PSY 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Axon Terminal, Myelin, Reuptake

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 1101
• Professor: Laine John

Document Summary

The action potential is the soul of the nervous system. Neurons are brain cells that work together to transmit that action potential. Dendrites: fingers/branches that reach out to chat with each other. Axon: tail that transmits electrical impulses to the axon terminals. Neurons talk to each other across gaps called synapses. The communication is electrical through the neuron, and then is transferred to chemical communication across the synaptic cleft, by neurotransmitters. When a neuron is inactive", it rests in a slight negative charge. As an impulse comes through, positive ions enter the cell body, making it more positively charged than the outside for a brief moment, before those positive ions are pushed out again. The neuron returns to a slight negative resting state until required again. After the action potential, the neuron needs to rest for a brief moment called the refractory period. The electrical impulse is protected when travelling through the axon by the myelin sheath.