The human brain is the most complex part of the human body that is very hard to understand. Our brains behave in a way that neuroscientists and psychologists have never understood. Its ability to control body functions and consciousness is one of the most challenging section that these individuals are still struggling to figure out. The human brain capacity of 1350 cc and it is made up of a very complex network of neurons that develop during the last three months of development (The Function of the Human Brain, 2016). The way we perceive the world around us is also some of the central issues that neuroscience is concerned about. After the World War II, the discipline of neuroscience became one of the most vigorous scientific disciplines that aimed to study human behavior including animals in a more satisfactory way. The goal of these studies has always been to analyze behavior as a function of the central nervous system.
The basic composition of the human brain- The human brain is made up of six main parts: the cerebellum, the frontal lobe, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, the brain stem, and the inner brain(Nervous System, 2016). The brain stem is the communication trunk between the brain and the rest of the body. The brain itself is made up of billions of nerves that are composed of small units called neurons (Nervous System, 2016). Despite the differences between the central and the peripheral nervous systems, both are made of the similar building blocks. It is pertinent to understanding the nerve as part of understanding how the entire nervous system works.
A neuron is a single cell that is made up of three parts: the axon, the central cell body, and the dendrites. There is only one axon and many dendrites in one neuron, and the dendrites resemble tree branches that extend from the cell body (Nervous System, 2016). They are thick as they emerge from the cell, but they relatively become thin as they extend further away (Nervous System, 2016). These dendrites transmit messages from the neurons to the other cells. The axon transmits messages out of the cells to the all the organs of the body such as the muscle cell, liver, skin among others (The Function of the Human Brain, 2016). The axon is surrounded by myelin sheath that ensures that electrical impulses are transmitted smoothly. It is pertinent to note that the nervous system of humans consists of up to 1,000 billion neurons (The Function of the Human Brain, 2016).
Since WW2, several empirical researches on the central nervous system and how they govern behavior have been carried out. However, strategies that have been used for the purpose of these studies varied as years progressed and more accurate study techniques have emerged as these studies continued. However, these studies have shown that animal behavior reflects the activity of the nervous system; and no matter how complex the nervous system or even the behavior is, the neurons are always alike in most significant respects (Davy & Orr, 2009). For studying behavior, neurons from a specific part of the brain are often selected for study to establish these interrelationships accurately.
Behavior is often defined as a response to an external stimulus. Behavior characteristics of human or any living thing are determined by how they respond to a certain form of external stimuli (Engelman, 2005). For instance, when one touches a hot surface, he/she responds by withdrawing the hand out of that surface instantly. That act is achieved due to the iterations that occur between the nerve endings of the skin and the brain. In response to one touching a hot surface, the action potential on the skin is stimulated and sometimes it is not stimulated (Nervous System, 2016). The action potentials flow along the length of the sensory neuron, past the cell bodies to the axon, then into the spinal cord. A chemical transmitter is generated at the end of the axons, which then interact with the dendrites of certain spinal neurons, and it activates amplitude that eventually triggers a nerve impulse or groups of impulses in the cells of the spinal cord (Nervous System, 2016). Through the axons, effectors’ nerve cells are generated, that extend out of the spinal cord to the arm muscles, where a chemical transmitter is released at the nerve-muscle junction. The building of the transmitter and the appropriate receptor muscle cause a brief change on the surface membrane of the muscle cell leading the muscle to contract hence withdrawal of the hand.
Research has linked several behaviors characteristics with our mental capacities and genetic makeup. The primary goal of the brain is to control movement, which in turn permits us to perform complex behaviors and achieve useful goals (The Brain and Nervous System, 2016). Our ability to think developed as evolution continued and our ability to think can always be accomplished without causing the overt behavior of any kind. According to Davy & Orr, the environment an animal dwell is a repertoire of its actions. The way we relate to others, the food we eat, our culture, our problem-solving skills is collected from the deep centers of our brains that process our external environments and produces a product of how we should behave to the situations contrary to normal (2009).
Research has also shown that the cortical and the sub cortical areas of the brain play an essential function in emotional and behavior experiences. The results point out that numerous emotional processes often take place outside one’s conscious responsiveness, but a vigilant thought can and does influences emotional responses (Engelman, 2005). Emotions arise, and they are often adapted by the cognitive appraisal of a given condition at hand. According to Engelman, emotions can arise spontaneously bypassing conscious controls triggering feelings of sadness, anxiety, affection, and love among others (2005).
