BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF

HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Lecture 2
INTRODUCTION
• The biology of behavior is the study of behavioral
functions of the nervous system, particularly the
brain.
• "Physiological psychology" is that branch of
psychology which seeks to determine how activity in
the nervous system is related to behavior & the mind.
• Human behavior involves the body-mind interaction of
the various bodily factors. The most important are:
1. The sense organs, called receptors.
2. The muscles & endocrine glands called effectors
3. The nervous system known as the connecting or
integrating mechanism.

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 RECEPTORS

• Behavior in all its forms & shapes has definitely a

biological or physiological base.

• The behavior is based on the various stimuli present in

the external environment & lying within our body.

• The stimuli in the form of various sensor experiences

are received by our sensory systems known as receptors
 RECEPTORS
External Receptors
• External receptors are those
sensory mechanisms that
help us make contact with the
outer world, for example,
eyes, ears, nose, tongue &
skin.
• The specific receptor cells for
receiving the external stimuli
lie within these sensory
systems.
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 RECEPTORS
Internal Receptors
• These receptors are associated
with the internal stimuli present in
our body.
• They are responsible for feelings
of pain, hunger or nausea.
• Another variety of these internal
receptors helps us in maintaining
balance, bodily posture &
equilibrium & also exercise
control over the muscle.

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 RECEPTORS
Sense Organs
• Our sense organs help in
adapting knowledge of the
world around us. Each of our
sense organs has a distinct
function to perform.
• Sense organs consist of
receptors, which are specialized
sensitive cells associated with
ending of sensory nerve fibers.
These receptors are stimulated
by objects outside the body &
also by internal conditions.

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 EFFECTORS
• Effectors are termed as the organs of responses.
• What is received through the sensory organs in
the form of sensory input is responded through
bodily reactions & motor activities carried out
through muscles & glands, particularly the
hormones secreted by the ductless gland which
are responsible for most of our behavior patterns.
• The under-activity or over-activity of these
glands, causes deficiency or excess of hormonal
secretion.
• This affects the entire personality make-up of the
individual.
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 EFFECTORS
Muscles
• Our behavior & activity involves
movement of different parts of
our body.
• Muscles help the organism to
carry out motor activities in
order to respond to various
stimuli.
• There are mainly three types of
muscle – smooth muscles,
cardiac muscles & skeletal
muscles.
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 EFFECTORS
Glands
• Glands play an important role in
human behavior.
• They also assist in the digestion
of food, elimination of waste
products, production &
prolongation of emotion states &
regulation of metabolism of the
body.
• There are two types of glands:
1. Duct glands
2. Ductless or endocrine glands.
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 EFFECTORS
Glands

• The duct glands release their chemical

secretion through little ducts or tubes into the
body cavities or on the surface of the body.
Some of the duct glands are
 Salivary glands
 Gastric glands
 Sweat glands
 Lacrimal glands
 Kidney glands
 Sex glands
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 EFFECTORS
Glands
• The ductless or endocrine glands secrete chemical
substances called hormones.
• The hormones are released into blood stream & are
carried to all parts of the body.
• They play a vital role in the determination of human
personality.
• They affect the development of the body, general
metabolism, mental development, development of
secondary sex characteristics & emotional behavior.
• The endocrine glands are:

The pituitary Parathyroid Male sex glands or gonads

Thyroid Adrenals Pancreas
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 CONNECTORS
• Connectors or adjustors help in regulating,
controlling or coordinating the activities of
receptors & effectors
• The ability to play a piano drive a car or hit a
tennis ball depends on muscle co-
ordination.
• It is necessary for the body to provide
messages to the muscles to coordinate.
• These messages are passed through
specialized cells called neurons.

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 CONNECTORS
Neuron
• A nerve cell with all its branches is
called a neuron.
• These are the basic elements of
the nervous system.
• A neuron has a nucleus, a cell
body & a cell membrane to
enclose the whole cell body called
dendrites.
• Their role is to receive message
through electrical impulses from
the sense organs or adjacent
neurons & carry them to the cell
body.
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 CONNECTORS
Neuron
• The messages from the cell body further travel
the length of a nerve fiber known as the axon.
• There are three types of neurons.
 The sensory neurons – they help in the process
of sensation & perception.
 The motor neurons – they are responsible for
physical movements & activation of glands.
 The inter-neurons or association neurons – they
carry signals in the form of memories & thoughts
& add reflex or automatic activities.

