6. • From an evolutionary-biological
perspective, the function of the
brain is to provide coherent
control over the actions of an
animal. A centralized brain allows
groups of muscles to be co-
activated in complex patterns; it
also allows stimuli impinging on
one part of the body to evoke
responses in other parts, and it can
prevent different parts of the body
from acting at cross-purposes to
each other.
7. • To generate purposeful and unified
action, the brain first brings information
from sense organs together at a central
location. It then processes this raw data to
extract information about the structure of
the environment. Next it combines the
processed sensory information with
information about the current needs of an
animal and with memory of past
circumstances. Finally, on the basis of the
results, it generates motor response
patterns that are suited to maximize the
welfare of the animal. These signal-
processing tasks require intricate
interplay between a variety of functional
subsystems
8. • Serve as a conduit for
motor information, which
travels down the spinal
cord.
• Serve as a conduit for
sensory information, which
travels up the spinal cord.
• Serve as a center for
coordinating certain
reflexes.
9. • A nerve is a fiber that
connects the brain and
spinal cord with various
parts of the body (aka -
receptor organs). Nerves
conduct impulses from the
brain/spinal cord to these
receptor organs as well as
conducting impulses from
the receptor organs back to
the brain/spinal cord.
