PSYCH CH2.1

Neuroscience

A branch of the life sciences that deals with the structure and function of neurons, nerves, and nervous tissue

Nervous system

An extensive network of specialized cells that carries information to and from all parts of the body

Biological Psychology/Behavioral Neuroscience

Branch of neuroscience that focuses on the biological bases of psychological processes, behavior, and learning

Dendrites

Branchlike structures that recieve messages from other neurons; like the branches of a tree, they are attached to the soma (cell body)

Nerves

Bundles of axons coated in myelin that travel together through the body

Strong stimulation

Causes the neuron to fire repeatedly, more neurons to fire

Myelin

Offers little protection from damage and speeds up the neural message traveling down the axon

Neuron

The basic cell that makes up the nervous system and that receives and sends messages within that system; the information process of neurons only travel one way; neurons connect through the synapse, and neurons never touch

Soma

The cell body of the neuron responsible for maintaining the life of the cell

Action potential

The release of the neural impulse consisting of a reversal of the electrical charge within the axon

Axon

Tubelike structure that carries the neural messages to other cells; this is a fiber attached to the soma and it carry messages out to other cells

Santiago Ramon y Cajal

Was the first to theorize that the nervous system was made up of individual cells, in 1887

Neurons make up only _% of the cells in the brain. Whereas glial cells is composed of _% of the brain.

10 Percent ; 90 Percent

Glial cells

Cells that provide support for the neurons to grow on and around, deliver nutrients to neurons, produce myelin to coat axons, clean up waste products and dead neurons, influence information processing, & during prenatal development, influence the generation of new neurons; two special types of glial cells called oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells, generate a layer of fatty substances called myelin; Oligodendrocytes produce myelin in the brain and spinal cord, Schwann cells produce myelin in the neurons of the body.

Multiple sclerosis

Damages the myelin sheath, which lead to a loss of function in those damaged cells

Myelin

Fatty substances produced by certain glial cells that coat the axons of neurons to insulate, protect, and speed up the neural impulse; similar to a laptop power cable, within a cable there are lots of copper wires as the myelin sheath does for axons. Bundled together, they form a cable that is stronger and less vulnerable to breakage.

There are 3 types of neurons:

Interneurons, who communicates with other neurons; sensor neurons, that recieve signals outside the nervous system; motor neurons, carry messages to the muscles to move the body

All or none

Referring to the fact that a neuron fires completely or does not fire at all; a light switch, when it on the on position, the light will come on, when it's turned to the off position, the light is off.

Semipermeable

Substances outside the cell (negatively charged) can enter though tiny openings, or gates, in the membrane, while other substances in the cell can go outside (positively charged)

Resting potential

The states of the neuron when not firing a neural impulse; the cell is at rest, sodium ions are outside of the cell, they cannot enter until dendrites are activated; the potential sequence takes one-thousandth of a second, from 2 miles per hour in the slowest

Neurilemma or Schwann's membrane

This membrane surrounds the axon and the myelin sheath, serves as a tunnel through which damaged nerve fibers can repair themselves.; axons of the neurons in the brain and spinal cord do not have this coating, which lead them more likely to be permanently damaged