Neuroscience and Behavior
1
What are neurons?

How do they transmit information?
2
Neurons


Nerve cells
 Basic building
blocks of the body’s
information
processing system.
Made up of
 Dendrites
 Axons
3
Dendrites

Receive information
4
Axon fibers

Transmit information
to other
 Neurons
 Muscles
 Glands
5
How do neurons communicate to
other cells to influence our
behavior?
6
Synapse (synaptic gap)

Chemical messengers
(neurotransmitters)
bridge the gap
7
Neurotransmitters

Enable
communication
between
neurons
8
Endorphins


Neurotransmitters
(similar to morphine)
Reduces pain
 E.g. Childbirth
9
What are the parts of our nervous
system?

What do these parts
do?
10
Nervous system


Central nervous system
 Brain and spinal column
Peripheral nervous system
 Links central nervous system (spinal cord)
to sense receptors, muscles and glands
11
Nervous system
12
Peripheral Nervous System


Sympathetic
nervous system
(Arousing)
 Increases
heartbeat &
blood pressure
Parasympathetic
nervous system
(Calming)
13
Central nervous system


Brain and spinal column
Severed spinal cord E.g.
 Bill - No genital sensations, but has an
erection when stimulated.
14
Reflex

Simple reflex pathway
 Knee-jerk reaction
 A headless warm body could do it
15
How do we explore the
connection among brain, mind,
and behavior?


Recording the brain’s
activity
Creating images of
the brain’s activity
16
Recording the brain’s electrical
activity


Electroencephalogram
(EEG)
Brain waves
17
Neuroimaging techniques
(creating images)



CT scan
PET scan
MRI scan
18
CT scan


Computed
tomography
X-ray photographs
19
PET scan


Positron emission
tomography scan
Radioactive glucose
20
MRI Scan

Magnetic fields and
radio waves create
images of the brain’s
soft tissues.
21
The brain





Amygdala
Hippocampus
Angular gyrus
Corpus callosum
Medulla
22
Medulla

Most basic life
sustaining functions
23
Cerebral Cortex

Best distinguishes us
from other animals
24
Cerebral cortex lobes




Frontal
Parietal
Temporal
Occipital
25
Phineas Gage

Damage to frontal
lobe
26
Corpus Callosum

Transmits information
from one cerebral
hemisphere to the
other
27