PSYCH 101 Lecture 5: Brain and Behavior – Cells of the Nervous System
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Psych 101 lecture 5 brain and behavior: cells of the nervous. Neurons: basic building blocks of the nervous system. Dendrites: receive signals from other neurons, send them to the cell body. Soma: cell"s life support center that receives signals from dendrites and other neurons. Axon: conducts information away from cell body to the axon terminals in the form of an electrical charge. Axon terminals: contain neurotransmitters that send messages to muscles, glands, and neurons. Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes: form myelin that aids neuronal transmission. The inside of the cell is more negatively charged than the outside. Messages from other neurons either increase or decrease the resting potential. The electrical current that is sent down the axon of a neuron. All-or-nothing event: the firing of the neuron occurs either at full strength or not at all. Synapse: gaps between neurons, or neurons and muscles, in which one neuron releases a chemical that either excites or inhibits the next neuron.
