From Cells to Consciousness - Open University Course Team

This book outlines the basic rules governing the nervous system organization by comparing the nervous systems of invertebrates with those of vertebrates, stressing the features common to both as well as those that are unique. It goes on to look at vertebrate nervous systems, in particular the human nervous system. After the physiology and anatomy of the nervous system, it turns to a completely different aspect of the human brain, namely consciousness. Using evidence from psychological and neurobiological studies it considers examples of conscious and unconscious processes, and evidence about the brain pathways involved. It sets out current thinking and findings about whether there is a neural correlate of visual consciousness. Finally, some of the surprisingly illusory aspects of consciousness are explored.