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Mirror neurons
- 1. “I never teach my pupils, I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.”
- 2. The Biological Basis of BehaviorThe Biological Basis of Behavior Chapter 2 Presented by: Ahmed Nagy, BSc. Pharmacy Teaching Assistant, BMS, Zewail city
- 5. Neurons & how they workNeurons & how they work
- 11. Mirror neurons & Behavior
- 16. Lasting Issues
- 17. Neural Plasticity and Neurogenesis Experience can lead to significant changes in number of complexity of synaptic connections in brain Professor Mark R. Rosenzweig
- 18. Brain Growth and Experience
- 22. Divisions of the brain
- 23. The Four Lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
- 25. • The Limbic System – fully developed only in mammals, it plays a role in learning and emotional behavior. • Hippocampus – plays an essential role in the formation of new memories. • Amygdala – governs and regulates emotions and establishes emotional memories.
- 26. A Tool for Studying the Brain FMRI
- 28. • The peripheral nervous system links the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. It consists of: • Afferent Neurons – carry messages from the sense organs to the spinal cord and brain. • Efferent Neurons – carry messages from the spinal cord and brain to the muscles and glands.
- 30. • The peripheral nervous system is subdivided into: • Somatic Nervous System – contains the sensory pathway, or neurons carrying messages to the central nervous system, and the motor pathway, or neurons carrying messages from the central nervous system to the voluntary muscles. • Autonomic Nervous System – carries messages between the central nervous system and the internal organs, governing involuntary activities.
- 32. • The autonomic nervous system consists of the parasympathetic division and the sympathetic division : • Sympathetic Division – comprises our fight-or-flight system, preparing us to react to stress. • Parasympathetic Division – restores and maintains normal day-to-day functioning of the organs, calming the body after it reacts to stress.
- 34. Endocrine System
- 35. Genes, Evolution, and Behavior Two different but related fields
Editor's Notes
- The brain of an average human being contains as many as 100 billion nerve cells or neurons. Neurons vary in size and shape, but they are all specialized to receive and transmit information.
- Sensory (or afferent) neurons - neurons that carry messages from sense organs to spinal cord or brain Motor (or efferent) neurons - neurons that carry messages from spinal cord or brain to muscles and glands Interneurons (or association neurons) - neurons that carry messages from one neuron to another Mirror neurons - specialized neurons that respond when we observe others perform a behavior or express an emotion Glial cells (or glia) - cells that insulate and support neurons by holding them together, provide nourishment and remove waste products, prevent harmful substances from passing into brain, and form myelin sheath
- Action potential - firing of nerve cell Resting potential - electrical charge across neuron membrane as result of positive ions outside and negative ions inside membrane Polarization - condition of neuron when inside is negatively charged relative to outside; when neuron is at rest Ions - Electrically charged particles found both inside and outside neuron
- Synaptic transmission Neurotransmitter molecules, released by synaptic vesicles, cross the tiny synaptic space (or cleft) between an axon terminal (or terminal button) of a sending neuron and a dendrite of a receiving neuron. The neurotransmitters cross the synaptic space. Here they latch on to receptor sites, much as keys fit into locks, and pass on their excitatory or inhibitory messages.
- Neural plasticity The ability of brain to be changed structurally and chemically by experience. Rosenzweig (1984) demonstrated the importance of experience to neural development Rats raised in more complex environments had larger neurons and more synaptic connections Other research has found those rats raised in more complex environments are better at solving problems The brain changes in response to experience. This appears to happen as a response to expertise (e.g. practicing the violin). The strength of the response varies as well as the amount. Adult brains are capable of neurogenesis− the creation of neurons over the course of one’s lifetime. This finding has lead to new research into the potential to grow cells to replace damaged cells or finding ways to encourage damaged cells to repair themselves.
- In Rosenzweig’s experiment, young rats lived in two kinds of cages “impoverished,” with nothing to manipulate or explore or “enriched,” with a variety of objects. When Rosenzweig examined the rats’ brains, he found that the enriched group had larger neurons with synaptic connections (shown as dendrites in the drawing) than the rats that lived in the bare cages. Experience, then, can actually affect the structure of the brain.
- The nervous system is organized into two parts: The central nervous system (CNS), which consists of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system (PNS), is made up of nerves that radiate throughout the body, linking all of the body's parts to the CNS.
- A schematic diagram of the divisions of the nervous system and their various subparts.
- Physically, the brain has three more or less distinct areas: The central core The limbic system The cerebrum Hindbrain Medulla: Controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure Pons: Regulation of sleep/wake cycle Cerebellum: Involved in balance and coordination of movement Midbrain The relay point for hearing and vision One of the places pain is registered Brain structures found in midbrain: superior colliculus, inferior colliculus, substantia nigra Forebrain structures Thalamus: Sensory switchboard Hypothalamus: Governs motivational (hunger, thirst, sex, sleep, and temperature control) and emotional responses Reticular formation A network of neurons in the hindbrain, midbrain, and part of the forebrain The primary function of this network is to alert and arouse the higher parts of the brain Cerebral cortex has four lobes (see next slide)
- Deep fissures in the cortex separate these areas or lobes. Also shown are the primary somatosensor and motor areas.
- Limbic system System of loosely connected structures located between the central core and the cerebral hemispheres Linked primarily to memory, emotions, drives Appears to play a central role in times of stress Hippocampus: Aids in the processing of memory for storage Amygdala: Involved in fear and aggression Hypothalamus: Bodily maintenance functions and pleasurable rewards
- Afferent neurons - carry messages from sense organs to spinal cord and brain Efferent neurons - carry messages from spinal cord to brain
- The peripheral nervous system (PNS) Contains two types of neurons: Afferent neurons, which carry sensory messages to the central nervous system, Efferent neurons, which carry messages from the CNS PNS is divided into two subsystems Somatic nervous system Has neurons involved in making voluntary movements of the skeletal muscles Autonomic nervous system Has neurons involved in governing the actions of internal organs
- Sympathetic division - branch of autonomic nervous system; it prepares body for quick action in an emergency Parasympathetic division - branch of autonomic nervous system; it calms and relaxes body
- Autonomic Nervous System The autonomic nervous system is divided into two parts: The sympathetic division, which acts primarily to arouse the body when it is faced with threat, and The parasympathetic division, which acts to calm the body down, restoring it to normal levels of arousal Sympathetic division Dilates pupils No effect on tear glands Weak stimulation of salivary flow Accelerates heart, constricts arterioles Dilates bronchi Inhibits stomach motility and secretions Parasympathetic division Constricts pupils Stimulates tear glands Strong stimulation of salivary flow Inhibits heart, dilates arterioles Constricts bronchi Stimulates stomach motility & secretion
- Endocrine system works in conjunction with nervous system Endocrine glands- tissues that produce and release hormones Hormones - chemical substances released by glands that help regulate bodily activities
- Genes, Evolution, & Behavior The related fields of behavior genetics and evolutionary psychology explore the influences of heredity on human behavior Both are helping to settle the nature/nurture debate over the relative contributions of genes and the environment to human similarities and differences Two different but related fields contribute to the understanding on influence of heredity on behavior Behavioral genetics - study of relationship between heredity and behavior Evolutionary psychology - study of evolutionary roots of behaviors and mental processes