Brain and Behaviour
Lecture 1
Relationship between Brain and Behaviour
The brain is an organ, physical
Behaviour is action, not physical
Body consists of organs, organs of tissue, tissue of cells
Biggest organ is the skin
The brain is also an organ, consists of nervous tissue, cells are called nerve cells
Nervous system: central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (everything around it:
somatic, nerve fibers to arms and legs and autonomic, internal processes like digestion and
heart rate)
Four lobes: frontal (in front, sends information out, for future interaction), parietal (top),
temporal (bottom) and occipital (in the back, receptive, for past experiences)
Two hemispheres: left and right
Gyrus/Gyri: folds in the brain
Cerebral cortex: outer layer
Two matters: outside is gray matter (nerve cells), inside is white matter (nerve fibers), also
reticular matter (net shaped, fibers and cells)
Behaviour: patterns in time, like movement, speech, attitude, but also blushing. Thoughts
are therefore also behaviour. Any form of movement in a living organism.
Evolution
Phylogenetic development: the development of higher species from lower species (fish,
higher species, develops from cells, lower species)
Phylo: species, so the development of species
Ontogenetic development: development of the individual from semen + ovary
Nature vs. Nurture
Our common ancestor is the australopithecus, which is a southern ape (northeastern africa).
Their brain size was a lot less than the modern man.
For example, men and chimpanzees only differ 1% in their DNA
Hominids:
- common ancestor originated ~ 5 million years ago
- primates who walked upright
- all hominids evolved from this ancestor
- even extinct strains
Australopithecus → Homo habilis (used simple tools) → Homo erectus (upright) →
,Homo sapien (knowing man)
About the human brain:
- The size (1500 cm3)
- Encephalization quotient (EQ): brain weight / expected brain weight
- Our brain weight tripled in 4 million years time, australopithecus 2.5 EQ to homo sapien 7.0
EQ. Our lifestyle, brain cooling, neoteny (adults retail child characteristics) attributed to that
- A larger brain is not a better brain, but it might be the number of connections between brain
cells
Most behaviour is not innate, but culturally determined
Lecture 2
Structure and function of the brain
Gyrus/Gyri: folds in the brain
Sulcus/Sulci: wrinkles in the brain
Although the brain has structure, it can still change. This flexibility is called neural plasticity.
The brain changes when we learn things, etc.
Phylogenetic development of structure
Cerebrum: large brain
Cerebellum: small brain at the back of the head, attached to the brain stem
Brain stem: attached to the spinal cord, goes to the tailbone
Key functions of the brain
- Perception (sensing)
- Integration of information (creating the perceptual world)
- Action (behaviour)
Oversimplified division of the brain
Brain stem: keeps us alive, regulates sleeping and waking
Limbic System: emotions
Cortex: thinking
The higher a structure is located physically in the brain, the ‘higher’ its function
Terminology in neuroanatomy
Superior/Dorsal: top (of the head)
Inferior/Ventral: bottom (of the head)
Anterior/Rostral: front (of the head)
Posterior/Caudal: back (of the head)
In the head, dorsal is the top. In the body, dorsal is the back.
Ventral in the head is the bottom. In the body, it is the front.
When you see arrows of the brain/body in which are perfectly straight, you use anterior etc
,and dorsal etc.
When the arrows follow a curve or not 90 degrees, use caudal etc and inferior etc.
Lateral: to the side of the body
Medial: towards the body
Coronal section/Frontal view: when you cut vertically through the brain and you look at the
middle part of the brain from the front
Horizontal section/Dorsal view: when you cut horizontally and you look at the middle of
the brain from the top
Sagittal section/Medial view: when you cut through the entire brain vertically and you look
from the left side to the right hemisphere
Afferent: toward the structure
Efferent: away from a structure
CNS: central nervous system
Protection of the brain
- Skull
- Meninges (dura (hard) mater, arachnoid (spinal) layer, pia (soft) mater)
- Subarachnoid space, filled with CSF
The Anterior, Middle and Posterior cerebral artery regulates the blood supply through the
brain
Ventricle system is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (which runs throughout the brain and spinal
cord)
Cells and Fibers
2 types of brain cells: neurons (primary function)
glia (support function, in between the neurons for support)
A bundle of nerve fibers is called
- a nerve (outside the central nervous system)
- Within the CNS: tract (pull), fasciculus (chord), lemniscus (ribbon)
Ontogenetic (individual) development of the nervous system
Figure 2.14 (maybe different in other version) about classifications and structures ´vertebrate
embryo, mammalian embryo, etc´
The spinal cord has a segmented structure
Law of Bell and Magendie
Dorsal root: afferent, sensory
pain and temperature
fine touch, hapsis, muscle feedback
Ventral root: efferent, motoric (reflexes)
, fine motor skills
Organization of the nerves from head to toes: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral
Myelencephalon: medulla oblongata (for blood and reflexes)
Metencephalon: cerebellum, pons
In the brainstem are the cranial nerves, which to our to the periphery (specifically to the
head). There are 12 and they regulate smell, vision, eye movement, balance, face muscles,
etc.
