PSY 352 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Limbic System, Action Potential, Neurotransmitter
Document Summary
Medical model: terms like prognosis, diagnosis, illness, etc. Genetic models (evolutionary, behavior genetic, etc. : biology review. Biology forms the basis for all behavior. Biology and behavior influence each other: testosterone levels and sex, pet scans of brain changes produced by behavior therapy (equivalent to depression meds) Neuron structure: each neuron only makes one type of neurotransmitter, each neuron has it"s own pathways in the brain. Synapse: a junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite (body) of the receiving neuron: tiny gap is called the synaptic gap or cleft. Action potential: electrical signal: travels down the neuron & travels out by releasing neurotransmitter into the synapse, allows for next neuron to pick up neurotransmitter from gap and continue pathway. Neurotransmitter: chemicals released from the sending neuron: travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing it to generate an action potential.
