LESSON 2 - BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR

INTRODUCTION

Every year, computers get smaller and smarter. Brains have always been small and
smart. A human brain weighs only 1.2 to 1.4 kg (2.5 to 3 lb), and a bee’s brain weighs only a
milligram. With that tiny brain, a bee locates food, evades predators, finds its way back to the
hive, and then does a dance that directs other bees to the food. It also takes care of the queen
bee and protects the hive against intruders.

Everything you perceive or do is a product of your brain activity. How does the brain do
all that? We would like to know for both practical and theoretical reasons. Some of the practical
issues relate to abnormal behavior. Are psychological disorders biological in origin? Can we
treat them effectively with drugs or other biological interventions? Can we prevent brain
deterioration in old age? Theoretical issues relate to what makes us tick. How does brain activity
relate to consciousness? Do people differ in personality because of differences in their brains?
The fascination of such questions impels researchers to tireless efforts.

LESSON OUTCOMES: At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Describe the nervous system and the endocrine system.

2. Explain how the nervous system and the endocrine system work together to influence
behavior.

COURSE MATERIALS

The Nervous System

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Nervous system – complex network of nerve cells that regulates our bo dily functions and
permits us to reach the external world.

Central Nervous System

• Brain

• Spinal Cord

1. Causes sensory information to the brain via: afferent nerves and efferent nerves).
2. It plays a key role in various reflexes.

Peripheral Nervous System – consist of nerves, bundles of axons from many neurons
connects C.N.S with sense organs and muscles and glands throughout the body. Nerves
are attached to the spinal cord (spinal nerve) to serve all of the body below the neck; cranial
nerve – extends from the brain and carry information from receptor in the eyes, ears and
other sense organs. Carry information from C.N.S., muscles in head and neck.

Divisions of P.N.S.

1. Somatic Nervous System – connect the Nervous system to voluntary muscle

throughout the body.

2. Autonomic Nervous system – connects the C.N.S to internal organs and glands and to
muscles over which we have little voluntary center.

Divisions of Autonomic Nervous system

1. Sympathetic - stimulates the body only for using energy

2. Parasympathetic – stimulate the body processes that conserve energy.

Three basic functions of nervous system:

1. Receiving sensory input can be manifested in various forms, including pressure, taste,
sound, light, or hormone levels, which are converted to a signal and then sent to the
brain or spinal cord.

2. Integrating the input through the sensory centers of the brain or in the spinal cord.

3. Responding to stimuli then converted to action.

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Basic Structural Unit: The Neuron

Main Parts of a Neuron:

1. Dendrites - receive the information from another cell and are the one to transmit the
message to the cell body.

2. Cell body - serves as the center of nourishment

3. Axon - conducts messages away from the cell body.

Types of Neuron:

1. Sensory neurons as classified into its appearance typically possess a long dendrite and
short axon, and its role is that they carry messages from sensory receptors to the central
nervous system.

2. Interneurons are located only in the central nervous system where there is a connection
of neuron-to-neuron.

3. Motor neurons based into appearance, have a long axon and short dendrites and
responsible to transmit messages from the central nervous system to the muscles or
even to the glands.

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CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

BRAIN

• the largest part of the nervous system that is protected by the skull.

• It weighs 3 pounds and contains 90% of the body neurons

• Spinal cord runs along the dorsal side of the body and links the brain to the rest of the
body.

Lobes of the Brain

1. Parietal lobe located in in the central fissure from the frontal lobe.

function: information to the skin senses (touch, temperature and pressure).

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 If left hemisphere is damage may lose ability to read/ write and difficulty of knowing the
parts of the body.

If right hemisphere : difficulty of recognizing the left part of the body.

2. Frontal lobe – nearest to the face ( motor cortex) Function: controls the body
movement.

3. Occipital lobe – near the back of the head.

Function: sensory area for awareness ( visual)

Damage in the right hemisphere – loss of vision in the left.

If in the left – loss vision in the right.

4. Temporal lobe - along the side of each hemisphere. Function: concern with hearing

Damage in left hemisphere – inability to understand spoken words.

If in the right – can recognize speech but unable to recognize other organizations of
sounds.

Hindbrain

Medulla

• controls respiration, digestion, and circulation;

Cerebellum
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 • Governs body balance, posture and muscular coordination

Pons

Contain nerve fibers from both sides of the cerebellum as well as the tracts of sensory and
motor nerve fibers that connect upper brain to the spinal cord

Midbrain

• Tracts between the cerebrum and the spinal cord and functions as part of the overall
impulse conduction system.

