Core Concepts in Neuroscience

The Society for Neuroscience is making an effort to educate the public on just what neuroscience is and what it says about who we are. So they have prepared a nice little PDF called Core Concepts in Neuroscience. You can also see it in HTML.

Here is the introduction:

What Are Neuroscience Core Concepts?

Neuroscience Core Concepts offer fundamental principles that one should know about the brain and nervous system, the most complex living structure known in the universe. They are a practical resource about:

• How your brain works and how it is formed.
• How it guides you through the changes in life.
• Why it is important to increase understanding of the brain.

The Neuroscience Core Concepts have broad application for K-12 teachers and the general public, offering the most important insights gained through decades of brain research. They also spotlight promising research paths ahead.

Eight concepts are organized within four “mega-concepts” and contain guiding principles that serve to stimulate further thinking and exploration. The Core Concepts have been correlated to the National Science Education Standards and are a tool and resource for inclusion in K-12 teaching curricula.

The concepts were developed with leadership from the Public Education and Communication Committee of the Society for Neuroscience. In January 2007, more than a year of development began, including extensive consultation, review, and refinement by hundreds of neuroscientists and educators nationwide. This constitutes a living document that will be updated as new information becomes available.

And one of the "slides":

The Nervous System Controls and Responds to Body Functions and Directs Behavior

1| The brain is the body’s most complex organ.

Fig. 1 An artistic rendering of emerging technologies in action. Blue and yellow lights can be used to evoke or inhibit electrical activity in neurons (represented by the intense glow).

1. There are a hundred billion neurons in the human brain, all of which are in use.
   
2. Each neuron communicates with many other neurons to form circuits and share information.
   
3. Proper nervous system function involves coordinated action of neurons in many brain regions.
   
4. The nervous system influences and is influenced by all other body systems (e.g., cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal and immune systems).
   
5. Humans have a complex nervous system that evolved from a simpler one.
   
6. This complex organ can malfunction in many ways, leading to disorders that have an enormous social and economic impact.

2| Neurons communicate using both electrical and chemical signals.

1. Sensory stimuli are converted into electrical signals.
   
2. Action potentials are electrical signals carried along neurons.
   
3. Synapses are chemical or electrical junctions that allow electrical signals to pass from neurons to other cells.
   
4. Electrical signals in muscles cause contraction and movement.
   
5. Changes in the amount of activity at a synapse can enhance or reduce its function.
   
6. Communication between neurons is strengthened or weakened by an individual’s activities, such as exercise, stress, and drug use.
   
   
7. All perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors result from combinations of signals among neurons.

Check out the whole presentation.

Tags: Core Concepts, Neuroscience, Psychology, brain, consciousness, Society for Neuroscience