It can be very rewarding for you and it is important for the future of the field. All behavior is controlled by the brain. Presentation of key terms. The brain requires a lot of energy to function even though it weighs only 2-3 pounds Show rat and rabbit brains and compare to human. Weight of human brain can vary up to 0.5 lb with no significant effect on intelligence.
Brain size varies considerably across species.
Ask what factors may be correlated with a large brain. Students will usually talk about brain damage and loss of ability Point out that we can gain some information from human brains but that to perform controlled experiments we need to use animals. In addition to the death of cells in certain parts of the brain, there is a reduction in the amount of certain brain chemicals. Explain the representation of the various areas of the body in the motor strip. Explain that the pathway from the brain to the muscles can be activated at any point by electrical stimulation.