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1 Biological Bases of Behavior

UNIT

PD Unit 1 Overview

Biology and psychology are inextricably linked. For centuries, people have debated the relative
importance of the mind and the body. Are the mind and body dependent on each other to exist? Or
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are they separate entities, coexisting to create a unified whole? Psychological science addresses
questions about the mind and body, and their interaction with each other and with the environment.
Without a doubt, an understanding of how the body works is critical to understanding ourselves.
Worth Publishers.
Unit 1 presents an overview of the biology of the nervous system, the main system involved in
behavioral and mental processes. The nervous system is incredibly complex, and what students
read in this book is only the beginning of what we know about it. This unit also introduces
consciousness, something we take for granted. We explore other types of consciousness beyond
being awake and alert, including psychoactive drugs and sleep. We then shift to one of the most
basic ways we interact with the world—sensation. We rely on our sense organs—the eyes, ears,
nose, tongue, and skin—to receive signals from the environment (sensation) and transfer them to
the brain to process and make sense of them (perception). The eyes receive light waves, the ears
Bedford, Freeman &
receive sound waves, the nose and tongue receive chemical signals, and the skin receives signals
related to pressure, warmth, body position, and pain. Appreciating how biological factors influence
our thoughts and behaviors is important to understanding psychology.

Module 1.1 Interaction of Heredity Module 1.3a The Neuron
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and Environment and Neural Firing: Neural

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This module introduces evolutionary psychology, including Communication and the Endocrine
the use of natural selection in behavior tendencies. Students System
will learn how twin and adoption studies help us understand
the interaction of nature and nurture, a topic that will come up Module 1.3a describes the parts of a neuron, explains how
repeatedly throughout this textbook. neural impulses are generated, and discusses how nerve
cells communicate with other nerve cells. It also discusses
Module 1.2 Overview of the neurotransmitters and neurotransmission as well as how drugs

Nervous System affect neurotransmission. It concludes with a discussion of the
endocrine system.
This module provides students with an overview of the biology
of the nervous system, the main system involved in behavior Module 1.3b The Neuron and
and mental processes. The nervous system is incredibly Neural Firing: Substance Use
complex, and what students read in this book is only the
beginning of what we know about how this fascinating system Disorders and Psychoactive Drugs
works to produce even the most basic of behaviors and
cognitions. In defining substance use disorders, Module 1.3b explains
the roles that tolerance and addiction play in those disorders.
It describes the major depressants, stimulants, and
hallucinogens, and explains their effects.

1-2 Unit 1 Biological Bases of Behavior

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