Biological Basis of

Behavior

MARIAM HAFEEZ
LECTURER
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES
What is Neuron?

 The neuron is the basic working unit of the brain.

 Neuron is a specialized cell designed to transmit
information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells.
 You have over 100 billion neurons in your brain sending
signals.
Structure of Neuron
Structure of Neuron

 Neurons have long extensions that extend out from the cell
body called dendrites and axons.
 Dendrites are extensions of neurons that receive signals and
conduct them toward the cell body.
 Axon is extension of neuron that send signals away from the
neuron towards the body.
 A Myelin sheath covers the axon and boosts the speed at
which neuron can fire off signals.
 Synapse: connection formed between two neurons
when the axon bulb of one neuron comes into close
proximity with the dendrite of another neuron.
 Pre-synaptic: The neuron that is sending the signal
at the synapse in the nervous system.
 Post-synaptic: The neuron that is receiving the
signal at the synapse in the nervous system
Function of Neuron

 Neurons send chemical signals called neurotransmitters,

and they work quickly to help you react to everything going
on around you.
Structure of Nervous system

 Nervous system is an electro chemical system of

communication within the body that uses cells called
neurons to convey information.
 Nervous system is divided into
1. Central Nervous system
2. Peripheral Nervous system
Peripheral Nervous System

 It is equipped with
1. sensory neurons that convey information to CNS
from the outside world
2. Interneurons that process information within the
brain.
3. Motor neurons that transmit commands from the
brain to the muscle fiber.
Peripheral Nervous System

 It is divided into
1. Somatic nervous system (governs sensory and
voluntary motor actions in the body. For example
…………………………….
2. Autonomic nervous system (governs
involuntary organ functioning and actions in the
body). For example …………………………………….
Peripheral Nervous System

 Autonomic nervous system is further divided into

1. Sympathetic nervous system (active during
time of danger and stress. Flight or fight ).
2. Para-sympathetic nervous system (active
during times of normal functioning).
Central Nervous System

 CNS is divided into

Brain
1. Hind Brain
2. Mid Brain
3. Fore Brain
Spinal Cord
31 pairs of spinal nerves in human body
Brain

It is further divided into

1. Hind Brain (most primitive part, comprises of medulla
oblongata, pons, and cerebellum)
2. Mid Brain (connects hind brain with fore brain)
3. Fore Brain (constitute of cerebral cortex, limbic system,
thalamus, hypothalamus and basal ganglia)
Hind Brain

 It is further divided into

1. Medulla oblongata: Controls basic life sustaining functions
such as respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure).
2. Pons:Plays a role in respiration, consciousness, sleep,
dreaming, facial movement, sensory processes, and the
transmission of neural signals from one part of brain to
another.
3. Cerebellum: It plays a role in balance, muscle tone, and
coordination of motor movements.
Mid brain

 It connects hind brain to forebrain.

 One of the important structure is Reticular Activating
system (RAS) that regulates conscious arousal, auditory and
visual functioning, attention and sleep.
Fore Brain

 It is further divided into

1. cerebral cortex,
2. limbic system,
3. basal ganglia
4. thalamus,
5. hypothalamus
 Fore Brain

 Cerebral Cortex:
 consist of approx. 2 millimeter thick wrinkled layer.
 Highest level of cognitive and mental processes.
 It is divided into four regions called lobes
1. Frontal lobe (plays role in thinking, planning, decision making, language).
2. Parietal lobe (plays role in touch, pressure, pain and certain cognitive
processes like reading)
3. Occipital lobe (plays role in visual processes)
4. Temporal lobe (plays role in auditory processing, language)
Fore Brain

 Thalamus: (functions as a sensory rely station which

receives all kinds of sensory information before being sent to
appropriate part of cortex).
 Hypothalamus: maintains homeostasis involving sleep,
hunger, thirst, body temperature with the help of hormones.
Fore Brain

 Limbic system: Regulates some of the basic emotional reactions. It is

further divided into
1. Amygdala (plays a role in emotions of fear and aggression)
2. Hippocampus (plays a role in transfer of information from short to
long term memory)
 Basal Ganglia: Controls movement and is involved in judgement that
requires minimal conscious thought. Damage may affect posture and
muscle tone and might cause abnormal movements.
Spinal cord

 The part of central nervous system that transmits information from

sensory neurons to the brain and from the brain to motor neurons that
initiate movement.
 It is also involved in reflex actions.
 Spinal cord is segmented (31 pairs), each segment controlling different
part of the body.
 Damage to spinal cord may cause loss of feeling and paralysis at all
levels below the injury.