Abstract

SANCHEZ-RAMIREZ, Juan David  and  URIBE-VELASQUEZ, Luis Fernando. NEUROBIOLOGICAL ASPECTS INVOLVED IN ANIMAL FEAR. Biosalud [online]. 2009, vol.8, n.1, pp.189-213. ISSN 1657-9550.

Fear is an emotion that is useful for expressing defensive behaviors in dangerous situations. It has a biological support based on the coordinating functionality of different organic systems. Particularity, the nervous system in its intrinsic activity generates the experience and the derived motor action. In fact, researchers have discovered the participation of several neuroanatomical structures such as the amygdala and hypothalamus, as well as a wide range of molecules such as neurotransmitters and their receptors. The anatomical and physiological interactions cause emotion. Since the ability to produce fear exists, the nervous system may regulate it, too. Certain anatomical structures are found for this mechanism such as the prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex and molecules like GABA and opiates, which inhibited or reduced the activity in the active zones that act upon fear. The balance between activation and inhibition enables the event of fear in the circumstances required and not in an out-of-context or generalized manner. This review presents a description of different relevant aspects in the generation and regulation of the emotion.

Keywords : fear; behavior; limbic system; neurons; synapses; neurotransmitter receptors.

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