BIOLOGICAL BASIS

OF PERSONALITY
Behavior depends on the integration of
numerous processes within the body. This
integration is provided by the nervous
system with the help of endocrine glands.

What are the basic units of nervous system. How do

they work???
The

brain is composed of some 10 to 20

billion specialized nerve cells called
NEURONS. These forms the basic
parts of the nervous system whose
function influence learning and mental
functioning, emotion, and thought.
Neurons are also responsible for the
transmission impulses.
Neurons receive stimulation by the
way of their dendrites and cell bodies
and transmit impulses via their axons.

The

junction between the axon of one

neuron is called synapse. Neurons carry
messages from the sense receptors to
the brain to the spinal cord are called
afferent neurons. Those that transmit
signals from the brain and spinal cord
to the effector organs, the muscles and
glands are the efferent neurons. Axons
fibers group together to form nerves;
nerve cell bodies are grouped together
into ganglia.

Neuron form the brain cortex

Synapses of cell

How may the organization of the nervous system be

described? How it is divided?

The

nervous system is divided in

to the central nervous system
and peripheral nervous system
The nervous system includes all
the nerves in the brain and the
spinal cord.
The nerves leading from the
brain and spinal cord to the other
parts of the body compose the
peripheral nervous system.

Subdivisions

of the peripheral nervous

system are the somatic system and the
autonomic system. The nerves of the
somatic system carry messages to the
central nervous system from the sense
receptors, muscles and body surface.
They make us aware of pain, pressure,
and temperature variations. They also
carry impulses from the central
nervous system back to the body parts
where they initiate action.

The muscles we use in posture and

balance are controlled by these nerves.
The nerves of the autonomic system run
to and from the internal organs,
regulating such processes as respiration,
heart rate and digestion. The autonomic
system plays a major role in emotion.
The nerve fibers running from various
parts of the body to and from the brain
are gathered together in the spinal cord.

Simple reflexes, such as the knee

jerk, are carried out within the
spinal cord by a three neuron arc
consisting of afferent and efferent
neurons and interneurons.

How is the hierarchical structure of the brain

described? What are the functions of each part?

The

Human brain is compose of

three concentric layers: a central
core; the limbic system, and the
cerebrum.

Central core
- Includes all the medulla responsible for
respiration and postural reflexes; the
cerebellum concerned with motor
coordination; the thalamus a relay
station for incoming sensory
information; and the hypothalamus,
important in emotion and in maintaining
homeostasis. The reticular system,
which crosses through several of the
above structures, controls the
organisms state of arousal.

Limbic system
- Controls some of the instinctive
activities like feeding, attacking,
fleeing from danger and mating.
These are regulated by the
hypothalamus. The limbic system
also plays an important role in
emotion and memory.

Cerebrum
- Is divided into two cerebral
hemispheres. The cerebrum is more
highly developed in human beings than
in any organism. It is covered by a thick
layer of nerve cell bodies , the cerebral
cortex. In Latin, Cortex means bark
hence the term gray matter. The
cortex is convoluted and controls
discrimination, choice, learning, and
thinking referred to as the higher
mental processes.

Certain areas of the cortex

represents centers for specific
sensory inputs or for control of
specific movements. The
remainder of the cortex consists of
association areas.

How the brain said to be divide

The

two cerebral hemispheres are

connected by nerve fibers. The corpus
callosum. The major, left hemisphere
which almost always larger than the
minor, right hemispheres, is skilled in use
of language while the right is specialized
for mental imaginary and understanding
of spatial relationships. The left cerebral
hemisphere controls the right side of the
body and the right hemisphere controls
the left side of the body.

As early as 1861, the anthropologist Paul

Broca examined the brain of a patient
with speech loss and found a damage in
an area of the left hemisphere. The
region known as Brocas area, is involve
in the production of speech sounds.
Behavior depends on the integration of
numerous processes within the body. This
integration is provided by numerous
system with the help of the endocrine
glands

How can unique thought patterns in sexual

variations between boys and girls be explained?
In

the brain of apes, monkeys, birds, rats,

and chicken, Dr. Frank Duffy of Bostons
childrens Hospital discovered sexual
variations. He recorded the brain activity
of boys and girls still in the womb and
found that even there they on two
different wavelengths.
Medical students have shown specifically
that between the 18th and 26th week of
pregnancy, something happens that
forever separates the sexes.

