TOPIC: BIOLOGY OF

BEHAVIOUR

Topic Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify the parts of the neurons and the function of each
2. Describe how the brain and spinal cord interact and respond to
external experiences
3. Identify the main lobes of the brain
4. Describe the functions of different parts of the brain
5. Identify the functions of the receptor, effector, muscles, and
glands
 WHAT IS BIOLOGICAL
PSYCHOLOGY?
• This approach tries to explain human behaviour in
terms of our biology.
• What behaviour can be determined by our biology?
 INTRODUCTION

• The biology of behaviour is the study of behavioural 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 behaviour & the mind.
• Human behaviour involves the body-mind interaction of the various bodily
factors. The most important are:
• The sense organs, called receptors.
• The muscles & endocrine glands called effectors
• The nervous system known as the connecting or integrating mechanism.
• This approach views behaviour as being determined
by our biology. This includes:
• Our Central Nervous System (CNS) – Brain and spinal cord
• Our Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) - voluntary & involuntary
• Our Genes
• Our hormones
• Disease, injury, substance abuse (drug, 强力胶 )
DO YOU THINK THE BRAIN CAN AFFECT OUR
BEHAVIOUR?
• Researchers looked at individuals who have suffered a brain injury and observed the
changes in their behaviour.
• Without researching brain injury it would have been difficult to show any evidence that the
brain plays a part in behaviour.
 PHINEAS GAGE

• Phineas Gage suffered an accident where a large

rod was blasted through his skull and brain.
• Accident destroyed his left frontal lobe.
• He survived this ordeal but it was reported that his
behaviour changed after the event. He became anti-
social and ill-mannered.
• His friends said “Gage was no longer Gage.”
VIDEO ABOUT PHINEAS GAGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ZKaDWu2zFG0
 NERVOUS SYSTEM

• The human nervous system can be divided into

two parts;
• Central Nervous System : constitutes of the brain &
spinal cord

• Peripheral Nervous System : constitutes of the

somatic system & autonomic system
 THE SPINAL CORD

• It works as a channel of communication

(carries electrical nerve signals) from & to
the brain to parts of the body.
• 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.
 THE BRAIN

Divided into 2 hemispheres

Left hemisphere -> right half of the body
Right hemisphere -> left half of the body
Corpus callosum- communication between 2 hemispheres
 THE BRAIN

• The brain has different areas which control

everything that we do from our emotions to
our movements.
• Each has its own function.
• There are 3 major parts of a brain
• Hindbrain
• Midbrain
• Forebrain
 THE HINDBRAIN

• Life support

• Its important structures are pons, medulla and

cerebellum, which coordinates functions that are
fundamental to survival.

• Pons: involved in sleep and arousal, and respiration

• Cerebellum: controls bodily balance and involved in
several intellectual function coordination
• Medulla: Regulating unconscious functions; breathing,
circulation. And heart rate
 THE MIDBRAIN

• Relay Station
• Coordinates sensory information
between brain, eyes, and ears

• Is associated with vision, hearning,

motor control, sleep and wakefulness,
arousal (alertness), and temperature
regulation
 THE FOREBRAIN

• Higher Mental Processes

• Its important structures are limbic system and

cerebral cortex
•
• Cerebral cortex: responsible for sophisticated,
uniquely human information processing
• Frontal lobe
• Temporal lobe
• Parietal lobe
• Occipital lobe
 THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

• It consists of structures in the thalamus,

hypothalamus & cerebrum
• The limbic system often called as
emotional brain, functions in emotional
aspects of behaviour related to survival,
memory, smell, pleasure & pain, rage &
aggression, affections, sexual desire etc.
 THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

damage • Severe memory impairment

• Hippocampus
• Detrimental to spatial memory
• Episodic memory
• Spatial navigation
• Learning
• Emotions

• Amygdala damage • Aggression, irritability, loss of control of

• Emotional responses emotions,
• Formation of new memory • Deficit in recognizing emotions especially fear
• Fear learning
• Fight or flight response
 THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

• Hypothalamus damage • Aggressive behaviour, feeling over stresses

• Homeostasis • Hypo/hyperthermia, fatigue, weight gain/loss
• Active/ underactive sex drive
• Controls autonomic functions
• Regulates sexual motivation and
behaviour

damage • Sensory issues (tingling, numbness)

• Thalamus
• Motor impairments
• Relays sensory and motor signals
• Insomnia
from various parts to the cerebral cortex • Vision loss or light sensitivity
• Alertness, sleep, consciousness • Attention and memory problems
• Learning and memory
 INSIDE THE BRAIN - NEURONS

• The brain is full of neurons – more than 100 billion!

 NEURONS
• These neurons carry signals electrically along their axon and chemically across a synapse.
• A synapse is a gap between two neurons.
• Neurons never touch !!!
• To communicate they send chemicals across the synapse and these are picked up by the
other neuron.
• Neurons are the receivers & transmitters of messages.
• These messages are always in the form of electrochemical impulses.
 TYPES OF NEURONS

• The messages from the cell body further travel the

length of a nerve fiber known as the axon.
• There are three types of neurons.
Afferent neurons- sensory neurons, they help in the process of
sensation & perception.

Efferent neurons- motor neurons, they are responsible for

physical movements & activation of glands.

The inter-neurons or association neurons – pass signals from

sensory neurons and other interneurons to motor neurons and
other interneurons.
 SYNAPSE

There is a fluid-filled space called the synapse between the axon of the
neuron & the receiving dendrite of the next neurons.

Neuron sending the

chemical signal

Chemicals being released

into the synapse

Neuron picking up the

chemical signal
 RECEPTORS

• Behaviour in all its forms & shapes has definitely a biological or physiological base.
• The behaviour is based on the various stimuli present in the external environment &
lying within our body.
• The stimuli in the form of various sensory experiences are received by our sensory
systems known as receptors.
 RECEPTORS

EXTERNAL RECEPTORS INTERNAL RECEPTORS

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

• Our behaviour & 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
 GLANDS

• Glands – an organ that creates and secretes one or more

chemical substances.

• 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:

• Duct glands - passageway that carries substances to specific
location
• Ductless or endocrine glands – releases hormones directly into
the bloodstream
 HORMONES

• Hormones – a substance secreted by an endocrine gland that regulates various body

functions.
• 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, growth, mental
development, development of secondary sex characteristics & emotional behaviour.
• Growth hormones
• Prolactin
• Vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone)
• Oxytocin
• Melatonin
MINI QUIZ 1- WEEK 3
• State 4 lobes in our brain.
• State the lobe that control our academic / intellectual?
• What is limbic system?
• State 3 types of neurons.
• State 3 types of muscles.
• Draw and describe the components of neuron!
• What you understand about “ Biopsychology”?
THANK YOU