Biological Basis of Behavior

Samia Rani
PhD Scholar (CP)
Department of Rehabilitation sciences
Faculty of Allied Health Sciences
The University of Lahore
 Topic: Biological Basis of
Behavior
⦿Learning Objective:
To give the understanding of the detail
concept of biological basis of
behaviour and related concept of
neuron.

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 Biological basis of behavior

⦿Human beings are animals.

⦿This is not a reference to our behavior
(although, of course, some people do act
like animals).
⦿It is a reference to the fact that humans
are biological creatures, as much as
crocodiles, wolves, and elephants.
⦿We are the product of millions of years
of evolution, our physical make-up
changing to make us fitter to survive
and reproduce.
 THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR

⦿The three main elements biology

contributes to human behavior are:
⦿1) Self-preservation;
⦿ 2) The reason for self-preservation,
reproduction;
⦿3) Method to enhance self-preservation
and reproduction, greed.
 SELF-PRESERVATION

⦿Self-preservation is keeping yourself

alive, either physically or psychologically.
⦿The latter includes mentally or
economically healthy.
⦿Since human beings are very social
creatures, we may also apply self-
preservation to other people, such as our
families
 The Reason of Preservation

⦿To be successful as a species, the

members of that species must have a
desire to survive long enough to pass
on their genes to offspring. 
⦿The desire to stay alive is an
instinctive one, built into the psyche of
the organism.
⦿The organism will seek those elements
of its environment that will enhance its
chances for survival. These include
⦿Food,
⦿Water,
⦿Oxygen,
⦿Periods of rest to allow the body to
repair any wear and tear on the tissues.
 Methods to enhance self preservation

⦿Survival through evolution

⦿Survival through strategy
 Survival through evolution

⦿Survival of the fittest…..

⦿Life has to change as well, to match
the new conditions. If it doesn't, it dies.
⦿Note that such changes are not
conscious decisions made by the
organism.
 Survival through evolution cont…
⦿Organism has those attributes that allow
it to get the most out of its environment:
› Gather food,
› Drink,
› oxygen,
› Rest,
› Sex.
The better it is at doing this, the more fit
it is.
 Survival through strategy
⦿Other changes in an organism can
develop over time.
⦿These are survival strategies, rather than
physical changes, that improve the
organism's chances for survival. For
example, some animals have perfected
the technique of hibernating during
periods when the food supply is low.
⦿These survival strategies are adaptations
to conditions,
⦿but unlike physical changes are not
necessarily genetic changes.
⦿However, some survival strategies are
learned behaviors.
⦿That is, the young learn them from older
animals that learned them from their
ancestors.
⦿Such strategies as hibernation, of
course, require genes that alter the
animal's physiology to slow heartbeat,
lower body temperature, and otherwise
decrease its metabolism.
 ⦿The combination of genetic and
learned responses to stimuli creates an
animal's reaction to stimuli.
⦿Humans are subject to the same stimuli
and reactions as any other animal.
⦿Hunger,
⦿Thirst,
⦿Fear,
⦿and exhaustion are physical sensations
that cause instinctive physical reactions.
⦿Most of these reactions are unpleasant,
and people avoid the stimuli that cause
them, or, if they're unavoidable, take
actions to reduce them.
⦿Thus you eat when hungry,
⦿drink when thirsty,
⦿ fight for air,
⦿ run from dangerous situations,
⦿ sleep.
In any case, the reactions are good in that
they tell you you're in a situation that
could result in injury or death.
These responses are instinctive, and we
have no more control over them than
we do over our eye color.
 Difference in human and animal basis
of behavior
⦿The difference between humans and
other animals is that, unlike any other
animal, we can and do consciously
respond or alter our response to a
stimulus.
⦿This can just happen due to the mind
processes
⦿The physical structure of the body
plays an important role in the behavior
of an individual. The most important
physical is the nervous system
⦿Structure and functions of neuron
⦿Human brain is not a home with separate
rooms , in which certain functions take
place only in certain areas.
⦿It is infect, the connectivity between
various areas of the brain that leads to this
⦿The physical structure of the body plays
an important role in the behavior of an
individual. The most important physical is
the nervous system
⦿The base of the nervous system is the 
neuron. Neurons are cells that are
specialized for communicating
information. They are the basic tissue
and element of the nervous system.
 Anatomy of neuron

Neurons have a basic structure of:

