The Biology of Behavior and Mind

Presents a comprehensive treatment of the physiological and structural aspects of brain functioning based on established knowledge as well as new and original interpretations. Coverage begins at the microscopic level of molecules and membranes, building to higher levels of organization and finally to global issues such as intelligence, consciousness, and mental disorders. Throughout, the book traces the flow of information through the nervous system while providing an evolutionary perspective, explaining how structures and functions developed and how they function in the context of human behavior. The text not only reviews current experiments in the field, but covers the latest and most powerful ideas in neuroscience, including the concept of graded potentials in transmitting and processing information in the brain, the link between brain maturation, and Piaget's stages of cognitive development.