01:830:101 Lecture 9: Topic 9 - Biopsychology_ Nervous System

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: 01:830:101
• Professor: Foels

Document Summary

Neuroscience - the study of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and networks of sensory nerve cells called neurons biopsychology (biological psychology) - mental processes and observable behaviors are linked to biological structures and processes. Phrenology - study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities. Neurons - highly specialized cells that communicate info in electrical chemical forms; we have 100 billion, extremely small, look like snowflakes. Soma - cell body of a neuron and contains the nucleus of the cell. The soma doesn"t play an active role in transmitting neural signals, but it keeps the cell functioning and holds the cell"s dna. Dendrites - receive info that goes into cell body - info travels to myelin sheath. All-or-none - the fact that neurons fire down the complete length of the cell if a sufficient level of excitatory impulses are received.