Neuroscience Basics A Guide to the Brain's Involvement in Everyday Activities

130 Pages·2017·2.12 MB·English

by  Jennifer L. Larimore

NEUROSCIENCE
BASICS
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NEUROSCIENCE
BASICS
’
A Guide to the Brain s Involvement
in Everyday Activities
JENNIFER L. LARIMORE
Agnes Scott College,Decatur, Georgia, UnitedStates
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DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my students who challenge me to be a better
professor, to the lab mates and colleagues who have challenged me to be
a better neuroscientist, my family who has supported and enhanced my
education, my daughters who remind me of what really matters in life,
and to my husband for the endless support and love through my career.
Thank you all!
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CONTENTS
Preface xi
1. How to Build a Human Brain 1
Summary 1
1.1 WhatIstheBrain? 2
1.2 OverviewofBrainDevelopment 2
1.3 BrainDevelopmentSteps 3
1.4 WhatPurposeDoesHumanChildhoodServe?BacktotheSandbox 7
1.5 OrganizationoftheNervousSystem 8
1.6 WhatHappensWhentheBrainIsDamagedorDevelopmentDoesn’tGo
AccordingtothePlan? 11
1.7 Conclusions 16
Bibliography 17
2. 6:00a.m. Timeto Start the Day! How Our Senses Help
UsWakeup! 19
Summary 19
2.1 Cells101 20
2.2 HistoryofCellTheory 22
2.3 SupportCells 23
2.4 ThinkingCells(Neurons) 24
2.5 TheSensesandTheirCells 26
2.6 WhatHappensWhenSensationisAltered? 34
2.7 WhatHappensWhenCellsDoNotFunctionProperly? 35
2.8 Conclusion 38
Bibliography 38
3. 6:35a.m. Timeto Run—How Does the BrainTell Our Muscles
to Move? 39
Summary 39
3.1 HowDoestheBrainMovetheBody? 40
3.2 BackgroundInformationfortheActionPotential 43
3.3 ChemistryandUnbalancedIons 44
3.4 HistoryoftheActionPotential:GiantSquids! 47
3.5 ChemicalMessagesAssociatedWithExercise 47
vii
viii Contents
3.6 WhatHappensWhentheMessageforMovementIsn’tCommunicated? 48
3.7 Conclusion 51
Bibliography 52
4. 9:00 a.m. Lions and Tigers andBears,OhMy! Oh Wait, No,
It’sJust Work! 53
Summary 53
4.1 Stress 54
4.2 BackgroundInformationAboutNeurotransmitters 55
4.3 TypesofChemicalMessages(Neurotransmitters) 56
4.4 LockandKey 57
4.5 StoppingtheChemicalMessages 58
4.6 TypesofCommunications 58
4.7 WhatHappensWhenChemicalMessagesAreMessedUp? 60
4.8 Conclusion 63
Bibliography 64
5. 10:00 a.m. StaffMeeting Aboutthe New Thing and
How We Have to Learn It to Do Our Job! 65
Summary 65
5.1 TypesofLearningandMemory 65
5.2 MovingtheChannels 68
5.3 LearningandMemoryResearch 68
5.4 HowAgingImpactsLearningandMemory 72
5.5 WhatDisordersImpactLearningandMemory? 73
5.6 Conclusion 75
Bibliography 75
6. 11:30 a.m. Hanger: (n) Hunger-Induced Anger 77
Summary 77
6.1 Hunger 77
6.2 Blood(cid:1)BrainBarrier 78
6.3 BrainFood 79
6.4 WhyDoestheBrainWantUstoEat? 80
6.5 WhatHappensWhenThereIsTooLittleBloodorTooMuchDopamine? 81
6.6 Conclusion 84
Bibliography 84
7. 1:00 p.m. Mid-Afternoon Blues 87
Summary 87
7.1 HumanMoodsandHumanBehavior 87
Contents ix
7.2 Taxonomy—TheClassificationofOrganisms 88
7.3 HumanEvolution 91
7.4 WhatWeretheDrivingForcesforHumanBrainEvolution? 93
7.5 HumanEmotions,Behaviors,andMoods 94
7.6 DisordersWithDisruptedEmotions 97
7.7 Conclusion 100
Bibliography 100
8. 10:00 p.m. Counting Sheep 103
Summary 103
8.1 Biorhythms 103
8.2 CircadianRhythms 104
8.3 Sleep 105
8.4 Dreams 106
8.5 SleepResearchImplications—Neuroethics 107
8.6 WhatHappensWhenSleepIsDisrupted? 109
8.7 Conclusion 110
Bibliography 110
Index 113