PSYC 1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Myelin, Neuroglia, Axon Terminal

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1001
• Professor: Bruce Tsuji

Document Summary

Your nervous system is a complex communication network in which signals are constantly being transmitted, received, and integrated. The nervous system is living tissue composed of cells: glia and neurons. Neurons: individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information. Mostly only communicate with other neurons, but some also carry messages from the nervous system to the muscles that move the body, and receive information from outside the nervous system. 100 bill neurons 4 weeks after conception, 250 mill neurons per min. The soma or cell body contains the cell nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells. Dendrites: the parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information. The axon is a long thin fibre that transmits signals away from the soma to other neurons or to muscles or glands. Myelin sheath: insulating material derived from glial cells, that encases some axons. Terminal buttons: small knobs that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters.