Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain, Fifth Edition takes a fresh, contemporary approach to the study of neuroscience, emphasizing the biological basis of behavior. The authors present material at the cutting edge of neuroscience in a way that is accessible to both science and nonscience students alike. The level of the material is comparable to an introductory college text in general biology.The human nervous system is examined at several different scales, ranging from the molecules that determine the functional properties of neurons to the large brain networks that underlie cognition and behavior. Many neuropsychiatric disorders are introduced as the book progresses, usually within the context of the specific neural system under discussion. Indeed, many insights into the normal functions of neural systems have come from the study of diseases that cause specific malfunctions of these systems. In addition, the authors discuss the actions of drugs and toxins on the brain using this information to illustrate how different brain systems contribute to behavior and how drugs may alter brain function.