PSY 111 Lecture 4: Chapter 3
13 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Neurons: cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information-processing tasks, approximately 100 billion in the brain, process all thoughts, feelings, behaviors. Synapse: the junction between the dendrites of one neuron and the axon terminals of another. Types of neurons: sensory neurons: send impulses from skin to spinal cord (senses to spinal cord, motor neurons: send movement request to muscles (spinal cord to senses) Interneurons: make the connections and communication between neurons, send signals to the brain. Component of the central nervous system: spinal reflexes: simple pathways in the nervous system that rapidly generate muscle contractions (pain withdrawal reflex) Interneurons receive sensory signal and then the interneuron sends motor neuron signal to move the body part and at the same time it sends the signal to the brain. Electric signaling: neurons have a natural electrical charge that changes as information is passed, resting potential: inside the neuron has negative charge, outside the neuron has positive charge.
