Chapter 1 What are the Origins of Brain and Behaviour
1.1 Neuroscience in the Twenty-First Century
Cerebrum in the forebrain, made up of 2 same/identical hemispheres, role in conscious behaviour Hemisphere 1 side of the cerebrum Brainstem role in unconscious behaviour Cerebellum role in learning new movements and coordinating the body Neuron nerve cells with a role in information processing Spinal Cord in the CNS; gives connections b/w brain and body CNS brain + spinal cord, role in basic behaviour PNS neurons outside of the brain + spinal cord, role in sensory and motor functions relaying these messages to and from CNS Embodied Language hypothesis; movements we make and what we think of the movements of others, affects the way we communicate towards others
1.2 Perspectives on Brain and Behaviour Psyche aka the Mind, once thought to control human behaviour Mind responsible for intelligence/iq, attention, awareness, and consciousness/alive (nonphysical things or mental things) Mentalism behaviour is from the functioning of the nonphysical/mental/imaginary mind Dualism both nonphysical mind and actual body affects behaviour, together Mind-Body Problem dilemma trying to explain how the body and mind interact as one is present and the other does not even physically exist Materialism states that behaviour can be explained by the function of the brain and nervous system without having to take an explanatory route to mind; sometimes what we do/behave/want is instinctive Natural Selection Charles Darwin, those with the most successful genes/phenotype that correspond with the environment will stay alive and well (Variance success in reproduction of different characteristics(phenotypes) results from interaction of organism with environment) Species organisms that can interbreed Phenotype observable characteristics of an organism Genotype genetic makeup of individual Epigenetics study of genetic differences among people who live in different environments or have had different experiences Minimally conscious State (MCS) person can display very few behaviours (smiling/uttering words) but is otherwise unconscious for the most part Traumatic Brain Injury brain injury from a blow/strike to head Persistent Vegetative State person is alive but not able to communicate/function at most basic level Clinical Trial repeated experiment aimed at developing a treatment for the medical condition being aided for Deep Brain Stimulation electrodes are implanted in the brain stimulating a specific area with a low- voltage current which strikes/facilitates behaviour Common Ancestor specific species/forebearer from which 2+ lineages/family groups arose from and therefore is ancestral to both groups
Nerve Net simple nervous system, no brain or spinal cord but many neurons that receive sensory info and connect to other neurons and move muscles Bilateral Symmetry body plan, organs on both sides of body are identical/mirror images in appearance (ex: Hands/ears = bilaterally similary, heart/liver are not) Segmentation body consists of series of similar muscular segments/organs/patterns Ganglia nerve cells that function similar to that of a brain Chordate if an organism/animal has both a spinal cord and a brain it is a chordate
Cladogram phylogenetic tree with numerous branches to show similarity/relatedness between various animals/organisms/species Hominid primates, upright movement/walking (including past, and present humans) Encephalization Quotient (EQ) ratio of actual brain size: expected brain size, which was Jerisons quantitative measure of the brain (in accordance to proper animal mass: size ratio) Radiator Hypothesis idea that in early hominids brains could growl larger through improved brain cooling which lead to increased blood circulation Neoteny delay in maturation, infant characteristics remain with adult
Species Typical Behaviour behavioru characteristic of all members of the same speicies Culture through teaching and experience, the learned bheaivours that are passed on from age//generation to the subsequent
Chapter 2 Nervous System Functioning Neuroplasticity nervous systems potential for physicalchemical changes