PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential, Excitatory Synapse, Autonomic Nervous System

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Ingrid Johnsrude

Document Summary

Most psychologists would agree that the nervous system control all behaviour and mental processes. The spinal cord communicates with all the sensory organs and muscles, except those of the head. This is the component of the pns that receives information from and sends commands to the heart and other organs. i. ii. Cns is composed of two broad classes of cells; neurons and glia. Glia: the glia, neuroglia, or glial cells are supporting cells; there are different kinds of glia and they serve supportive and protective functions helping the neurons to do their work. The pns is divided into skeletal and autonomic portions: The skeletal portion controls the various muscles, relaying motor commands from the brain. The autonomic nervous system controls involuntary muscles and many internal organs; very important in maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis: can be described as the tendency of an animal to regulate its internal conditions by a system of feedback controls so as to optimize health and functioning.