Basic Elements of Behavior

‘When it comes to building the human brain, nature supplies the construction materials and nurture serves as the architect that puts them together.’  Ronald Kotulak. (Call, 1999)

Inner workings of the brain have always been a mystery.  Experts have developed countless theories about where intelligence comes from and its relationship between nurture and nature.  We have managed to finally calculate the phenomenal number of interconnections that are made among brain cells as they communicate with each other and have technology that allow us to look inside the living brain so that we can observe the chemical activity as thoughts and emotions are processed. (Call, 1999)

It is becoming more and more evident that the first five years of life are more the most critical in physical brain development. Nature versus nurture may determine the ultimate outcome, the actual wiring that occurs in the first five, aids in the intellect of the child. (Call, 1999)

At the most microscopic level, the human brain consists of about one hundred billion nerve cells called Neurons.  These are simple data processors like the chip in a computer they work by firing “action potentials” to send signals from one part of the body to another. The simplest “behavior” is the spinal reflex, and all you need are two neurons. (Call, 1999)

An example of this is the knee jerk reflex. There are sensory neurons in your quadriceps muscle. When the patellar tendon is stretched, it sends a signal to the motor neuron that causes a contraction of the quads, thus bringing the muscle back to its original length. Or another example is the ability to feel and respond to emotions and actually physically express these through Music and art. (Call, 1999)

The brain’s power to handle complex tasks is because of the ability to orchestrate the activities billions of neurons that work together attacking problems, sort of like a symphony conductor. (Call, 1999)

Since their role is to process and communicate vast amounts of information; they require a way to transmit and receive data.  For this they have dendrites, they transmit information, and Axons receive information.  As thought patterns begin to form, the participating neurons communicate and build a stronger dendrite to axon connection.  These are called synapses.  They are formed and strengthened with repeated stimulation and the brain has learned how to solve the problem, and the neurons that don’t generate synapses die off. (Call, 1999)

When the nerves message comes to the end of the axon, it releases a neurotransmitter. Those are the chemicals that carry signals across the synapse to the dendrite.  This is where behavior is more affected, because the excess or deficiency of any type of neurotransmitter causes an imbalance on the person and can produce severe behavior disorder.  These transmitters can carry both an excitatory and an inhibitory message.  Too many excitatory messages can cause a person to act out, and too many inhibitory messages can cause a person to withdraw. ( Feldman, 2008)

An example of these disorders is schizophrenia.  It is a disorder that is affected by the neurotransmitter Dopamine, and it causes the person to become disoriented and paranoid.  The disorder is usually controlled by medication.  Dopamine is a drug used commonly in hospital.( Feldman, 2008)

Neurons are the cells that control every aspect of our brain function.  Therefore they are the Basic elements of behavior.  We understand the brain more and more as we study it.  The more we learn the more effective we become in helping children develop their brain to their full potential.

References

Call, Nicola (1999). About the brain. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from the Brain in learning Web site: http://www.acceleratedlearning.co.uk/brain_in_learning.htm

Feldman, Robert (2008). Understanding psychology:eigth edition. Boston, MA: McGrawHill.v