ABSTRACT
An Introduction to the Human Brain and Neuro transmitters The human brain is extremely complex. It comprises something of the order of 50 to 100 billion neurons that each forms tens of thousands of connections to other neurons and exerts causal influences on behavior as well as changes in response to our experiences. We provide some basic information regarding brain structure and communication in Box 3.1 and Figure 3.1. This overview of brain structures and means of neuronal communication provides a primer of background knowledge of the biological bases of psychopathology. Needless to say, it is impossible to cover the basics of neuroanatomy, genetics, and biological psychology and findings specifically related to psychopathology in this chapter. We point interested readers to basic textbooks for more in-depth coverage of these concepts (Blumenfeld, 2010; Breedlove & Watson, 2013; Kandel, Schwartz, Jessell, Siegelbaum, & Hudspeth, 2012).
