PSY 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Brainstem, Occipital Lobe, Autonomic Nervous System
5 Apr 2017
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Cell body (soma): center of neuron; builds new cell components. Dendrites: branchlike extension that receive information from other neurons. Axons: tails of the neuron that spread out from the cell body and transit information. Axon terminal: end of the axon containing synaptic vesicles filled with neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters (nt"s): chemical messengers that allow neuron-to-neuron communication. Glial (glue) cells: cell in the nervous system that plays a role in the formation of myelin and the blood brain barrier; responds to injury, removes debris, and enhances learning and memory. Glial cells wrapped around axons that act as insulators of the neuron"s signal. Neurons respond to nt"s by generating electrical activity. Resting potential: when the neuron is not being simulated or inhibited. Action potential: electrical impulse that travels down the axon (triggers release of neurotransmitters) Triggered by a change in charge inside the axon. Neurons can fire 100 to 1000 times per second. In between firings, there is a very brief absolute refractory period.
