Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Intro to Animal Behavior (p. 813, ch.33)

• This armadillo is jumping
after hearing a loud noise
• Behavior is a response to
a stimulus
– What is the stimulus?
– What is the response?
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Behavior Overview
• Animals behavior comes
from the nervous system
– Nerves carry sensory and
motor signals
– Brain and spinal cord
connect and process
signals
– Like a computer,
telephone, or TV
Where is stimulus? Where
is response?
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

What actually happens:

• Can you find these features in the diagram?

___ Response ____ Integration _____ Sensory signal

___ Motor signals ____Stimulus _____Spinal cord
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Anatomy of a Neuron -- p. 945

Animals send nerve signals travel through neurons.
neurons
- neurons carry electric & chemical signals
- signal goes one way: in at dendrites, out through axon

Important parts:
•Dendrites
•Cell body
•Axon
•Terminals
•Synapses
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Label this neuron:

• Axon
• Cell body
• Dendrites
• Terminals
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Nerve signal (impulse) occurs when ions

move in and out of neurons. (p. 946-947)
• Step 1: “Resting Potential”
– Neuron is waiting for signal
– More Na+ is on the outside
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Step 2: Stimulus starts an “Action Potential”

• Na+ moves into

neuron
+ inside, - outside
• Signal moves like a
wave through axon
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Step 3: “Repolarization”

• After signal, Na+ moves

back out

Neuron returns to “resting

potential”
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Reviewing Nerve Impulse

Which of these is written in the proper order?

A) resting potential, repolarization, action potential

B) action potential, resting potential, repolarization
C) resting potential, action potential, repolarization
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Action Potential

Identify these points:

• Repolarization
• Resting potential
• Action Potential
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Neurons, Energy, and Ions

1. Neurons must constantly pump ions across the
membrane --> requires huge amounts of
energy (sugar, oxygen --> ATP energy)
• If breathing stops, neurons fail first (brain)

2. Ions lost through sweat must be replaced

• Gatorade better than water or pop after heavy sweat
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Synapse - place where neurons connect (p949)

• When signals reach a terminal,

neuron releases neurotransmitters
(NT) (red in picture) into the
synapse
• Either starts or stops signal in
next neuron
• NT is like a key: locks or unlocks
ion gates
• “Used” NT either dissolves or re-
absorbs back into axon
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

When the signal reaches the synapse… (p949)

• When signals reach a

synapse, neurotransmitters
(NT) (red in picture) pour into
the synapse
• Either starts or stops
signal in next neuron
• NT is like a key: locks or
unlocks ion gates
• “Used” NT either dissolves or
re-absorbs back into axon
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Synapse action
• NTs are green, ion
gates are purple, Na+
ions are yellow
• When signal reaches
synapse (1), NT exit
terminal into synapse
(2), unlock ion gates
on next dendrite (5)
• Some NTs block gates
rather than open
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

A neural-muscular synapse
Skeletal muscle cells are connected to neurons, and
only move when action potential stimulates muscle
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

How nerves stimulate muscle cells

1) Acetylcholine molecules (green
Ach in picture) connect to ion
channels on muscle cell

2) Muscle is stimulated to contract

3) Muscle relaxes when Ach

breaks apart

4) Many poisons or animal

venoms block the nerve
impulse --> paralysis!
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Chemicals change nerve signals (p. 956)

• Depressants slow or stop signals
– Pain relievers, sleeping pills, alcohol all block signals
• Stimulants increase neuron signals
– Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, methamphetamines
• Neuron changes can lead to addiction
 Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

How stimulants affect neurons -- p. 959

• Dopamine carries pleasure/excitement signals

• Cocaine blocks the gates back into the axon-->More
dopamine than normal in the synapse  “high”
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Why narcotics are addictive

• Continued drug use changes neurons (fewer receptors,
less NT)

• More drug is needed to get same effect  tolerance

• Quitting the drug “cold turkey” feels worse than before 
withdrawal
Animal Behavior Intro, Nervous System

Help is available!




• Abused neurons can recover to normal state -->

takes time, and usually treatment