Neuroethology concepts

Instinct is the inherent inclination of a living organism towards a particular complex behaviour, containing innate (inborn) elements. The simplest example of an instinctive behaviour is a fixed action pattern (FAP), in which a very short to medium length sequence of actions, without variation, are carried out in response to a corresponding clearly defined stimulus. thumb|220px|A leatherback turtle [[hatchling makes its way to the open ocean.]] Any behaviour is instinctive if it is performed without being based upon prior experience (that is, in the absence of learning), and is therefore an ex

Inevitable, inbuilt behaviour in a species

thumb|"Early Scheme for a circular Feedback Circle" from Theoretische Biologie 1920 thumb|Small circular Feedback Pictograms between the Text thumb|Schematic view of a cycle as an early biocyberneticist An umwelt (plural: umwelten; from the German Umwelt, meaning "environment" or "surroundings") is the specific way in which organisms of a particular species perceive and experience the world, shaped by the capabilities of their sensory organs and perceptual systems.

biological neural circuit that produces rhythmic outputs in the absence of rhythmic input

device that can detect simultaneous electric signals

configuration in a control system which passes a control signal from a source in its external environment to a load elsewhere in its external environment