Using heat-sensitive color

monitors, researchers have actually
observed a chemical bath of
testosterone and other sex related
hormones wash over a baby boys
brain. This causes changes that
never happen to the brain of a
baby girl. Here is a laymans
explanation of what happens when
these chemicals hit a boys system.

It is said that the human brain is

divided into two halves or
hemispheres. Connected by fibrous
tissue called corpus callosum. The
sex related hormones and
chemicals that flood a baby boys
brain cause the right side to recede
slightly, destroying some of the
connecting fibers. One result is
that, in most cases a boy starts life
more left brain oriented.

Little girls dont experience this

chemical bath. They leave the
starting blocks more two sided in
their thinking. While electrical
impulses and messages do travel
back and forth between both sides
of a baby boys brain, those same
messages can proceed faster and
be less hindered in the brain of a
little girl.

Does this mean that men are basically brain

damaged??

Not exactly. What occurs in the womb

merely sets the stage for men and women
to specialize in two different ways of
thinking. This is one major reason why
men and women need each other so much.
The left brain houses more of the logical,
analytical, factual and aggressive centers
of thought.it is the side of the brain most
men reserve for the majority of their
walking hours. It enjoys conquering 500
miles a day for vacation trips.

Favors mathematical formulas over

Harlequin Romances; stores the dictionary
definition of love; and generally favors
clinical black and white thinking.
It is the side of mans brain that cant wait
to buy the latest copy of some How-to
Magazine for the latest fix it technique:
memorizes batting average scores: love to
sit for hours; watching back to back
games and yelling at the referees.

On the other hand, most women spend the

majority of their days and nights camped
out on the right side of the brain. It is the
side that harbors the centers of feelings, as
well as the primary relational, language,
and communication skills; enable them to
do fine-detailed work; sparks imagination;
makes an afternoon devoted to art and fine
music actually enjoyable ;doesnt vaguely
care about football or hockey games unless
they personally know the players;

They store and express the feelings

of love not just the definition; and
would rather read Womans
Magazine than popular
mechanics. Because it is more
rational.

What are the divisions of the autonomic nervous

system?

The autonomic nervous system is

made up of two parts, the
sympathetic division and the
parasympathetic division. The
sympathetic division is usually
involved in excited action and the
parasympathetic division during
quiescent states, while the two are
often antagonistic, they are
interact in complex ways and their
interaction is not fully understood.

Why are the endocrine glands important?

Endocrine glands are also called
the ductless glands. These ductless
glands are important regulators of
our behavior. The pituary at the
base of the brain is thought to
exert a regulatory control over the
adrenals, thyroid, and gonads.
From the pituary comes the
growth hormone (ACTH). Over
secretion of hormone causes
glantism: undersection of

The adrenal glands lying above or

near the kidneys have two physical
parts. *Medulla which secretes
adrenaline and *Adrenal cortex
which relates to salt and
carbohydrate metabolism. The
glandular system pours out a
chemical called norepinephrine
which tend to slow down the very
activity stimulated by the
adrenaline.

The thyroid and trachea just below the

larynx secretes thyroxin. It helps to
regulate the basal metabolic rate. When
there is undersection the person becomes
lazy and easily tired, often gains excessive
weight. Other factors can also cause these
symptoms. Excessive secretion causes an
elevation of metabolism, resulting in over
activity, excitability, and sometimes loss of
weight. Goiter is an enlargement of thyroid
gland.

The gonads, which are testes of male and

ovaries in the female are also important.
The androgen or male hormone and
estrogen or female hormone are related to
the development of secondary sex
characteristics, such as hair around the
organs. In the male they may relate the
voice change and skin problems. A female
hormone, progesterone secreted by the
ovary and placenta during pregnancy helps
to keep the uterus in a relatively quiet state
during development of fetus.

