Solveeit Logo

Question

Question: What is neurobiology?...

What is neurobiology?

Explanation

Solution

The study of the nervous system and the working of the brain and related structures such as the spinal cord assists in the investigation of human anatomy and it's intricacies. Each region of the brain affects a particular area of behavior. Neurobiology aims to understand these behaviors and their links to different parts of the brain.

Complete answer:
Neurobiology or neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field of science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developmental biology, cytology, computer science and mathematical modeling to understand the fundamental properties of neurons and neural circuits. The earliest study of the nervous system dates to ancient Egypt around 1700 BC. Trepanation was the name of the surgical practice of either drilling or scraping a hole into the skull to cure head injuries or mental disorders or relieving cranial pressure. This was recorded in the Neolithic period. The scientific study of the nervous system increased remarkably during the second half of the twentieth century. Advances in molecular biology, electrophysiology and computational neuroscience assisted in the notable increase of advancements.
In molecular neuroscience, the mechanisms by which neurons express and respond to molecular signals are explored. Molecular biology and genetics are combined to understand how neurons develop and how genetic changes affect biological functions. The morphology, molecular identity, physiological characteristics and the complex connections of neurons and how they relate to different types of behavior are also widely covered in molecular neurobiology.
In cellular neuroscience, the investigation of development of the nervous system is covered. The patterning and regionalization of the nervous system, neural stem cells, differentiation of neurons and glia (neurogenesis and gliogenesis), neuronal migration, axonal and dendritic development, trophic interactions and synapse formation are the major subfields of study under cellular neurobiology.
In systems neuroscience, the role of neural circuits to, anatomically and physiologically, generate functions like reflexes, multisensory integration, motor coordination, circadian rhythms, emotional responses, learning and memory are explored and analyzed.
Cognitive neuroscience addresses questions regarding the psychological functions produced by neural circuitry. For example, the neuroscientific identification of multiple memory systems corresponding to different brain areas have challenged the idea of memory as a literal reproduction of the past. It supports the view of memory as a generative, constructive and dynamic process.
In computational neuroscience, mathematical models, theoretical analysis and computer simulation is utilized to describe and verify biologically feasible neurons and nervous systems. For instance, the biological neuron models are mathematical descriptions of spiking neurons which can be used to understand both the behavior of single neurons as well as dynamics of neural networks. Computational neuroscience is also referred to as theoretical neuroscience.
Note:
Computational neurogenetic modeling is associated with the development of dynamic neuronal models for modeling brain functions in accordance with genes and the dynamic interactions between the genes. Neuroscience is also associated with the social and behavioral sciences and nascent interdisciplinary fields like neuroeconomics, decision theory, social neuroscience and neuromarketing to address questions about the interactions of the brain with the environment.