PSY 101 Lecture 4: Chapter 3: Biological Psychology
Document Summary
Bio psych(physiologists) is one of the major areas of development in psychology. Bridging the gap between the nervous system and our behavior allows us to span multiple levels of analysis. Neurons are brain cells that specialize in communication. Cell body(soma): cell of neuron; builds new cell components. Dendrites: branch like extension that receive information from other neurons. *star wars soldiers big and tough marching in. Axons: tails of the neuron that spread out from the cell body and transmit information. Axon terminal: knob at the end of the axons that contains synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters (nt"s): chemical messengers that allow neuron- to-neuron communication. Synapse: space between neurons through which nt"s travel. Increase reliability of neuronal transmission by insulating the axon. This layer of insulation is known as the myelin sheath (looks like marshmallows) around axons. The myelin sheath is developed in infancy and, thus, dictates fat needs during this time. Neurons respond to nt"s by generating electrical activity.
