Motivation and behavior
Animal life usually begins with the joining of sperm and egg. The newly formed
zygote undergoes rapid transformation through cellular division and
differentiation which is remarkably similar across species. As the newly
differentiated cells become the tissues, organs, and systems of the developing
organism the emerging heart begins to beat, the cells destined to become
skeletal muscle start to twitch and the early nervous system fires to life
forming the initial connections setting the stage for higher consciousness to
come into being. It is an amazing process.
Each stage of development is affected by the environment, so learning, broadly
defined, takes place even in utero. From its earliest beginnings to the end of
life, the nervous system senses and adapts to change. The poor prognosis
following injury suggested a nervous system fixed in place sometime during
adolescence. We now know, though the rate of change slows down, the nervous
system continues to adapt and change throughout the entire lifespan.
All behavior is motivated.... |