Neurobiology For Dummies

Learn to: Get a handle on neuroanatomy Navigate neurological disorders and treatments Score high in your neurobiology class Understand neurological diseases The plain–English, easy–to–use guide to neurobiology Studying neurobiology and want an easy–to–use guide to the subject? This is the resource for you! The book covers the basicslike the molecular mechanisms and anatomy of the nervous systemand then moves on to more complex subjects like neurodevelopmental biology. The books expert author delivers all this in an easy–to–read, fun guide to this complex subject! Get started dive into neurobiology with an introduction to the subject, along with some of the big questions that neurobiologists have the answers to Organize the nervous system get an overview of the human nervous system and understand what it has in common with the nervous system of other animals The science of perception find out how we perceive the world, think, learn, and remember with an in–depth treatment of these topics Disorders and treatments discover the various neurological disorders, the treatments for them, and the developments that are coming in the future All the extras explore the unique human traits that arise from our complex, well–developed nervous system Open the book and find: The essence of humans as intelligent life forms An overview of the human nervous system The unique nervous system traits that make us human Discussion of neurological disorders such as Alzheimers disease Easy–to–read explanations for neurobiology students A complete overview of nervous system anatomy The lowdown on the mechanisms of the nervous system

Introduction  1 Part I: Getting Started with Neurobiology  5 Chapter 1: Welcome to the World of Neurobiology 7 Chapter 2: Building Neurons from Molecules 23 Chapter 3: Gating the Membrane: Ion Channels and Membrane Potentials 47 Chapter 4: Sending Signals: Chemical Release and Electrical Activation 67 Part II: Neuroanatomy: Organizing the Nervous System  83 Chapter 5: Movement Basics: Muscles and Motor Neurons 85 Chapter 6: The Spinal Cord and the Autonomic Nervous System 101 Chapter 7: The Busy Brain: Brainstem, Limbic System, Hypothalamus, and Reticular Formation 123 Chapter 8: Generating Behavior: Basal Ganglia, Thalamus, Motor Cor tex, and Frontal Cor tex 145 Chapter 9: Topping It Off: The Neocortex 159 Part III: Perceiving the World, Thinking, Learning, and Remembering  183 Chapter 10: Looking at Vision and Hearing 185 Chapter 11: Feeling, Smelling, and Tasting 211 Chapter 12: Memory and Learning 233 Chapter 13: The Frontal Lobes and Executive Brain 253 Chapter 14: Language, Intelligence, Emotions, and Consciousness 265 Part IV: Developmental, Neurological, and Mental Disorders and Treatments  283 Chapter 15: Developing the Brain and Nervous System 285 Chapter 16: Movement Disorders 309 Chapter 17: Brain Dysfunction and Mental Illness 325 Chapter 18: Making Better Brains 341 Part V: The Part of Tens  355 Chapter 19: The Ten Most Important Brain Circuits 357 Chapter 20: Ten Technologies Revolutionizing Brain Science 365 Index  373

Frank Amthor, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Alabama and holds a secondary appointment in the UAB Medical School Department of Neurobiology. He has been an NIH–supported researcher for over 20 years and has published over 100 journal articles and conference abstracts.