Basic Elements in Behavior - Essay Example

Running Head: Basic Elements in Behavior Insert His/her BASIC ELEMENTS IN BEHAVIOR Human body includes a complex system which is capable of performing multiple functions at one time. The human behavior not only helps us in accomplishing our day to day activities but all of our actions, thoughts, reaction represent the basic elements of behavior. For instance, the behavior of an aggressive person will be entirely different from that of a happy person. The incidents that took place in one’s life also influence a person’s attitude.

The human body is just like a machine performing Complex functions. The main parts of human body include heart, the nervous system and the most important is the brain. The nervous system is the main route which helps to carry all the information to other parts of the body. It has always been a mystery that how a human brain works although many scientists have conducted many theories about it. Moreover it has now become evident that the first five years of a person’s life are the most important in the physical brain development.

The human body contains a huge number of neurons. It is said that approximately one trillion neurons are required to control the human behavior. Neurons are considered as the basic elements of human behavior because they not only help in achieving our day to day physical activities but they help us to think, move, remember and feel all the emotions. They are just like chip in a computer which is used to transfer information from one part to the other. As it is believed that there is something inside our body which controls all the actions.

This thing which controls our actions is called Neuron. (Feldman, 2009, p. 114). Neurons are just like other cells of the body. Their body consists of a nucleus which tells that how the cell will perform its functions. Moreover the neurons have the ability of transmitting information to other neurons having long distances. This is possible because neurons have branch like clusters of fibres that extend from their bodies called Dendrites. Once the dendrite receives a message it generates an electrical impulse which travels throughout the cell body and to the opposite side where there is an extension like slim tube called Axons.

The axons are longer than the neurons some may extend to as long as three feet. (Feldman, 2009, p. 114). There are terminal buttons at the end of axons which send messages through a chemical courier called a neurotransmitter. It is the transmitter that carries signals across the synapse to the dendrite. The excess or deficiency of the number of transmitter is main cause which can result in a severe disorder for example schizophrenia. This disorder then is cured by medication. Dopamine is the medicine which is mostly used in the hospitals to cure this disorder.

These transmitters carry both excitatory and inhibitory messages. The excess of these excitatory messages can make a person act out very aggressively and excess of inhibitory messages will make the person back out. Most of the axons are covered and protected with fats and protein called the Myelin Sheath. The basic work of this covering is to protect the messages from short circuits. The thickness of the myelin sheath depends upon the importance of the message and the speed at which the message is delivered.

The thicker the covering is and the more important the impulse is the faster it will travel. Axons send impulses at different speeds but all impulses move at the same speed every time they are traveling through the same axon. When thoughts become to form the neurons, they produce a strong dendrite connection which is called synapses. The neurons that do not form synapses often die off. The neurons are the cells that control each and every function of our brain. There are some neurons that are also called mirror neurons which are connected to a person’s feelings of compassion, concern.

(Feldman, 2009, p.114-118). So it can be said that neurons are the basic element of behavior because every act that a person performs or every thought that comes to a persons mind are the result of these brain cells called the neurons. The more and more study of these neurons will help us in understanding and developing the behavior of the children as well. It is clear from the above discussion that neurons are the main and most important element which controls our behavior. (GreenWAHM, 2010) References Feldman, R. (2009). Understanding Psuchology Ninth Edition.

New York: McGraw Hill. GreenWAHM. (2010, April 19). Neurons Basic Elements In Behavior - Psychology. Retrieved July 18, 2011, from Bukisa: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/276369_neurons-basic-elements-in-behavior-psychology