PSYCH 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Basal Ganglia, Reward System, Hypothalamus
10 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
The neuron- an individual nerve cell is known as a neuron. The dendrites: receive electrical signals from other neurons. The cell body (soma): contains the nucleus and provides for the life processes of the cell. The axon: carries the electrical signal from the soma to the terminal buttons. The terminal buttons: release neurotransmitters that cause electrical changes to the next neuron in the chain. If a neuron receives enough excitation from other neurons, then it will initiate an action potential (a spike of electricity that travels down its axon). When the action potential reaches the terminal buttons, they will release neurotransmitters into their synapse (the space between the terminal buttons of one neuron and the dendrites of another. The neurotransmitter binds to receptors in the dendrites of the next neuron in the chain thereby electrically exciting or inhibiting the next cell. Psychoactive drugs work by altering how synapses operate.
