PSYC 2050U Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Giant Squid, Sodium-Potassium Alloy, Resting Potential
Document Summary
Slide 3: energetically efficient device that only used 15 w of power - equivalent of a lightbulb. the 15w is used to power an elaborate mechanism that controls the body. It is not like a computer which is electrical. It is mostly chemical - activity in the brain determines the chemical signals. Neurons talk through the release and detection of chemicals. A lot of the way the brain communicates is with chemicals, chemical packets are released and the detection changes the neural communication. Slide 4: giant squids help with the internal mechanisms involved. Giant squid axons are helpful for dissection. Outside of finger (cell or axon) is positive. Inside of finger (cell or axon) is negative. Slide 6: ions are charged particles elements that have varying numbers of electrons in their outer shell (varying charges) Cations are positively charged, anions are negatively charged. Ions want to enter the cell (because of diffusion and electrical charges).
