Chapter 3

The Biological and Evolutionary Basis

of Behavior
 Chapter 3 Preview
Heredity and Behavior

The Nervous System in Action

Biology and Behavior

Recapping Main Points

 Heredity and Behavior

Nature vs.
Causal Nurture
Explanations in
Psychology Heredity vs.
Environment
 Heredity and Behavior

Favorable adaptations to
features of environment allow
Selection
Natural

some members of species to

reproduce more successfully
than others (C. Darwin, Origins
of Species, 1859)
 How
Natural
Selection
Works
 Heredity and Behavior

Genotype
Phenotype
Genetic structure
Observable
characteristics
 Heredity and Behavior
Human Evolution:
Natural Selection

Bipedalism Ability to walk up-right

and

Increases in brain size

Encephalization
in humans
 Heredity and Behavior
Human Evolution:
Natural Selection

Language
and

Tendency of cultures to respond

Cultural Evolution adaptively, through learning, to
environmental change
Variation in the Human Genotype

Heredity:
Biological transmission Genetics:
of traits from
parents to offspring Study of the inheritance of
physical and psychological
traits from ancestors
 Basic Genetics

DNA: Genes: Chromosomes:

Physical basis Biological Rod-like

for the units of structures
transmission heredity found in the
of genetic Are found on nucleus of
information chromosomes every cell
Genetic Material
 Genes and Behavior
Began in the USA in
1990
Human
Study of full sequence
Genome
of genes found on
Project
chromosomes with
associated DNA
Genetic information for
organism, stored in Genome
DNA of its defined
chromosomes
 Genes and Behavior

Human Evaluates the genetic

components of individual
Behavior differences regarding
Genetics behaviors and traits
Measured on scale
of 0 to 1

Scores near 0
suggests Heritability
environmental
influence

Scores near 1 suggest

genetic influence
 Genes and Behavior
Relative similarities of
children to their birth
Adoption families (genetics) and
Studies their adoptive families
(environment)
examined
Similarity of
monozygotic
Twin
(identical) and
Studies
dizygotic (fraternal)
twins compared
Genes and Environment Interact to Yield
Childrens Social Competence
 Genes and Behavior

Sociobiology Sociobiologists

Study of behavior Scientists who

and social systems of provide evolutionary
humans and others explanations for
species from social social behavior and
context social systems of
humans and other
species
 Genes and Behavior
Evolutionary Evolutionary
Psychology Psychologists
Study of behavior Psychologists who
and mind using extend evolutionary
principles of explanations to
evolutionary theory include other
aspects of human
experience such as
mind functioning
Nervous System in Action

Neuron
Cell in nervous system specialized
to receive, process, and/or
transmit information to other cells
 The Neuron

Dendrites
Receive stimulation from sensory receptors

Soma
Cell body, contains nucleus

Axon
Long extended fiber along which neural impulse travels
The Neuron

Terminal Buttons
Swollen bulb-like structures
that contain neurotransmitters
found at end of axon
Major Structures of Neuron
Major Classes of Neurons

Sensory Neurons:

From sense receptors toward CNS

Motor Neurons:

From CNS toward muscles and glands

Interneurons:

From sensory neurons to other interneurons or to motor neurons

Pain Withdrawal Reflex
 The Neuron: Glial Cells

Cells in addition to neurons

found in nervous system that
hold neurons guide newborn prevent
together and neurons to remove poisonous
facilitate appropriate damaged or substances in
neural locations in dead neurons blood from
transmission brain reaching brain
 Action Potentials

Neurons are said to fire or

produce response
Decision made by combining
inputs arriving at
each dendrite
 Action Potentials

Excitatory Input Inhibitory Input

Information Information
entering neuron entering neuron
that signals it to that signals it not
respond and fire to respond and
fire
 Action Potentials

Action Potential Resting Potential

Nerve impulse Polarization of

cellular fluid
within neuron
which provides
capacity to
produce action
potential
Biochemical Basis of Action
Potentials
 Action Potentials
Properties of the Action Potential

All-or-None Law Refractory Period

Size of action Period during

potential is which further
unaffected by stimulation can not
increases in cause another
intensity of action potential
stimulation beyond
threshold level
Timetable for Electrical Charges in
Neuron During Action Potential
 Synaptic Transmission

Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers
Synaptic of information
Transmission
Synapse Relying of information
from one neuron to
Gap between one another across
neuron and another synaptic gap
Synaptic Transmission
 Neurotransmitters

Dopamine

Glutamate Norepinephrine

GABA (gamma-
aminobutyric Serotonin
acid)

Acetylcholine Neurotransmitters Endorphins

 Psychology in Your Life
How does your brain determine trust?

Does your brain chemistry predispose you to

trust or not trust your friends?

Read more on page 61 of your text for more

information.
 Biology and Behavior

Eavesdropping on the Brain

Interventions in Brain
Lesions: injuries to or destruction of brain tissue
Phineas Gage and Paul Broca

Repetitive Transcranial Magnet Stimulation (rTMS)

Walter Hess

Recording and Imaging Brain Activity

EEG
CT or CAT
Mri
 Biology and Behavior

Eavesdropping on the Brain

Interventions in Brain
Lesions: injuries to or destruction of
brain tissue
Phineas Gage and Paul Broca
 Eavesdropping on the Brain

Brocas Area of the Brain

Named after brain researcher Paul

Broca

Language research and brain damage

Area of brain that translates thoughts

into speech or sign
 Biology and Behavior

Eavesdropping on the Brain

Repetitive Transcranial
Magnet Stimulation (rTMS)
Walter Hess
 Eavesdropping on the Brain
Repetitive Transcranial
Magnet Stimulation
(rTMS)