Internal (autonomic)
nervous system:
vegetative, involuntary,
Reflex-like
Lecture 1
Relationship between Brain and Behaviour
The brain is an organ, physical
Behaviour is action, not physical
Body consists of organs, organs of tissue, tissue of cells
Biggest organ is the skin
The brain is also an organ, consists of nervous tissue, cells are called nerve cells
Nervous system: central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (everything around it:
somatic, nerve fibers to arms and legs and autonomic, internal processes like digestion and
heart rate)
Four lobes: frontal (in front, sends information out, for future interaction), parietal (top),
temporal (bottom) and occipital (in the back, receptive, for past experiences)
Two hemispheres: left and right
Gyrus/Gyri: folds in the brain
Cerebral cortex: outer layer
Two matters: outside is gray matter (nerve cells), inside is white matter (nerve fibers), also
reticular matter (net shaped, fibers and cells)
Behaviour: patterns in time, like movement, speech, attitude, but also blushing. Thoughts
are therefore also behaviour. Any form of movement in a living organism.
Evolution
Phylogenetic development: the development of higher species from lower species (fish,
higher species, develops from cells, lower species)
Phylo: species, so the development of species
Ontogenetic development: development of the individual from semen + ovary
Nature vs. Nurture
Our common ancestor is the australopithecus, which is a southern ape (northeastern africa).
Their brain size was a lot less than the modern man.
For example, men and chimpanzees only differ 1% in their DNA
Hominids:
- common ancestor originated ~ 5 million years ago
- primates who walked upright
- all hominids evolved from this ancestor
- even extinct strains
Australopithecus → Homo habilis (used simple tools) → Homo erectus (upright) →
,Homo sapien (knowing man)
About the human brain:
- The size (1500 cm3)
- Encephalization quotient (EQ): brain weight / expected brain weight
- Our brain weight tripled in 4 million years time, australopithecus 2.5 EQ to homo sapien 7.0
EQ. Our lifestyle, brain cooling, neoteny (adults retail child characteristics) attributed to that
- A larger brain is not a better brain, but it might be the number of connections between brain
cells
Most behaviour is not innate, but culturally determined
Lecture 2
Structure and function of the brain
Gyrus/Gyri: folds in the brain
Sulcus/Sulci: wrinkles in the brain
Although the brain has structure, it can still change. This flexibility is called neural plasticity.
The brain changes when we learn things, etc.
Phylogenetic development of structure
Cerebrum: large brain
Cerebellum: small brain at the back of the head, attached to the brain stem
Brain stem: attached to the spinal cord, goes to the tailbone
Key functions of the brain
- Perception (sensing)
- Integration of information (creating the perceptual world)
- Action (behaviour)
Oversimplified division of the brain
Brain stem: keeps us alive, regulates sleeping and waking
Limbic System: emotions
Cortex: thinking
The higher a structure is located physically in the brain, the ‘higher’ its function
Terminology in neuroanatomy
Superior/Dorsal: top (of the head)
Inferior/Ventral: bottom (of the head)
Anterior/Rostral: front (of the head)
Posterior/Caudal: back (of the head)
In the head, dorsal is the top. In the body, dorsal is the back.
Ventral in the head is the bottom. In the body, it is the front.
When you see arrows of the brain/body in which are perfectly straight, you use anterior etc
,and dorsal etc.
When the arrows follow a curve or not 90 degrees, use caudal etc and inferior etc.
Lateral: to the side of the body
Medial: towards the body
Coronal section/Frontal view: when you cut vertically through the brain and you look at the
middle part of the brain from the front
Horizontal section/Dorsal view: when you cut horizontally and you look at the middle of
the brain from the top
Sagittal section/Medial view: when you cut through the entire brain vertically and you look
from the left side to the right hemisphere
Afferent: toward the structure
Efferent: away from a structure
CNS: central nervous system
Protection of the brain
- Skull
- Meninges (dura (hard) mater, arachnoid (spinal) layer, pia (soft) mater)
- Subarachnoid space, filled with CSF
The Anterior, Middle and Posterior cerebral artery regulates the blood supply through the
brain
Ventricle system is filled with cerebrospinal fluid (which runs throughout the brain and spinal
cord)
Cells and Fibers
2 types of brain cells: neurons (primary function)
glia (support function, in between the neurons for support)
A bundle of nerve fibers is called
- a nerve (outside the central nervous system)
- Within the CNS: tract (pull), fasciculus (chord), lemniscus (ribbon)
Ontogenetic (individual) development of the nervous system
Figure 2.14 (maybe different in other version) about classifications and structures ´vertebrate
embryo, mammalian embryo, etc´
The spinal cord has a segmented structure
Law of Bell and Magendie
Dorsal root: afferent, sensory
pain and temperature
fine touch, hapsis, muscle feedback
Ventral root: efferent, motoric (reflexes)
, fine motor skills
Organization of the nerves from head to toes: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral
Myelencephalon: medulla oblongata (for blood and reflexes)
Metencephalon: cerebellum, pons
In the brainstem are the cranial nerves, which to our to the periphery (specifically to the
head). There are 12 and they regulate smell, vision, eye movement, balance, face muscles,
etc.
Internal (autonomic)
nervous system:
vegetative, involuntary,
Reflex-like
