PSY 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Myelin, Peripheral Nervous System, Cerebrospinal Fluid
15 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
Neurons: nerve cells specialized to communicate with each other. Branchlike extension that receive information from other neurons. Tails of the neuron that spread out from the cell body and transit information myelin sheath (know for midterm), imagine it like plumbing in the house (insulation to keep messages going efficiently) Axons: tail-like extensions that stick out of the cell body. Axon terminal: knob-like structure that"s at the end of each axon containing synaptic vesicles. Synaptic vesicles: contain the chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. Produced by cell body, sv"s travel down the axon until bursting at the at, releasing neurotransmitters. Lock and key mechanism, so not all neurotransmitters can bind to every site. Tiny fluid-filled space between neurons including a synaptic cleft. Synaptic cleft: tiny gap into which neurotransmitters are released. Dendrites of nearby neurons pick up the neurotransmitters, and message is received. Astrocytes: increase reliability of neurotransmission, control blood flow in brain, involved in thought, memory, immune response.