• It also controls some auditory and visual responses such as regulation of the size of the
pupil of the eye.

Forebrain

• Occupies the largest of the three divisions of the brain and occupies the entire upper
portion of the skull

Cerebrum

• The main area of the forebrain, governs emotion, learning, thinking, remembering and
sense perception.

Cerebral Cortex

• The outer layer of the cerebrum, directs the activities of the entire nervous system

Thalamus

• Interprets and sorts the sensory and motor impulses that travel to and from the cerebrum

Hypothalamus

• Controls body temperature, metabolism, hunger and thirsts

Reticular Activating System

• A group of neurons that occupy a portion of the hindbrain and midbrain that serves as an
arousal system

Corpus Callosum

• Connects two brain hemisphere

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Peripheral Nervous System

Autonomic nervous system

It connects the glands and organs of your body that are involuntary in nature. It has two
subsystems:

• the sympathetic nervous system and

• the parasympathetic nervous system

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Homeostasis - Tendency of the body to maintain a balance among internal physiological
conditions.

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

is made up of glands that produce and secrete hormones. These hormones regulate the
body’s growth, metabolism, and sexual development and function.

HORMONES

• Directly released on the bloodstream because they have no ducts or structured

passageways to the organs that they serve.

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ENDOCRINE GLANDS

• Secrete special messengers known as hormones that are directly released into
bloodstream because they have no ducts.

Pituitary Gland

• Has been called the “master gland”, influences growth, metabolism and regeneration

Oxytocin

• Influence the contraction of the uterus during childbirth and the reflexive reaction of milk
from the mammary glands.

Vasopressin

• Regulates the amount of water in the body cells and thus directly controls blood
pressure

Anterior pituitary hormones – include control of timings and amount of body growth

• Too little can lead to condition called DWARFISM

• Over secretion can produce GIANTISM

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ADRENAL GLANDS

• Located just above the kidneys

• Important in neural functioning and in the ability to cope with stress

• The inner core of the adrenal gland secretes EPINEPHRINE also called ADRENALINE
and NOREPINEPHRINE (NORADRENALINE)

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THYROID GLAND

• Located in the neck in front of the windpipe and weighs less than ounce

• Hormone produced by this gland is THYROXINE

Hypothyroidism

• The result of underactivity of the thyroid gland, which characterized by laziness and
dullness on the part of the organism

• When this occurs in infancy the condition is known as CRETINISM

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PARATHYROID GLAND

• These are two small pea-shaped glands close to the thyroid glands

• Hormones called PARATHORMONE

PARATHORMONE

• Regulates utilization of calcium and phosphorus in the body

• Undersecretion of this hormone results in condition known as tetany

PANCREAS

• Located near the stomach secretes two hormones which control the level of blood sugar
or glucose in the bloodstream

Glucagon

• Releases glucose into the bloodstream from the glycogen stored in the liver

Insulin

• Enables glucose to move out of the blood into the cells of muscles and tissues

GONADS

• The sex or puberty glands which produce the sperm and egg cells for reproduction

TESTES – testosterone

• Stimulates development and maintenance of male secondary sexual characteristics and

behavior

OVARIES – estrogen and progesterone

• ESTROGEN – stimulates development and maintenance of female secondary sex

characteristics and behavior

• PROGESTERONE -- Stimulates female secondary sex characteristics and behavior and

maintains pregnancy

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READINGS/REFERENCES:

Chapter 3 – The Brain and the Nervous System

Psychology 8th ed. by Henry Gleitman, James Gross & Daniel Reiberg

The Nervous System (n.d.) Retrieved from

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/the-nervous-system/

WATCH:

The Nervous System in 9 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44B0ms3XPKU

A Level Psychology: The Endocrine System

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urhBKjOz5J4

ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT:

CRITICAL THINKING. (Group Work)

Discuss the psychological implication of the following:

1. In-vitro Fertilization or test-tube baby

2. Surrogate Mother

Discuss the implication of the endocrine system on the following:

1. Homosexuality
2. Criminals

Discuss whether you agree or disagree.

1. With the knowledge of the nervous system, behavior then is biological or innate.
2. Knowledge on the nervous system can then control behavior.

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