PSYB64H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Aplysia Gill And Siphon Withdrawal Reflex, Withdrawal Reflex, Aplysia
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*excluded pages 348 351 + 358 361 + 366 368. The behavior of organisms can be separated into three major categories: reflexes, instincts, and learned behaviors: reflexes are involuntary responses to stimuli. These behaviors are produced by prewired neural connections or reflex arcs: reflexes have the advantage of producing rapid, reliable responses, but their inflexibility can be a disadvantage when the environment changes. Like reflexes, instincts are automatic, but their resulting behaviors are more complex. Much of this adaptability stems from the remarkable human capacity for learned behavior: only those behavioral changes that result from experience will be considered learned. This specification excludes changes in behavior that occur due to maturation or growth. Invertebrates are not only capable of learning, but their large-celled, simple, and, hence, easily observed nervous systems also make them ideal subjects researchers have relied on the sea slug, aplysia californica.