Book Review: Understanding the Brain

Making a cup of coffee and remembering to turn off the coffeemaker. Driving to the grocery store and not getting lost. Remembering anniversaries, birthdays, and where you were supposed to meet your friend for lunch. All of these activities require the seamless workings of the brain, and while we often take them for granted, there are even more activities that go undetected within the brain every single day. In his new book, Understanding the Brain: From Cells to Behavior to Cognition, which is an updated version of his earlier book, Dowling offers a comprehensive look at how the brain functions — from how vision occurs and how neurons within the brain communicate, to the neuroscience underlying disease states, phenomena, consciousness, and even emotions. Dowling explains, “The brain consists of hundreds of areas, each carrying out a specific task. Many areas possess neurons unique to those specific parts of the brain. And within each area, the neurons connect with one another, and some project to other areas often considerable distances away.” But how is the brain able to maintain such a complex web of activity? “All neurons have characteristics of sensory receptors in that they possess specialized membrane proteins that respond selectively to specific chemicals — the neurotransmitters or neuromodulators,” Dowling writes. One feature that is unique to all receptors, however, is the process of adaptation. Over time, and with sustained stimulus, all receptor...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Book Reviews Disorders General Genetics Habits Intelligence Memory and Perception Neuroscience Psychiatry Psychology Treatment Brain Function cortisol Dowling Emotions Long Term Memory neuromodulators Neurons Neurotrans Source Type: news