Pulses of magnetic stimulation

create temporary reversible
lesions without damage to
briefly inactivate brain for study
 Biology and Behavior

Eavesdropping on the Brain

Recording and Imaging Brain

Activity
EEG
CT or CAT
Mri
 Recording and Imaging Brain
Activity

Electroencephalogram
(EEG)
Electrical activity of brain
 Recording and Imaging Brain
Activity
PET Scans
Records radioactivity emitted by cells during cognitive
and behavioral activities
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Scans brain using magnetic field

Functional MRI (fMRI)

Detects magnetic changes in blood flow to cells in brain
 Nervous System

Central Nervous
System (CNS) Brain and spinal cord

Integrates and coordinates all body

functions, processes all incoming
neural messages, and sends out
commands to different parts of body
Divisions of Central and Peripheral
Nervous Systems
 Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Spinal and cranial nerves

Connects bodys sensory

receptors to CNS and CNS to
muscles and glands
Somatic nervous system

Contains sets of nerve fibers

Autonomic nervous system

Hierarchical Organization of Human
Nervous System
Divisions of Peripheral Nervous
Nervous System

Subdivision of peripheral
System

Somatic Nervous System nervous system that

(SNS) connects CNS to skeletal
muscles and skin
Divisions of Peripheral Nervous System Nervous System

Subdivision of
peripheral nervous Sympathetic nervous
system that controls system
bodys involuntary
Autonomic Nervous motor responses by
System (ANS) connecting sensory
receptors to CNS and
CNS to smooth Parasympathetic
muscles, cardiac nervous system
muscle and glands
Divisions of Autonomic Nervous
Nervous System

Governs responses to
Sympathetic nervous system
emergency situations
System

Parasympathetic nervous Monitors routine operation

system of bodys internal functions
Brain Structures
 Brain Structures and Their Functions
Brain Stem
Medulla
Center for breathing, blood pressure, and heartbeat

Pons
Provides input to other brain stem structures and
cerebellum

Reticular Formation
Dense network of nerve cells that arouses brain to new
stimulation
 Brain Structures and Their Functions
Brain stem (contd)

Thalamus
Relays incoming sensory information to
cerebral cortex
Cerebellum
Coordinates bodily movements, controls
posture, and maintains equilibrium
The Limbic System
 Brain Structures and Their Functions
Limbic System

Hippocampus Amygdala Hypothalamus

Acquisition Controls Regulates

of implicit emotion, motivated
memory aggression, behavior
and
formation of
emotional
memory
 Brain Structures and Their
Functions
The Cerebrum Cerebral Cortex

Occupies two- Outer layer of

thirds of total cerebrum
mass of brain Made up of
billions of cells
Is about a tenth
of an inch thick
 Brain Structures and Their
Functions
Cerebral
Corpus Callosum
Hemispheres
Two halves of Pathway that
brain sends messages
Connected by back and forth
the corpus between
callosum hemispheres
 Brain Structures and Their
Functions
Parietal Lobe

Two key landmarks, the Occipital Lobe

central sulcus and lateral
fissure, divide each
hemisphere into four areas
or lobes Temporal Lobe

Frontal Lobe
Cerebral Cortex
 Brain Structures and Their
Functions
Frontal Lobe Parietal Lobe

Located in front of Located directly

central sulcus behind central sulcus
Involved in motor Responsible for
control and cognitive sensations of touch,
activities such as pain, and
planning, decision temperature
making, and goal
setting
 Brain Structures and Their
Functions
Occipital Lobe Temporal Lobe

Located at back Located below

of the head lateral fissure
Final destination Responsible for
for visual processes of
information hearing
 Brain Structures and Their
Functions

Somatosensory
Motor Cortex Auditory Cortex
Cortex
Controls Processes Receives and
action of sensory input processes
bodys from various auditory
voluntary body areas information
muscles
 Brain Structures and Their
Functions

Association
Visual Cortex
Cortex
Processes High-level
visual brain
information processes
Motor and Somatosensory Cortex
Hemispheric Lateralization

Some functions are

localized to one
hemisphere of
Lateralization brain
Speech is localized
in left
 Hemispheric Lateralization:
Two hemispheres embody different
types of processing

Left Right
hemisphere hemisphere
tends to be tends to be
more more
analytic holistic
Corpus Callosum
 Sperry and Gazzaniga
Tested capabilities of
separated
hemispheres of
epileptic patients
Neural pathways for
visual information
Testing Split-Brain Patient
 Endocrine System

Network of glands that manufacture

Endocrine and secrete hormones
System

Chemical messengers that regulate

metabolism and influence body growth,
Hormones mood, and sexual characteristics
Endocrine Glands in Males and
Females
 Endocrine System
Secretes growth hormone and influences secretion
Pituitary of hormones by other endocrine glands
Gland

Male sex hormone

Testosterone

Female sex hormone

Estrogen
Plasticity and Neurogenesis

Plasticity

Changes in
performance
of brain
Plasticity and Neurogenesis
Physical explanations for
plasticity
Formation of new synapses
Changes in communication across
synapses

Environmental explanations
for plasticity
Life experiences
Environmental enrichment
Plasticity and Neurogenesis
Stem Cells
Unspecialized cells that, under
appropriate conditions, can be
prompted to function as new
neurons

Neurogenesis
Production of new brain cells
from naturally occurring stem
cells
Recapping Chapter 3 Main Points
Heredity and Behavior

Evolution and natural selection

Variation in the human genotype

The Nervous System in Action

The Neuron
Action Potentials
Synaptic Transmission
Neurotransmitters
Recapping Chapter 3 Main Points

Biology and Behavior

Eavesdropping on the brain

Nervous System
Brain Structure and Function
Hemispheric Lateralization
Endocrine System
Plasticity and Neurogenesis