Neurons are the cells responsible for communication between other cells in the body. Neuron cells are electrically excitable and facilitate communication just like electric wires in an electric circuit. They are responsible for all communication in the body cell and without them transmission of information between cells system could not be possible. Neurons act as bridge communication between body cell and the brain (Bancroft, 1998, par 3). With them, communication between body systems and the brain is enabled through sending and receiving information signals. The brain is the central organ that facilitates communication between different body systems with the neurons facilitating transmission of information signals. Neurons enable the transmission through special unique receptors, connections and terminals in various specific regions of the central nervous system that are responsible for messaging processes. To facilitate transmission of message signal, neurons require neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are responsible transmission of signals between a neuron and a cell. Neurotransmitter relays amplify or modulate message signal appropriately (Best, 2008, par 3). It is through movement of neurotransmitters across a small gap referred to as synapse that communication between a neuron and another body cell is enabled. The neurotransmitters have various functions that consist of transmission, stimulation, regulation and inhibition of various varied body functions. In essence, neurotransmitters are responsible of facilitating communication between neurons and other cells and can be viewed as a bridge between them.
Apart from facilitating communication between neurons and other body cells, neurotransmitters has great influence on behaviour. Neurotransmitters have majors in regulation of emotion, mood, sensory function, perception and affect therefore having great impact on behaviour. The transmitters that affect behaviour on a large scale include dopamine, noreponiphrine and serotonin (Best, 2008, par 7). The neurotransmitters are transmitted in various part of the brain and are motivated by varying factors. Release of Dopamine is usually motivated by rewarding condition such as food, sexual pleasure and drug. Dopamine has stimulating effect on an individual when they are released. It has various effects of cognition and behaviour, pleasure and motivation, regulation of sleep, motor activities, attention, sexual arousal, mood and learning. Norponiphrine produce effects such as stimulation and enhance alertness. It also has a major effect on learning and regulation of long-term memory. Serotonin, like Dopamine has an important role on controlling mood, memory, learning, sleep and other behaviour including sexual behaviour (Bancroft, 1998, par 4-7).
Neurotransmitters, as mentioned, have effects that regulate emotion, appetite, sleep, sexuality and other factors. Because of their effect on these aspects of an individual, they have great influence on behaviour. Release and level of the transmitter affect the way an individual behaves in a certain situation. The three have been associated with mood disorders such as depression.
The brain is a very important organ in human and other animals. It is a very important organ of the nervous system, mind and behaviour. It is the centre of command of the body. As the organ where central command is situated, the brain is a very vital organ of the body without which other cannot function. As other organs in the body, the brain is divided into different regions. Regional divisions of the brain include brainstem, cerebrum, cerebellum and diencephalon. The four regions have important systematic functions in control of behaviour (Benton, 2009, p. 76).
The four regions have interdependent functions that together contribute to core function of the brain a central command. Brainstem is the region where all information coming from sensory output is sorted out. Diencephalon contains the thalamus, epithalmus and hypothalamus is responsible for filtering sensory information. It also contains centers that are responsible for regulation temperature, thirst, circadian rhythms, hunger and pain sensation. Cerebellum is responsible for maintaining balance and equilibrium in the body. Without cerebellum, an individual could not be able to conduct such functions as walking. The cerebrum, which is comprised of frontal lobes, corpus callosum and basal ganglia, is responsible of transmission of information between the two sides of the brain and memory processing. Cerebrum also contains centers that are responsible for regulating inhibition, judgments and impulses.
Cerebellum is more responsible for behavior that the other regions of the brain. This region contains frontal lobes that have high controls of how a person behaves. Frontal lobes have control of the emotions that affect human behaviors. The limbic system compromising of hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala play an important role in regulation motivations and emotion, which include responses to stress (Benton, 2009, p. 81). Amygdala, on the other hand regulates expression of emotion associated with aggression such as fear, anger and disgust. As demonstrated, human behaviour is greatly affected by different centers in the four regions.
In any given situation, sensory processes concerned include the touch, auditory and vision as response of brain to events.
In the scenario given, sound produced when the ball was pitched was received by auditory organs, sent to the brain and the brain interpreted the sound. After the sound is interpreted, the player is motivated to look around for the source of sound using vision. When the player moved the eyes towards the ball, the image of the ball was created in the retina and sent to the brain for interpretation by optic nerves. The brain interpreted the image as a moving ball. As the ball moves closer, the player’s visual is stirred and enables the thalamus to trigger the brain’s perceptual and emotional centers. The trigger enabled the player to approximate the speed of the ball. This information enabled the player to approximate the distance of the ball. By use of input from sense and memory, the player was able to form a decision to track and hit the ball at appropriate distance.
When the ball is hit using a bat crack, sound produced stimulated auditory areas of the cortex of the players. Brain’s perceptual and emotional centers of spectators were activated making them to track the ball. While the ball is on the air, images of moving ball are recorded in occipital cortex. Consequently, a message is sent to motor cortex, which command s the legs of opponent player to move towards the direction of the ball.
The process of the game involves coordination between perception centers an motor cortex. The coordination enables opponent player to move in the appropriate direction and at appropriate speed in order to reach the ball. Prompts from frontal lobes enable the opposing player construe direction and speed of the ball. As the player run towards the ball, Neural network is activated and enables the player to catch the ball. When the ball is in the player’s mitt, sensory nerves transmit and receives signal from the brain enabling the player to recognize that the ball is within his grip.
Reference List
- Bancroft, M. (1998). Brain Physiology.
- Benton, A. (2009). Brain and Behavior: Research in Clinical Neuropsychology. Massachusetts: Transaction Publishers.
- Best, B. (2008). Brain Neurotransmitters. Web.