Biological Basis of Behaviour

THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOUR
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The Human Brain

The adult brain weighs
about 3 pounds.
The brain is soft feels like

a ripe pear.
Protected by the skull, the

meninges and
cerebrospinal fluid.
Neurons: The Brains

Communicators
The brain contains about 100 billion neurons,
or neural cells.
There are more than 15 times as many
neurons in the brain as there are people on
Earth!
Each neuron receives, processes, and
transmits messages to thousands of others.
There are about 160 trillion neural
connections in the human brain!
Structure of a
Typical Neuron
Dendrites the receivers.
They receive stimulation from
other neurons
Cell body contains the nucleus
and is responsible for the life
processes of the cell
Axon a long, narrow tube that
carries the neural impulse toward
the terminal branches.
Terminal branches/buttons the senders. They contain
chemicals that neurons use to
communicate with each other.
Communication Within Neurons

When a neuron is at rest, there is an uneven
distribution of ions across the cell membrane.

There are more negative ions inside than
outside the neuron.
The difference in charge is about -70
millivolts.
When a neuron is sufficiently stimulated, a
tiny wave of electricity (an action potential) is
generated and travels along the axon to the
terminal branches.
Communication Within Neurons

When an action potential occurs we can
describe it as the neuron firing.

During an action potential, positively charged
particles flow rapidly into the neuron and then
just as rapidly flow out.
Neurons can fire as rapidly as 100 to 1000
times per second!
Communication Between Neurons

When the action potential reaches the terminal button,
it triggers the release of chemicals known as

neurotransmitters into the synapse.
The neurotransmitters bind to specific receptor sites on
neighbouring neurons, stimulating them.

Different receptor sites recognize different types of
neurotransmitters.
Communication between neurons is halted by reuptake
of neurotransmitters.
DIVISIONS OF THE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
The Divisions of the Nervous

System
The nervous system can
be divided into two parts:

The central nervous
system (CNS) - made up

of the brain and spinal
cord.
The peripheral
nervous system (PNS)

consists of neurons
that lie outside the CNS.
THE CENTRAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM
The Central Nervous

System
The central nervous system can be divided
into different sections:

Brain
Cerebral cortex
Basal ganglia
Limbic system
Cerebellum
Brain stem
Spinal cord
The Cerebral Cortex

The uppermost and largest area of the
brain is the cerebrum.

The outer surface of the cerebrum is
the cerebral cortex.
The cortex is divided into two halves
known as cerebral hemispheres.
The two hemispheres are connected
by the corpus callosum.
The Cerebral Cortex

The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain
primarily responsible for processes such as

thinking, remembering, planning and
analyzing sensory information.
Each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex is
divided into four regions called lobes:
Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital
The Cerebral Cortex

Frontal lobes:
Assist in movement, speech production and
memory.
They oversee and organize most other brain
functions.
Contain the primary motor cortex which
controls movements, and the prefrontal cortex,
which is responsible for thinking, planning and
language.
The prefrontal cortex also contributes to mood,
personality and self-awareness.
The Cerebral Cortex

Parietal lobes:
Contain the primary somatosensory cortex
which processes information related to touch.
Integrate vision and touch
Temporal lobes:
Contain the primary auditory cortex which is
responsible for hearing.
Allows us to understand language.
Stories memories of our past.
The Cerebral Cortex

Occipital lobes:
Contain the primary visual cortex, which is
responsible for vision.
Basal Ganglia
A set of structures buried deep inside the
brain that help to control movement.
Limbic System
A set of interconnected brain regions devoted
to emotion, motivation, smell and memory.

Included in the limbic system are the
amygdala and hippocampus.
The amygdala plays a role in fear, anger and
excitement.
The hippocampus plays a role in memory,
especially spatial memory, and helps us to
convert short term memories to long term
memories.
The Brain Stem

Consists of several structures, including:
Reticular activating system plays a role in
arousal
Cerebellum plays a role in balance and
coordination
Pons involved in sleep and dreaming
Medulla controls vital functions, such as
breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.
The Spinal Cord

Extends from the brain stem to the lower
back.
Conveys information between the brain and
the rest of the body.
Made up of sensory neurons which carry
information toward the brain and motor
neurons which carry motor commands from
the brain to the body.
The spinal cord also consists of interneurons
which connect sensory and motor neurons.
THE PERIPHERAL
NERVOUS SYSTEM
The Peripheral Nervous

System
The peripheral nervous system is divided into:
The somatic nervous system controls
voluntary movement.
The autonomic nervous system controls
involuntary actions of our internal organs and
glands.
The Peripheral Nervous

System
The autonomic nervous system, in turn,
consists of two divisions:

The sympathetic nervous system mobilizes
the fight-or-flight response.

The parasympathetic nervous system active
during rest and digestion.
Neuroplasticity
Refers to the brains ability to change throughout
life.
Neuroplasticity occurs:
1 During the early stages of life: when the
immature brain organizes itself.
The network of neurons in the brain changes in four
primary ways:
Growth of dendrites and axons
Synaptogenesis: formation of new synapses
Pruning: death of certain neurons and removal of
connections that arent useful.
Myelination: formation of the myelin sheath
Brain Plasticity
(Neuroplasticity)
2 Through adulthood: whenever something
new is learned and memorized.

3 In case of brain injury: to compensate for
lost functions or maximize remaining

functions.
If the human brain were

so simple that we could
understand it, we would
be so simple that we
couldnt
-Emerson Pugh, The Biological
Origin of Human Values (1977)

Biological Basis of Behaviour

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THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOUR

The Human Brain

The brain is soft feels like

Protected by the skull, the

Neurons: The Brains

Communication Within Neurons

distribution of ions across the cell membrane.

Communication Within Neurons

describe it as the neuron firing.

Communication Between Neurons

it triggers the release of chemicals known as

neighbouring neurons, stimulating them.

The Divisions of the Nervous

be divided into two parts:

system (CNS) - made up

nervous system (PNS)

The Central Nervous

into different sections:

The Cerebral Cortex

brain is the cerebrum.

The Cerebral Cortex

primarily responsible for processes such as

The Cerebral Cortex

The Cerebral Cortex

The Cerebral Cortex

responsible for vision.

brain that help to control movement.

to emotion, motivation, smell and memory.

The Brain Stem

The Spinal Cord

The Peripheral Nervous

The Peripheral Nervous

consists of two divisions:

the fight-or-flight response.

new is learned and memorized.

lost functions or maximize remaining

If the human brain were

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