From the pancreas comes the hormone

insulin. When the blood sugar rises above a
certain level, insulin causes the liver to
absorb and store the excess amount. When
the blood sugar level drops, the liver
releases more blood sugar n form of
glucose. If insufficient insulin is produced by
the pancreas, blood sugar escapes through
the kidneys instead of being stored in the
liver. This condition, called diabetes may be
corrected by the artificial injection of insulin.

How is behavior influenced

genetically?
To understand the biological foundations of
behavior we need to know something about
the hereditary influences. The hereditary
units we received from our parents and
transmit to our offspring are carried by
microscopic particles, known as
chromosomes, found in the nucleus of each
cell in the body. Most body cell contains 46
chromosomes. At the conception, the
human being receives 23 chromosomes
from the fathers sperm, and 23 from the
mothers ovum.

These chromosomes form 23 pairs.

Each chromosome is composed of
many individual hereditary agents
called genes. The total number of
each genes will influence
psychological as well as physical
characteristics. Most genes are
dominant, others are recessive,
and some are sex-linked.

How is influence of heredity

studied?
One method is by selective
breeding. Another method is twin
studies. Selective breeding is
matting animals that are high in a
certain trait or low in a certain trait.
Twin studies is soring out the
effects of environmental and
heredity in which the
characteristics of identical, or
monozygotic are compared with
those of fraternal, or dizygotic

The hereditary potential with which

an individual enters the world is
very much influenced by the
environment. That he or she
encounters. All behavior depends
on the interaction on the
individuals potential, but what
happens to this potential depends
on the environment.

What specific studies on hereditary influence can be

cited?

Psychological literatures cites the

following:
I. The Jukes Family Max Jukes
who was born about 1720 was
believed to be ignorant
backwoodsman. Max and his wife,
a mentally retarded woman,
started a long line offspring that,
for the most part consisted of
paupers , feeble-minded persons,
and criminals.

III. The Edwards Family Jonathan

Edwards, and able upright man
who was born in 1703, and his
brilliant wife Sarah Peirrpont were
forebears of an outstanding line of
Americans. Among their famous
descendants are included well
known lawyers, scientist,
physicians, clergymen, army and
navy officers, statesmen and
college professors and presidents.

II. The Hommy Family - The study

of this family line began with a
mother who was a feeble minded
and sexually promiscuous; and with
a father who had no visible means
of support and lacked personal
pride. Their home was dirty. The
offspring became sex offenders; at
least five to seven children were
feeble minded.

IV. The Darwin Family As can be

observed in this case, Martin
Kallilak (fictitious name), sired two
family lines that displayed very
different inherited potentialities.
During the Revolutionary war,
Martin Kallilak, a soldier mated with
feeble-minded or below normal in
intelligence. The story of these
bad Kallilaks is one of prostitution
, shiftlessness, depravity, and

After Revolutionary War, Martin

Kallilak married a woman of good
family stock. Among 496
descendants resulting from this
marriage, all but five were normal.
Many of them become worth-while
citizens, including Lawyers,
successful businessmen, doctors,
judges, college presidents,
teachers, and other professional
leaders.

Evaluation: These studies should

not be accepted as representative
of the fact that biological
inheritance has a greater effect
upon an individuals life pattern
than has the environment to which
he is exposed, especially during his
childhood years. The effect of the
environment upon individuals
behavior cannot be ignored.

How is human behavior controlled by the physiological

limits? How does it make adjustment?

According to Herbert Spencer Life

is a continuous adjustment of
internal relations to external
relation. Our adjustment to
environmental changes is possible
only within narrow physiological
limits. Example: the human body
can adjust itself to changes in
external temperature only when
these things are very moderate.

It can be viewed that life is a

stimulus-response phenomenon
wherein the organism adjusts itself
to the environment or adjust the
environment to itself. Generally
adaptation made in order to
survive as an individual or as a role
can be seen in three ways:
I. Protection This is in the form of
defense, avoidance, and escape
reaction.

II. Maintenance This is seen in

procuring materials for the growth
and maintenance of the protoplasm
and to supply energy.
III. Reproduction This is seen in
the perpetuation of species.
The human body is a complex
structure of living body- physiology.
The study of one part demands a
knowledge of all the other parts.