Comparing behavior therapy and medication in the success for obsessive-compulsive disorder is another neurological research that has been carried out. Medication using drugs such as fluoxetine and behavior therapy is used as two comparative interventions. Both methods are good for relieving symptoms, but they work differently (The Brain and Nervous System, 2016). After completion of the intervention, scans show that behavioral therapy and fluoxetine-induced the same results, as they both decreased right caudate activity in the brain. The experiment indicates that medication and behavior therapy act at the same point of the brain. While behavioral therapy is more specific, medication tends to affect other areas rather than the target tissue/organ. From the research, it is clear that behavior also affects brain function, and it can be used as a remedy for certain brain disorders.
Controversies Surrounding the Research on the Nervous System
This research is carried out by acts of observation and follow-ups that could sometimes have errors producing inaccurate results. Several studies have shown to exhibit these errors and what it is reported by researchers may not be the actual reflection of what happens naturally (Origins of Physiological Psychology, 2016). It is also evident that manipulations are done to the specimens in the lab, for instance, the specimens are not studied while they interact within their natural habitat, and thus their behaviors may not be an explicit reflection of what might occur naturally.
The brain function is one of the complex subjects to understand by man because there are plenty of stimuli that affect its function. It could be environmental, genetic, social, cultural spiritual among other elements, thus studying human behavior may need to combine these factors so as fully to establish the cause of certain human behaviors. Sometimes behavior affects brain function, and sometimes the brain affects behavior (Human behavior, 2013). Establishing the interactions, which take place to arrive such phenomena, is complex and sometimes research studies that have been conducted contradicts itself or might be confusing. Brain imaging has been the sole source of data in research surrounding human behavior. It is not clear whether the psychological set-up of the human brain at that time can affect results. Imaging does not show the clear images of how the brain is behaving, but series of light and dark patches are analyzed (Ozdemir, 2016). These might not give accurate, conclusive research results.
Neurological researchers dwell so much on literature and theories that were developed many years ago. Researchers may not be there to prove an existing phenomenon but a theory coined by philosophers (Fuchs, 2006). These theories could be practical, but researchers should not target it to prove a theory, but rather to give a wider understanding or rule out an existing theory. Ethical controversies have also risen on the use of animals and humans as specimens for neurological studies (Fuchs, 2006). Animal and human rights activists term this as the abuse of animal rights hence unethical code of conduct. Mot medical and science laboratories do not seek consent from the animal departments before using animals as test subjects.
The other controversy is the concern that animal subjects are used for many neurological studies and comparison made to human behaviors. It is not clear if humans would establish the same characteristics because animals and humans react differently to different phenomena (Fuchs, 2006). The accuracy of such information and publications are still matters of controversy because real animal subjects are not used for invasive research experiments making it hard to conclude research experiment results. Mostly, human subjects are put of controlled trials and cohort studies and observed. The results gained from these research studies may not be conclusive enough compared to the real invasive experiments (Human behavior, 2013). Use of human test subjects has also been a matter of great controversy in neurological studies, because of the risks that might accompany such experiments in the future. It is not known if these human specimens remain the same after invasive experimental procedures.
References
Davy, K. & Orr, J. (2009). Sympathetic nervous system behavior in human obesity. Neuroscience &Biobehavioral Reviews, 33(2), 116-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.05.024
Engelman, D. (2005). Brain-Behavior Relationships in Systems of Emotion (1st ed.). San Francisco: Center for Collaborative Psychiatry, Medicine, and Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.collaborativepsychology.com/pdfs/article_emotion.pdf
Fuchs, T. (2006). Ethical issues in neuroscience (1st ed.). Heidelberg: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Retrieved from http://www.antoniocasella.eu/dnlaw/Fuchs_2006.pdf
Human behaviour: is it all in the brain – or the mind?. (2013). the Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jun/30/brain-mind-behaviour-neuroscience-neuroimaging
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Ozdemir, M. (2016). Controversial science of brain imaging. Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 15 June 2016, from http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/controversial-science-of-brain-imaging/
The Brain and Nervous System - body, causes, Orchestrating Everyday Life, Many Systems in One. (2016). Humanillnesses.com. Retrieved 15 June 2016, from http://www.humanillnesses.com/Behavioral-Health-A-Br/The-Brain-and-Nervous-System.html
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