BIOLOGICAL BASIS

OF BEHAVIOR

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: SADAF

AMEER
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY,
UOS
 Neural structure and synaptic
transmission
• Brain is the organ that moves the muscle.
• To make useful movements brain must know what is going
outside in the environment.
• Body also contains cells that are specialized for detecting
environmental events.
• Beside perceiving and acting, human can remember and
decide.
• All these abilities are made possible by the billions of cells
found in the nervous system.
• NEURONS
• Behavior depends upon the communication between
neurons.
 Structure of Neuron
 Neurons are the basic unit of central nervous system
and is most important part of the brain. The human
brain contains approximately 100 billion individual
neurons.
 Neurons are the individual cells in the nervous system,
which receive, integrate, and transmit information.
 Every neuron is made up of
• Cell body
• Dendrites
• Axon.
 Function of the neuron

• Information comes into the neuron through dendrites from

other neuron. It then continues to the cell body (soma)
which is the main part of the neuron, which contains the
nucleus and maintains the life sustaining functions of the
neuron, the soma processes the information and then passes
it along the axon, at the end the axon are bulb like structure
called terminal buttons that secrete chemicals called
neurotransmitters into small spaces between the neurons
called synapse through which information pass on to
glands, muscles and other neurons.
 Types of Neurons

 Sensory Neurons Carry signals from receptors to spinal

cord or brain.
 Motor Neurons Carry messages from the brain or spinal
cord to muscles
 Interneurons carry messages from one part of central
nervous system to another
 THE BRAIN
 Brain is the most complex organ of the body
 Only weighs 1,300 grams
 Contains billions of neural networks that interact to create
human behaviour.
The nervous system is broken down two major systems
1. The central nervous system consists of brain and spinal
cord
2. Peripheral nervous system consists of somatic nervous
system and autonomic nervous system.
 FOREBRAIN

Cerebrum and cerebral cortex

 The cerebral cortex which is involved in variety of higher
cognitive , emotional, sensory and motor functions. It is the
grey matter with multitude of folds covering the cerebrum
Left and right hemispheres
 Left hemisphere for most people is the dominant hemisphere-
responsible for production of language, mathematical ability,
problem solving, logic
 Right hemisphere thought to be responsible for creativity and
spatial ability
 FOUR LOBES

Frontal lobe Motor behaviour, expressive language, higher

cognitive processes and orientation to person (place, time,
situation)
Parietal lobe Involved in the processing of touch, pressure,
temperature and pain.
Occipital lobe Interpretation of visual information.
Temporal lobe Receptive language, involved in receiving and
processing auditory information, as well as memory and
emotions.
 Thalamus- filters sensory information, controls
mood states and body movement associated with
emotive states
 Hypothalamus- „central control‟ for pituitary
gland. Regulates autonomic, emotional, endocrine
and somatic function. Has a direct involvement in
stress and mood states.
 Limbic system - emotional expression, emotional component
of behavior, memory and motivation
Amygdala - attaches to emotional significance to information
and mediates both defensive and aggressive behavior
Hippocampus - involves more in memory an transfer of
information from short term to long term.

 Basal Ganglia are associated with a variety of functions, including

control of voluntary motor movements, procedural learning, habit
learning, eye movements, cognition, and emotion.
 MIDBRAIN

 Midbrain is composed of the tectum and tegmentum. The

midbrain serves important functions in motor movement,
particularly movements of the eye, and in auditory and
visual processing.
 HINDBRAIN
 Cerebellum- regulates equilibrium, muscle tone, postural
control, fine movement and coordination of voluntary
muscle movement
 Medulla oblongata- controls heartbeat, breathing, blood
pressure and digestion
 Pons- relay station between cerebrum and cerebellum,
regulates the states of arousal including sleep and dreaming.
 PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
It is divided into two sub systems
 Somatic nervous system, primary function is to regulate
the actions of the skeletal muscles, mediates voluntary
actions.
 Autonomic nervous system, regulates the primary
involuntary activities such as heart rate, breathing, blood
pressure and digestion, this system is further broken down
into two systems
• Sympathetic NS
• Parasympathetic NS
 Sympathetic nervous system controls what has been called
“fight or flight” phenomenon because of its control over the
necessary bodily changes needed when we face the situation
where we may need to defend ourselves or escape.
i-e imagine walking down a dark street at night by yourself,
suddenly you hear footsteps approaching you rapidly, what
happens.
 Sympathetic nervous system kicks into prepare your body:
your heart rate quickens to get more blood to the muscles, your
breathing becomes faster and deeper to increase your oxygen,
digestion reduces, skin gets cold and your pupil dilate for
better vision. Your body is prepared either defend or escape
 Now imagine that the footsteps belong to a good friend
who catches up to you and offers you for walk. you feel
relief instantly, but your body takes longer to adjust. in
order to return everything normal, The parasympathetic
nervous system kicks in. this system is slow acting and
may takes several minutes or even longer to get your body
back where it was before the scare.
 These two subsystems constantly shifting your body to
more prepared and more relaxed states. Every time a
potentially threatening experience occurs, your body
reacts.