Neurobiology

Neurobiology is the study of the nervous system, with a particular focus on the brain and its impact on behavior and cognitive functions. It is a branch of biology that deals with the anatomy, physiology, molecular biology of neurons and neural circuits and especially their association with behavior and learning.

Overview

Neurobiology brings together the various scientific disciplines dealing with the nervous system. While anatomy studies its structure, physiology is concerned with the function of the nervous system and its components. Molecular biology studies the nervous system at the molecular level.

History

The study of the nervous system dates back to ancient Egypt. Evidence of this can be found in the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, a copy of part of an ancient Egyptian medical text. Modern neurobiology can be traced back to the work of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, who, through his extensive work on the structure of the nervous system, is considered one of the founders of modern neuroscience.

Branches

Neurobiology can be broken down into a number of branches including:

• Developmental neurobiology: The study of the development of the nervous system.
• Molecular neurobiology: The study of the nervous system with a molecular perspective.
• Neuroanatomy: The study of the structure of the nervous system.
• Neurochemistry: The study of the chemical composition and processes of the nervous system.
• Neuroendocrinology: The study of the interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system.
• Neuropathology: The study of disease of nervous system tissue.
• Neuropharmacology: The study of how drugs affect cellular function in the nervous system.
• Neurophysiology: The study of the function of the nervous system.

See also

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Psychology
• Psychiatry

References

Neurobiology Resources
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