⦿One cell body
⦿One axon
⦿One or more dendrites
⦿The cell body (or soma) is the bulbous
end of a neuron, containing the cell
nucleus.
⦿The soma makes use of nutrients to
supply energy for neuronal activity.
Cell body
 Axons 

⦿Axons carry information away from

the cell body.
⦿The axons main job is to send a signal
to the dendrites of another neuron.
⦿ Each neuron has only one axon, but
the axon may have branches with what
are called terminal buttons at its end.
⦿Axons may be as small as several
microns or as long as several meters in
giraffes and whales.
Axon from brain to foot
 Dendrites 

⦿Dendrites  sense the neurotransmitter

secreted by the axon of another neuron.
⦿Most neurons have more than one
dendrite. Dendrites and axons do not
directly touch each other;
› there is a gap, called a synapse.
Dendrites
 Classification of neuron

⦿Neurons can be classified according to

the number of processes that extend
from the cell body.
⦿Multipolar neurons
⦿Bipolar neurons
⦿Unipolar neurons
 Multipolar neurons

⦿Multipolar neurons are the most

common type. They have several
dendrites and one axon extending from
the cell body.
 Bipolar neurons

⦿Bipolar neurons have two processes

extending from the cell body, an axon
and a single dendrite.
 Unipolar neurons

⦿Unipolar neurons are generally sensory

(afferent) neurons that have a single
process, which then divides into two.
One of the two processes extends
outward to receive sensory information
from various areas of the body, while the
other process relays sensory information
towards the spinal cord or brain.
 Classes of neurons

⦿Based on their roles, the neurons found

in the human nervous system can be
divided into three classes:
1. Sensory neurons
2. Motor neurons
3. Interneurons
 Sensory neurons/ afferent  

⦿get information about what's going on

inside and outside of the body and bring
that information into the CNS so it can
be processed.
⦿For instance, if you picked up a hot coal,
sensory neurons with endings in your
fingertips would convey the information
to your CNS that it was really hot.
 Motor neurons/efferent

⦿Motor neurons get information from other

neurons and convey commands to your
⦿Muscles,
⦿Organs
⦿and glands.
⦿ For instance, if you picked up a hot coal, it
motor neurons innervating the muscles in
your fingers would cause your hand to let go.
 Interneurons

⦿Interneurons, which are found only in

the CNS, connect one neuron to another.
⦿They receive information from other
neurons (either sensory neurons or
interneurons)
⦿and transmit information to other
neurons (either motor neurons or
interneurons).
⦿For instance, if you picked up a hot coal,
⦿ the signal from the sensory neurons in your
fingertips would travel to
› interneurons in your spinal cord. Some of
these interneurons would signal to the
motor neurons controlling your finger
muscles (causing you to let go), while
others would transmit the signal up the
› spinal cord to neurons in the brain, where it
would be perceived as pain.
 The basic functions of a neuron

⦿ If you think about the roles of the three classes of

neurons, you can make the generalization that all
neurons have three basic functions. These are to:
⦿ Receive signals (or information).
⦿ Integrate incoming signals (to determine whether
or not the information should be passed along).
⦿ Communicate signals to target cells (other neurons
or muscles or glands).
⦿ These neuronal functions are reflected in the
anatomy of the neuron.
 References

⦿ Behrend, D.A., Rosengren, K.S., & Perlmutter, M. (1992). The relation between private
speech and parental interactive style. In R.M. Diaz & L.E. Berk (Eds.), Private speech: From
social interaction to self-regulation (pp. 85–100). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
⦿ Berk, L. E. (1986). Relationship of elementary school children's private speech to
behavioral accompaniment to task, attention, and task performance. Developmental
Psychology, 22(5), 671.
⦿ Berk, L. & Garvin, R. (1984). Development of private speech among low-income
Appalachian children. Developmental Psychology, 20(2), 271-286.
⦿ Piaget, J. (1932). The moral judgment of the child. London: Routledge & Kegan
Paul.
⦿ Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge &
Kegan Paul.
⦿ Piaget, J. (1945). Play, dreams and imitation in childhood. London:
Heinemann.
⦿ Piaget, J. (1957). Construction of reality in the child. London: Routledge &
Kegan Paul.
⦿ Piaget, J., & Cook, M. T. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. New
York, NY: International University Press.
 Topic: Biological Basis of
Behavior
⦿ Learning Outcomes:
At the end of lecture students will able to understand the detail
concept of biological basis of behaviour and related concept of
neuron.

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