PSYC 401 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential, Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential, Reflex Arc
Document Summary
Chemicals are main way neurons communicate - through transmitting chemicals at junctions called synapses. Ramon y cajal - anatomical demonstration of narrow gap separating one neuron to another - synapses. Charles scott sherrington - physiologically demonstrated communication between one neuron and the next differs from communication along a single axon. Observation of reflexes enabled inference of existence of synapses and many of their properties - sherrington. Transmission through reflex arc is slower than transmission through equivalent length of axon -- some process at synapses delays transmission. Epsps and ipsps summate their effects - Summation of graded potentials from stimuli at different times = temporal summation. Summation of potentials from different locations = spatial summation. Inhibition = active brake that suppresses excitation - within nervous system, just as important as excitation. Stimulation at synapse brief graded potential in the postsynaptic cell. Excitatory graded potential = depolarizing = epsp - gates open to allow sodium to enter neuron"s membrane - positive charge.