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 CONNECTORS
Neural Impulse
• Neurons are the receivers & transmitters of
messages.
• These messages are always in the form of
electrochemical impulses.
• There is a fluid-filled space called the synapse
between the axon of the neuron & the receiving
dendrite of the next neurons.
• Enlargements of the axon endings of the
transmitting neurons called boutons, contain
neuro-transmitter chemicals which are stored in
small vesicles.
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 Select Neurotransmitters
• Neurotransmitters are a particularly important link between the nervous
system & behavior.
• Deficiency or an excess of a neurotransmitter can produce severe
behavior disorders.
Acetylcholine (Ach)
– Involved in muscle movement and memory
Serotonin
– Involved in mood and sleep- Depression

Dopamine
– Involved in movement and reward systems Schizophrenia, Parkinson‘s

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

– Inhibitory NT

Norepinephrine
– Involved in excitement, mood, and sympathetic nervous system activation-
Bipolar
Opioids
– Involved in pathways that reduce pain
 NERVOUS SYSTEM
• The human nervous system can be divided
into two parts
Peripheral Nervous
Central Nervous
System
System
It constitutes of the
It constitutes of the
somatic system &
brain & spinal cord
autonomic system

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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

BRAIN

Hindbrain
Forebrain - Medulla
- Thalamus Midbrain - Pons
- Hypothalamus Cerebellum
- Limbic system
- Cerebral cortex

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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The forebrain
• It‟s important structures are
thalamus, hypothalamus,
limbic system & the
cerebrum.
• All sensory impulses pass
through from thalamus to the
higher centers.
• The thalamus has plays a
role in the control of sleep &
alertness.
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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Hypothalamus
• It lies below the thalamus.
• It exerts a key influence on all
kind of emotional as well as
motivational behavior.
• Centers in the hypothalamus
have control over the important
body processes like eating,
drinking, sleeping, temperature
control & sex.

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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The limbic system
• It consists of structures in the
thalamus, hypothalamus &
cerebrum which form a ring
around the lower part of the
forebrain.
• The limbic system often called the
emotional brain, functions in
emotional aspects of behavior
related to survival, memory, smell,
pleasure & pain, anger &
aggression, affections, sexual
desire etc.
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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The Cerebrum
• It is most complex & largest part
of the brain.
• The cerebrum is covered by a
thick layer of tightly packed
neurons called the cerebral
cortex.
• It is divided into two
hemispheres; the left & right
hemispheres.

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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The midbrain
• It is concerned with the relaying of
messages particularly those related to
hearing & sight to higher brain centers.
• One of its important structures is known as
Reticular Activating System (RAS).
• With the help of this structure an individual
is able to decide which impulses should be
registered consciously & which should be
rejected.
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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
The midbrain
• It is composed of three structures, the medulla, the
pons & the cerebellum.
• Medulla controls breathing & many important
reflexes & it also regulates the digestion, respiration
& circulation.
• The pons assists in breathing, transmitting impulses
from the cerebellum to the higher brain regions.
• Cerebellum is responsible for body balance & the
coordination of body movements like dancing,
typing, playing, etc.

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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Spinal Cord
• It works as a channel of communication from
& to the brain.
• It is a rope like structure made up of long
round nerve fibers.
• It also works as an organ for effective reflex
actions like withdrawal of the hand when
something is hot.
• These reflex actions are almost automatic in
nature.
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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Localization of mental functions in the brain

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 NERVOUS SYSTEM
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Peripheral Nervous System
Made up of long axons & dendrites, it contains all
parts of the nervous system other than the brain
& spinal cord

Somatic division Automatic division

(Voluntary) (Involuntary)

Sympathetic division Parasympathetic division

Acts to clam the body after an emergency

Acts to prepare the body in stressful
situation has engaged the sympathetic
emergency situations, engaging
division, provides a means for the body to
resources to respond to a threat
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 BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
• The entire behavior is effectively managed &
controlled by the co-ordination & functioning
of the nervous system.
• How we will behave in a particular situation
depends upon the judgment of our brain.
• The sense impressions, which are received
through the sense organs, do not bear any
significance unless they are given a meaning
by the nervous system.

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