The human body is composed of

various parts; each of these
performs a definite function. Such
as parts are called organs. Two ore
more organs may differ somewhat
in their individual functions but
collectively they may serve a
definite purpose in the body. The
ensemble of organs is called a
system.

What are the different bodily

systems??
I. Autonomic Nervous System is
also called as the involuntary
nervous system. It is influenced by
the cerebrospinal. Thus, activity of
the cerebral cortex frequently has
a powerful effect on the autonomic
nervous system as shown by the
emotions on cardiac, vascular,
respiratory, and digestive
functions.

II. Circulatory System the blood is a

common carrier which maintains three
functions.
* To maintain constant supply of blood
and oxygen
To prevent an undue accumulation of
waste in tissue
* To pick up the waste products to
transport them to kidney and lungs for
excretion.

There are two factors that tend to upset the

constancy of the blood: * External
environmental changes (e.g., temperature
changes) * Internal changes like the
concentration of various nutrients. *
Concentration of Oxygen * The
concentration of H and OH ions * The
temperature * The osmotic pressure * The
concentration of waste products. * The
volume and the * Colloidal content. The
maintenance of the internal medium is
described as homeostasis.

III. The Digestive System - Saliva

moistens and hold particles of food
together thus aiding in mastication.
It enable us to taste dry foods by
dissolving them. By moistening the
oral cavity, saliva facilities speech.
When the mouth is dry the
sensation of thirst is increased.
IV. The Respiratory System The
most urgent need for the
maintenance of life is oxygen.

The exchange of gasses between

the organism and its environment
is called respiration. The first
function of the nose is to inform us,
of the presence of noxious gases.
Certain activities or sinuses when
infected cause sinusitis confined
pus. The pain may eventually
involve the eyes and brain. A cold
in the head, rhinitis, pharyngitis,
and laryngitis are caused by

V. Excretion the skin is frequently

said to have a minor excretory
function. Form 4 to 8 g of CO2 are
excreted per day by this organ;
compared with 700 to 800 g
exhaled by the lungs. The same is
true for the small quantities of
other wastes such as urea and the
various salts. The kidneys and
large intestine excrete more waste
and excess materials.

Summary
Behavior depends on the integration of
numerous processes within the body
which is provided by the nervous system
with the help of the endocrine glands.
The human brain is composed of neurons
which are the basic units of the nervous
system and is divided into the central
and the peripheral nervous system. The
central nervous system consist of the
brain and the spinal cord; the peripheral
nervous system -

consist of the somatic and the autonomic

system. The autonomic system has two
divisions the sympathetic and the
parasympathetic divisions.
The human brain is composed of 3
concentric layers: the central core, the
Limbic system, and the cerebrum. It is
also divided into 2 cerebral hemispheres
connected by nerve fibers called corpus
callosum. The left hemisphere is larger
than the right hemisphere.

The endocrine glands are important

regulations of our behavior. These are the
pituitary gland, adrenal gland, thyroid,
gonads, and pancreas. Behavior is
influenced genetically, that is through the
chromosomes and genes. These influence
behavior psychologically and physically.
Hereditary influences are studied by using
a method called selective breeding.
Another method is by twin studies.

Quiz
Fill in the blanks.
1. The brain is composed of some
10 to 20 billion specialized nerve
cells called
.
2. Nervous system is divided into 2
parts these are the
&
.
3. The human brain is composed of
3 concentric layers, What are those
3?

4. The skin releases

CO2.
5. The right hemisphere is
than the Left hemisphere.
6. The
glands are
important regulations of our
behavior.

g of

7. The first step of digestion begins

with
?
8. The most urgent need
maintenance of life is
?
9.
Is the enlargement of the
thyroid gland.
10. The junction between the axon
of one neuron is called
?

Answers
1.Neurons
2. Central and the peripheral nervous system.
3. The central core, the Limbic system, and
the cerebrum.
4. 4-8 g
5. Smaller
6. Endocrine
7. Chewing or biting.
8.Oxygen.
9.Goiter
10. Synapse