PSY 250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Resting Potential, Membrane Potential, Endoplasmic Reticulum

• School: Stony Brook University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 250
• Professor: Ryan Parsons

Document Summary

Components of the neuron: external structures: Axon hillock: junction of the cell body and axon; where the action potential begins. Myelin: insulation around axons; prevents loss of current. Nodes of ranvier: gaps between the myelin; important for propagating the action potential: internal structures. Synaptic vesicles: located near the synapse; packages neurotransmitters: the synapse. Synapse: the junction between two neurons; the place where cells communicate with each other. Presynaptic membrane: end of the axon that establishes a connection to another neuron. Postsynaptic membrane: part of neuron that receives a connection from another cell. Signals need to be generated, travel down the length of an axon and cross the gap between neurons: two forms of neuron transmission: Resting membrane potential- difference in electrical charge between inside and outside of the cell when the neuron is at rest . The inside of the neuron is negative with respect to the outside; resting membrane potential is about -70mv.