This course surveys the structural and functional relations of the central nervous system, physiology, sensory processes, and behavior. Study is divided into two subsections: (1) physiological psychology and (2) evolution, genetics, and behavior. Students become familiar with the biology of memory and the biological/genetic aspects of psychiatric disorders. Knowledge of the functioning of the brain at the anatomical, cellular, and molecular levels underpins any understanding of behavior. Biological Bases of Behavior provides fundamental knowledge of brain functions in the interest of providing an understanding of the foundational grounding from which all behavior comes. Attention is paid to the physiology of the brain; the environmental, genetic and evolutionary influences on the brain; and the ways in which the brain processes information, records emotions, and instantiates memory and learning. The course includes an understanding of how information from the environment is processed, the underlying mechanisms of affect and reinforcement, how experience can alter the brain, and what limitations are imposed on an individual following neural damage. It also includes a solid understanding of the evolution of mechanisms involved in behavior, as well as the putative mechanisms of medications in the brain. 05/08/2023-08/20/2023