BIOLOGICAL AND

NEUROLOGICAL
BASIS OF BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
• Heredity - this perspective believed
that life began as a single
cell that developed into a
human being made up of
trillions of cell
- the passing on of
physical or mental characteristics
genetically from one
generation to another.
Chromosomes – threadlike structures
that come in 23 pairs
Chromosomal Abnormality
• - A chromosome anomaly,
abnormality, aberration, or mutation is
a missing, extra, or irregular portion of
chromosomal DNA. It can be from an
atypical number of chromosomes or a
structural abnormality in one or more
chromosomes.
 Down’s Syndrome
• Down syndrome (DS or DNS), also known as
trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the
presence of all or part of a third copy of
chromosome 21.
Patau Syndrome (Trisomy 13)
Turner Syndrome
• Turner syndrome (TS), also known as 45,X or
45,X0, is a condition in which a female is partly
or completely missing an X chromosome.
Signs and symptoms vary among those
affected. Often, a short and webbed neck, low-
set ears, low hairline at the back of the neck,
short stature, and swollen hands and feet are
seen at birth. Typically, they only develop
menstrual periods and breasts with hormone
treatment, and are unable to have children
without reproductive technology. Heart defects,
diabetes, and low thyroid hormone occur more
frequently. Most people with TS have normal
intelligence. Many, however, have troubles with
spatial visualization that may be needed for
mathematics. Vision and hearing problems
occur more often
PROGERIA
 DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid - complex
Molecule that contains genetic information
Genes - short segments of
chromosomes that compose the DNA

Dominant – Recessive Genes – explains

that if one gene of a pair is dominant
and one is recessive, the dominant
gene exerts its effect, overriding the
potential influence of the recessive
gene.
Evolutionary Perspective
• Charles Darwin’s theory which states
that through time the entire species can
change through Natural Selection

Nature and Nurture

Nature – refers to the organism’s
biological inheritance

Nurture – refers to the organism’s

environmental experiences
Neurological Foundations
• Cell Body – contains the nucleus
directs the manufacture of substances the neuron
uses for its growth and maintenance
Dendrite – is the receiving part of the neuron,
serving the important function of collecting
information and orienting it toward the cell body.
Axon - is the part of a neuron that carries
information away from the cell body or other cells
Axon Terminals – transmits information to the
succeeding neurons
Myelin Sheaths – are layer of fat cells that
insulates the axon, encases most axons
Glial Cells - is a non-neuron cell that provides
supportive and nutritive functions
 3 Types of Neurons
1. Sensory (afferent neurons)
- these are the types of neurons
that carry messages from the sense organs to
the brain or spinal cord
2. Motor (efferent neurons )
- types of neurons that carry messages
from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles and
gland hereby creating actions or secretions
3. Interneurons (association neurons)
- types of neurons that carry messages from
one neuron to another. They are found in the
Central Nervous System
 Synapse
• Synapses are tiny gaps between neurons. It is a
structure that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to
pass an electrical or chemical signal to another
neuron.
 Neurotransmitters
• Neurotransmitters, also known as chemical
messengers, are endogenous chemicals that enable
neurotransmission. They transmit signals across a
chemical synapse, such as a neuromuscular junction,
from one neuron (nerve cell) to another "target" neuron,
muscle cell, or gland cell.
Nervous System
Central Nervous System
• The central nervous system (CNS) is
made up of the brain, the spinal
cord, and the optic nerves. The
central nervous system controls
thought processes, guides
movement, and registers sensations
throughout the body.
Peripheral Nervous System

The peripheral nervous system

(PNS) connects the central
nervous system to environmental
stimuli to gather sensory input and
create motor output.
 The Brain
• The brain is one of the most complex and
magnificent organs in the human body.
Our brain gives us awareness of ourselves
and of our environment, processing a
constant stream of sensory data. It
controls our muscle movements, the
secretions of our glands, and even our
breathing and internal temperature. Every
creative thought, feeling, and plan is
developed by our brain. The brain’s
neurons record the memory of every event
in our lives.
• The forebrain (or prosencephalon) is made up of our incredible
cerebrum, thalamus, hypothalamus and pineal gland among
other features. It controls everything from voluntary movement
and the integration of sensory information to all our higher
abstract thought, logic, speech, and emotions. Basically, the
development of the forebrain is why we humans are so
intellectually advanced.
• The cerebrum is said to look something like a
walnut and has some very unique external
features other than its two hemispheres.
• The cerebrum is divided into four
main lobes:
• The frontal lobe
• Temporal lobe
• Parietal lobe
• And the occipital lobe
 The frontal lobes are considered our
emotional control center and home to
our personality. The frontal lobes are
involved in motor function, problem
solving, spontaneity, memory,
language, initiation, judgement, impulse
control, and social and sexual behavior.
The frontal lobes are extremely
vulnerable to injury due to their location
at the front of the cranium, proximity to
the sphenoid wing and their large size.
MRI studies have shown that the frontal
area is the most common region of
injury following mild to moderate
traumatic brain injury (Levin et al.,
1987).
• The temporal lobe folds underneath each
half of the brain on either side, below the
frontal and parietal lobes.
• The temporal lobe houses our ability to
receive and interpret auditory information
from the ear. It also collects and interprets
information from the nose. It is the primary
area of the brain for dealing with sensory
input.
• An important area within the temporal lobe,
referred to as the Wernicke’s area, gives
us the ability to recognize speech and
interpret the meaning of words. Damage to
this area, such as from trauma or a stroke,
can lead to difficulty understanding speech
and difficulty saying words that make sense.
• This area is highly important to language.
Studies have shown that children begin
understanding language they hear years
before they can speak it, and this is largely
due to the functioning of the temporal lobe.
• The occipital lobe is
important to being
able to correctly
understand what
your eyes are seeing.
These lobes have to
be very fast to
process the rapid
information that our
eyes are sending
• The parietal lobe plays
important roles in integrating
sensory information from
various parts of the body,
knowledge of numbers and
their relations, and in the
manipulation of objects. Its
function also includes
processing information
relating to the sense of
touch.
Wernicke’s Area
- This area was first described in
1874 by German neurologist Carl
Wernicke

-region of the brain that contains

motor neurons involved in the
comprehension of speech

•Damage to the temporal lobe may

result in a language disorder known
as Wernicke Aphasia
or difficulty understanding
language; speech is typically fluent
but is empty of content “word salad”
Broca's Area
- Broca's area is one of the main
areas of the cerebral cortex
responsible for producing language
- This region of the brain was named
for French neurosurgeon Paul
Broca who discovered the function
of this area while examining the
brains of patients with language
difficulties
- Damage to Broca's area of the
brain results in a condition called
Broca's Aphasia. People with
Broca's aphasia have difficulty with
speech production. Their speech is
slow, not grammatically correct,
and consists primarily of simple
words.
• The midbrain (or mesencephalon), located near
the very center of the brain between the interbrain
and the hindbrain, is composed of a portion of the
brainstem. It is a portion of the central nervous
system associated with vision, hearing, motor
control, sleep/wake, arousal (alertness), and
temperature regulation.
• The hindbrain (or rhombencephalon)
consists of the remaining brainstem as
well as our cerebellum and pons. The
hindbrain is composed of the medulla, the
pons, and the cerebellum. The medulla
lies next to the spinal cord and controls
functions outside conscious control, such
as breathing and blood flow. In other
words, the medulla controls essential
functions.
The Case of Phineas Gage
• Phineas Gage is probably the most
famous person to have survived
severe damage to the brain. He is
also the first patient from whom we
learned something about the relation
between personality and the function
of the front parts of the brain.