PSYC10003 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Myelin, Multiple Sclerosis, Axon Terminal
6 Apr 2019
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There are two major categories of the cells in the nervous system: neurons. Individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information. They usually communicate with other neurons, but some receive signals from outside the nervous system. Soma: contains the cell nucleus and chemical machinery common to most cells. Dendrites: specializes in receiving information from other cells. Axon: info flows away from the soma along the axon, it is a long, thin fiber and it transmits signals to other neurons, muscles, or glands, wrapped in a white, fatty substance called myelin. Degeneration of the myelin sheath leads to diseases like multiple sclerosis. Terminal buttons: secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters, which activate neighboring neurons. Synapse: where information is transmitted from neuron to neuron. Information goes from the dendrites to the soma along the axon. It is then transferred to the dendrites of other cells at the synapses. These are cells that provide support for the neurons: glia.
