Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, read Chapters 2 and 3 of the course textbook, Biological Basis of Behavior. Answer questions A and B below.
Question A
• Explain Neural Communication: Choose at least one of the following three elements of neural communication: (a) synapses, (b) action potentials, or (c) excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials.
o Explain their main components, how they operate, and their general purpose.
o Explain why it is useful to know this information and who might benefit from it.
o Optional: Create and add drawings or artwork to illustrate your explanations.
o Cite sources according to APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.). Responses must be 150 words or more.
Question B
• Explain relationships between disease or disorders, technology, or health behaviors and the nervous system.
Step 1) Choose one of the following topics:
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o the effect of a psychological disorder or disease of your choice on the nervous system
o the effect of a technology of your choice on the nervous system
o the effect of a healthy behavior of your choice on the nervous system
Step 2) Search: Use search terms like the neurobiology of (disorder name), the effects of technology on the brain, the effects of exercise on the nervous system, and contact your instructor if you are having difficulty finding information.
Example search results: Searching PubMed (Links to an external site.) for “synapse schizophrenia” yields results like altered synaptic structure is observed in people with schizophrenia,(Chelini et al., 2018; Owen et al. 2015); searching “internet brain” yields results like internet gaming disorder is correlated with prefrontal cortical abnormalities (Choi et al., 2017); and searching “exercise synaptic function” yields results like exercise can enhance synaptic function (Chatzi et al., 2019).
Step 3) Write: Your post should include the following:
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o Identify your topic and explain how it relates to nervous system function.
o Briefly explain the supporting study and its main findings.
o Explain why the topic is important and, if possible, how neurons, synapses, or neural communication are affected.
o Cite sources according to APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.). Responses must be 150 words or more.
