by Ann Nelson-Russell

Created on: January 18, 2009

Basic Elements of Behavior

The human body is an amazing creation that is capable of performing a multitude of complex movements and thoughts. In addition to the ability to move and think, the human body also allows numerous senses to become engaged throughout one's daily activities. A person's actions, thoughts, reactions, and even their moods are all results of the body's basic elements of behavior. Although the basic elements of behavior are indeed a very complex system, I will identify the different elements and explain how they unite to form a very unique and efficient system.

The Fundamental Processes

The basic elements of behavior involve the body's nervous system and the brain. The human body is a remarkable and complicated machine with many different parts all functioning precisely together. Robert S. Feldman (2008) states, "The nervous system is the pathway for the instructions that permit our bodies to carry out such precise activities" (p.61). In order to begin to understand how the nervous system, including the brain, receives and processes their internal information one must review the structure and function of neurons. Neurons are the cells that make up the body's nervous system and they transmit signals or messages to other cells in the body. As stated in the text, "many of the body's neurons receive signals from the environment or relay the nervous systems messages to muscles and other target cells, but the vast majority of neurons communicate only with other neurons in the elaborate information system that regulates behavior" (Feldman, 2008, p.61). In order to gain an understanding of how the exchange of communication takes place from one neuron to another we must review the structure of neurons.

The Structure of Neurons

The human body contains an astounding number of neurons, "perhaps as many as 1 trillion neurons throughout the body are involved in the control of behavior (Boahen, 2005). The nucleus of the neuron's cell body contains hereditary information that determines how well the cell will operate. The glue that holds the neurons in place is called glial cells. The glial cells take care of the neurons by proving nourishment and taking care of their well being, including the ability to help repair damage. The structure of neurons include three distinct parts; dendrites, axon, and terminal buttons. Dendrites are the cluster of fibers that branch out at one end of the neuron in order to receive information from other neurons. The axon is positioned

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