Neuroscience: Exploring the brain, 3rd ed.

Abstract

Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain surveys the organization and function of the human nervous system. We present material at the cutting edge of neuroscience, in a way that is accessible to both science and nonscience students alike. The level of the material is comparable to an introductory college text in general biology. The book is divided into four parts: Part I, Foundations; Part II, Sensory and Motor Systems; Part III, The Brain and Behavior; and Part IV, The Changing Brain. We begin Part I by introducing the modern field of neuroscience and tracing some of its historical antecedents. Then we take a close look at the structure and function of individual neurons, how they communicate chemically, and how these building blocks are arranged to form a nervous system. In Part II, we go inside the brain to examine the structure and function of the systems that serve the senses and command voluntary movements. In Part III, we explore the neurobiology of human behavior, including motivation, sex, emotion, sleep, language, attention, and mental illness. Finally, in Part IV, we look at how the environment modifies the brain, both during development and in adult learning and memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)