Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience

by Elizabeth D. Kirby, Melissa J. Glenn, Noah J. Sandstrom and Christina L. Williams

Published by OpenStax

BiologyPsychologyCollege

Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience aligns to the topics and objectives of introductory behavioral neuroscience courses taught in psychology, biology, neuroscience, and similar departments. This offering is intended for undergraduates with no presumed college-level science coursework, and presents the foundational principles of brain-behavior-environment interactions. In Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience , students will begin to understand how the physiology of the nervous system and the environment dictate our movements, thoughts and feelings. Students will be challenged to think about real neuroscience experiments, appreciate how neuroscience knowledge evolves over time, and consider open questions in the field. They will also be invited to learn about the people behind the science, such as through interview videos and researcher profiles. The development of this material was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under IOS-2035041 to Elizabeth Kirby. The opinions, descriptions, recommendations, and findings are those of the contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF. An Affordable Learning Exchange grant to Elizabeth Kirby from the Ohio State University also supported development of this material.

Teach with this book. Sign up free Already have an account? Log in

Adopted pages stay linked to the book. Make your own copy of any page to change it for your class.

Attribution

Adapted from Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience by Elizabeth D. Kirby, Melissa J. Glenn, Noah J. Sandstrom, and Christina L. Williams, published by OpenStax (Rice University) under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/). Access the original for free at https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-behavioral-neuroscience. Changes: converted to CuraCourse lessons, with interactive practice added.

125 pages in 21 modules. Sign up to read and adopt them.

Preface1 page
1. Preface
1Structure and Function of the Nervous System: Cells and Anatomy7 pages
1. Introduction
2. 1.1Building a Nervous System
3. 1.2Organization of the Nervous System
4. 1.3The Central Nervous System: CNS
5. 1.4The Brain: Structure and Function
6. 1.5The Peripheral Nervous System: PNS
7. Practice
2Neurophysiology7 pages
1. Introduction
2. 2.1Neural Communication
3. 2.2Neural Circuits
4. 2.3Principles of Bioelectricity
5. 2.4Mechanisms of Neural Signaling
6. 2.5Our Deep but Still Incomplete Understanding of Neural Signaling
7. Practice
3Basic Neurochemistry5 pages
1. Introduction
2. 3.1General Neurochemistry Principles
3. 3.2Neurotransmitters Made from Amino Acids
4. 3.3Neurotransmitters Made from Fats
5. Practice
4Comparative Neuroscience8 pages
1. Introduction
2. 4.1How Do We Choose A Model System?
3. 4.2How Do We Compare Brains?
4. 4.3How Do Brains Vary in Size?
5. 4.4How Do Connections Differ Across Species?
6. 4.5How Can Diverse Species Help Us Make Inferences about Human Neurobiology?
7. 4.6How Can Brain Organoids Help Us Make Inferences about Brain Evolution?
8. Practice
5Neurodevelopment6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 5.1Gastrulation and Formation of the Neural Tube (Neurulation)
3. 5.2Growth and Development of the Early Brain
4. 5.3Synapse Formation and Maturation
5. 5.4Experience Dependent Plasticity
6. Practice
6Vision8 pages
1. Introduction
2. 6.1An Overview of the Visual System
3. 6.2The Retina
4. 6.3Visual Processing Begins in Bipolar, Horizontal, Amacrine and Ganglion Cells
5. 6.4The Thalamus and Primary Visual Cortex
6. 6.5Extrastriate Cortex
7. 6.6Unsolved Questions In Visual Perception
8. Practice
7Hearing and Balance6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 7.1Acoustic Cues and Signals
3. 7.2How Does Acoustic Information Enter the Brain?
4. 7.3How Does the Brain Process Acoustic Information?
5. 7.4Balance: A Sense of Where You Are
6. Practice
8The Chemical Senses7 pages
1. Introduction
2. 8.1The Chemical Senses are Several Distinct Sensory Systems
3. 8.2The Gustatory System
4. 8.3The Olfactory System
5. 8.4Chemethesis, Spices, and Solitary Chemosensory Cells
6. 8.5Influences That Shape Perception of Smell and Flavor
7. Practice
9Touch and Pain6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 9.1Somatosensory Receptors
3. 9.2Somatosensation in the Central Nervous System
4. 9.3Pain and Itch
5. 9.4Pain Relief
6. Practice
10Motor Control5 pages
1. Introduction
2. 10.1The Physiological Actions Implementing Movement – Contraction of Muscles
3. 10.2Eliciting Contractions from Lower Levels – Lower Motoneurons and Reflex Arcs
4. 10.3Our Brain Gets Involved – Responsibilities of Upper Motor Systems
5. Practice
11Sexual Behavior and Development6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 11.1Understanding Sexual Reproduction and Sexual Dimorphism
3. 11.2Mechanisms of Sexual Determination and Differentiation
4. 11.3Sex Differences in Brain and Behavior: Genetic, Hormonal, and Environmental Mechanisms
5. 11.4Sex Differences in Brain Circuits and Susceptibility to Psychiatric Disease
6. Practice
12Stress6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 12.1What Is Stress?
3. 12.2Neural Mechanisms and Circuitry of the Stress Response
4. 12.3Interindividual Variability and Resilience in Response to Stress
5. 12.4Clinical Implications of Stress
6. Practice
13Emotion and Mood6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 13.1Foundational and Contemporary Theories of Emotion
3. 13.2What Category of Feelings Are Considered as the “Basic Emotions”?
4. 13.3What Is the Contribution of Brain Structures in Emotional States?
5. 13.4Mood and Emotional Disorders Associated with Depression
6. Practice
14Psychopharmacology6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 14.1Basic Principles of Pharmacology
3. 14.2Psychotherapeutics
4. 14.3Neural Circuitry of Drug Reward
5. 14.4Neurobiology of Addiction
6. Practice
15Biological Rhythms and Sleep7 pages
1. Introduction
2. 15.1What Are Circadian Rhythms?
3. 15.2Where Are Rhythms in the Brain?
4. 15.3Regulation of Sleep
5. 15.4Disorders of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
6. 15.5Circadian Rhythms and Society
7. Practice
16Homeostasis7 pages
1. Introduction
2. 16.1Principles of Homeostasis
3. 16.2Neural Control of Blood Oxygenation Levels
4. 16.3Neural Control of Core Body Temperature
5. 16.4Neural Control of Feeding Behavior
6. 16.5Neural Control of Drinking Behavior
7. Practice
17Neuroimmunology6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 17.1Cells and Messengers of the Immune System
3. 17.2What Does Your Immune System Have to Do with Your Behavior?
4. 17.3How Does the Brain Talk to the Immune System?
5. 17.4What Do Immune System Signals Do Once They Reach the Brain?
6. Practice
18Learning and Memory6 pages
1. Introduction
2. 18.1Memory is Classified Based on Time Course and Type of Information Stored
3. 18.2Implicit Memories: Associative vs. Nonassociative Learning
4. 18.3Explicit Memories: Episodic and Semantic Memories
5. 18.4Synaptic Mechanisms of Long-Term Memory
6. Practice
19Attention and Executive Function8 pages
1. Introduction
2. 19.1What are the Different Psychological Processes Associated with Attention?
3. 19.2How is Attention Implemented in the Brain?
4. 19.3What Happens to Unattended Information?
5. 19.4What is the Relationship between Attention and Eye Movements?
6. 19.5How Do Clinical Disorders Affect Attentional Function?
7. 19.6How Do We Use Executive Functions to Make Decisions and Achieve Goals?
8. Practice
Appendices1 page
1. AMethods

Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience

Table of contents