BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF

BEHAVIOUR

NERVOUS SYSTEM
Cells
o

Neuron

Glial cells

NEURON CONT.
STRUCTURE

Cell body
o Dendrites
o Axon
o Axon terminals
o

GLIAL CELLS

GLIAL CELLS
More

abundant

Early

brain development

Functions

SYNAPSE
Presynaptic

neuron
Postsynaptic neuron
Synaptic cleft
Synaptic vesicles

TRANSMISSION OF
NEURAL IMPULSES
Resting

potential
oPolarisation
Action potential
oDepolarisation
o Hyperpolarisation

TRANSMISSION OF
NEURAL IMPULSES CONT.
All-or-nothing

law
Refractory period

NEUROTRANSMITTE
RS
Types
Effects

on behaviour

DIVISIONS OF THE
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Central nervous
system
Peripheral nervous
system

DIVISIONS OF THE
CENTRAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM
BRAIN
SPINAL

CORD

DIVISIONS OF THE BRAIN

Fore

brain
Midbrain
Hind brain

FORE BRAIN
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Cerebrum

THALAMUS
Location
Structure
Functions

HYPOTHALAMUS
Location
Structure
Function

CEREBRUM
Location
Structure
Function

STRUCTURES OF THE
CEREBRUM
Hemispheres
Cortex
Sulci
Fissures
Gyri

FUNCTIONAL AREAS
Motor

area
Sensory area

CEREBRAL LOBES
Frontal

lobe
Parietal lobe
Occipital lobe
Temporal lobe

FRONTAL LOBE
Location: infront of
central sulcus/fissure
Primary

area; fine

FRONTAL LOBE CONT.

Left

frontal lobe; Brocas

speech area
Most

anterior; sensory

system

FRONTAL LOBE CONT.

Functions;

planning

movements, regulating
emotional expression
Memories

of current and

FRONTAL LOBE CONT.

Damage;

inability to

organise and sequence

behaviour,

FRONTAL LOBE CONT.

Damage;

inability to

organise and sequence

behaviour,

FRONTAL LOBE CONT.

generate appropriate
social response,
use appropriate
strategies for retrieving
memories

PARIETAL LOBE
Location; Behind
central sulcus/fissure
Somatosensory
cortex; touch

PARIETAL LOBE CONT.

Sensation

and perception;

Environmentalmovements
Location

of objects in

space in relation to own

body

PARIETAL LOBE CONT.

Experience

own body
as it moves through
space
Performance of
sensory tasks

OCCIPITAL LOBE
Location;

Back behind

the parietal lobe

Function;
Damage;

vision

Blindness

TEMPORAL LOBE
Location;

behind

central sulcus/fissure,
below parietal lobe and
infront of ocipital lobe

TEMPORAL LOBE
Left

temporal lobe;

Werniches speech area

Function; language

comprehension

TEMPORAL LOBE
Damage;

Wernickes
aphasia; difficulty in
understanding
meaning of words and
sentences

THALAMUS
Location;

above
hypothalamus
Structure; Avocado, size of
a tip of a finger
Function; Process
information

HYPOTHALAMUS
Location:

Below thalamus

Function;

Controls

pituitary gland emotions,

HYPOTHALAMUS CONT.
rhythms

for sleep,

sexual activity ,
temperature regulation,
hunger and thirst.

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

Structure; Cingulate

gyrus, amygdala, dentate

gyrus, parahippocampal
gyrus and hippocampus

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM CONT.

Function:

emotion memory

learning and motivation

Septa

area; pleasure,

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

CONT.

relief

of pain and other

bad emotional
experiences, avoidance of
painful stimuli

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

CONT.
Amygdala; learning and
memory, links feelings
with other experiences,
expression of emotions

THE LIMBIC SYSTEM CONT.

Hippocampus;certain

kinds of memory

BASAL GANGLIA
Location;

close to

thalamus and
hypoyhalamus

BASAL GANGLIA
Composition;

Caudate

nucleus, globus
pallidus, and putamen

BASAL GANGLIA
Function;

Movement,

moods and memory

MIDBRAIN
Location;

between

forebrain and hindbrain

Structure;

Tectum and

tegmentum

MIDBRAIN
Tectum;

roof; route for

sensory information
Tegmentum;
movement and arousal
Visual and auditory
reflexes

HINDBRAIN
Divisions;

medulla

oblongata, Pons and

cerebellum

MEDULLA OBLONGATA
Location;

just above
spinal cord
Function; controls and
regulates vital processes
like breathing, heart beat
Damage; alcohol and
drugs; death

PONS
Location;

between the two

cerebellar hemispheres
Function;

arousal

sleep and

CEREBELLUM
Location;

behind pons
and medulla oblongata
Structure; Two
hemispheres,
Function; coordinates
movement, balance

SPINAL CORD
Location;

vertebral
column, extending
from medulla
Structure; cylindrical,
butterfly shaped

SPINAL CORD

transmission of nerve

impulses

Function; Process

information

THE PERIPHERAL NERVOUS

SYSTEM
DIVISIONS
Somatic

nervous system

Autonomic

system

nervous

THE SOMATIC NERVOUS

SYSTEM
Sensory
Sensory

components of
mixed spinal and cranial
nerves (oculomotor nerve)

THE SOMATIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
CONT.
Motor nerves
Motor components of
spinal and cranial
nerves

THE AUTONOMIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
motor behaviour
Reflexes
Supportive, raising and
reducing energy
production

SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS
SYSTEM
Sympathomimetic

effect of adrenalin
Energy production
Pupil dilatation
Fast heart beat

SYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
CONT.
Bronchial dilatation
Raised BP
Skeletal muscle
vasodilatation

SYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
CONT.
Skin and digestive
organ vasoconstriction
Spleen release more
RBC

THE
PARASYMPATHETIC
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Opposite of SNS
Anabolic

processes

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

PITUITARY

GLAND
THYROID GLAND
PARATHYROID GLAND
PANCREAS
ADRENAL GLAND
GOADS/SEX GALNDS

THE PITUITARY GLAND

Structure;

small,
slightly oval, 14cm in
diametre

THE PITUITARY GLAND

Anterior/adenohypophysi

s
posterior/neurhypophysis

ANTERIOR PITUITARY SECRETIONS

Thyrotropin;

TTH
Adrenocorticotrophin ;
ACTTH
Growth hormone
Gonadotrophin

POSTERIOR PITUITARY
SECRETIONS
Oxytocin
Vasopressin

THE THYROID GLAND

Location;

below the

larynx
Structure; 2 lobes
connected by narrow
strip of glandular tissue

THYROID SECRETIONS
Thyroxin;
Oversecretion;Thyrotoxicosis/hy

perthyroidism/myxedema
Hypothyroidism/undersecretioncr

etinism/dwarfism

THE PARATHYROID
GLANDS

Location;

back of thyroid
Structure; smallest, four in
number
Secretions; Parathormone
Under secretion; raised
neuromuscular excitability
Over secretion;

THE PANCREAS
Location;

Below stomach
Structure; Islets of
Langerhans
Secretions; Insulin and
glucagon

THE PANCREAS CONT.

Undersecretion;

hyperglycaemia,
hypoglycaemia
Glucagon controls
BSL

ADRENAL GLANDS
Location;

top of kidneys

Structure;

Pyramidal in

shape, 2 in number,
cortex and medulla

SECRETIONS

Cortex;

ACTH

Undesecretion;

disease
Oversecretion

Addisons

MEDULLARY SECRETIONS
Medulla;

Adrenalin/epinephrine;sympath
etic,
noradrenalin/norepinephrine;
parasympathetic