Because humans are organisms, our physical functions are dictated by biology. However, our behaviors and mental functions are also controlled to a large degree by biology, but we often do not think about this fact. Please review the link below that highlights 10 human behaviors that have been identified as having biological foundations. Then seek out information on a different behavior and how biology may explain it. Identify the behavior and the biological evidence to explain it in your post.
http://listverse.com/2013/07/11/10-human-actions-with-biological-explanations-2/
2. Reply to two classmates post.
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DB1 (Kevin Rodrigues):
For this weeks discussion topic I chose to expand a little bit more on why our bodies decide that to put us in a tired state when night time comes. As stated on the article, The Science of Sleep by Kristin Harper, our bodies are on a 24-hour time cycle where they’re constantly releasing chemicals to our brain which allow us to have stimuli to our everyday surroundings and the need to sleep or rest at night time is no exception. The process begins when the hormone, Melatonin, is released and triggers us to be drowsy and tired, Melatonin levels commonly peak during midnight, but wait there’s more. Our eye’s retinas and the exposure of light play a vital role for the release or delay of melatonin for example, our retinas are exposed to light, that signal gets sent to the Suprachiasmatic nucleus, and then travels down to our Pineal gland which is the location for melatonin production and since already exposed to light no melatonin will be produced. On the contrary during night time, the signal between the Suprchiasmastic nucleus and the Pineal gland is never sent and therefore triggering our Pineal gland to produce and release melatonin [1].
[1] Harper, Kristin. (2015, January.) The Science of Sleep. American Chemical Society. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/archive-2014-2015/the-science-of-sleep.html
DB2 (Hannah Wiles):
For this week’s topic of discussion I have chosen to discuss why humans laugh and how our bodies benefit from this simple everyday function. The act of laughing first occurs at as early as 3 months of a human’s life, well before they can speak. Laughter is a basic occurrence amongst people who feel comfortable with each other but it is also a way for humans to show acceptance towards a stranger. It is believed that this ideal was used long ago to show closeness towards members of a tribe and to show outsiders that they were not a threat. Another theory behind laughter is that primates used to groom one another to show affection, however, as groups became larger grooming was phased out and replaced by laughter. As for some of the internal benefits of laughing, it can increase your oxygen intake, release endorphins, relieve tension, and even boost the immune system.
Stierwalt, S. (2020, February 9). Why Do We Laugh? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-we-laugh/.
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