huge topic in psychology is the nature-nurture debate which deals with the impacts of biological and environmental factors on development. This debate clearly demonstrates how psychology embraces many different aspects.
ReplyDeleteThe biological study behind psychology is majorly important. It offers evidence to base theories off of. Scientific experimentation gives us an explanation for why something happens and a systematic way to gather and analyze the information discovered. Scientific studies and discoveries such as the one that Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka made will only foster new discoveries which psychologists will be able to build upon in order to make new inferences. Research into the biological processes will provide continual growth for the study of psychology as a whole.