PSY 177 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Saxitoxin, Batrachotoxin, Convulsion
31 May 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Neurophysiology: the generation, transmission, and integration of neural signals. Neurophysiology is the study of the life processes within neurons that use electrical and chemical signals. An action potential is a rapid electrical signal that travels along the axon of a neuron. A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger between neurons. Electrical signals are the vocabulary of the nervous system. A neuron at rest is a balance of electrochemical forces: Anions are negatively charged, ex: cl- and proteins (negative charge but not an anion) Cations are positively charged, ex: sodium (na+), potassium (k), and calcium (ca2+) Ions are dissolved in intracellular fluid, separated from the extracellular fluid by the cell membrane. Inside of the cell is negatively charged relative to the extracellular environment. Cell membrane is a lipid bilayer (water tide non-permeable barrier) that molecules can only cross through ion channels. The membrane can only be crossed by molecules if they cross through the ion channels.
