PSY-35 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Molecular Neuroscience, Electric Potential, Sympathetic Nervous System
Document Summary
Neuroscience is the study of the brain and the nervous system. Nervous system is composed of billions of neurons. Each neuron (nerve cell) has 4 major parts: (3) one or more axons of varying lengths (usually only one long and thin axon extendinga considerable distance from the cell body) (4) terminal buttons on the many end branches of the axon. When a neuron is appropriately stimulated at its cell body or through its dendrites, a nerve impulse, which is a change in the electric potential of the cell, travels down the axon to the terminal endings. Between the terminal endings of the sending axon and the cell membrane of the receiving neuron, there is a small gap called the synapse. For a nerve impulse to pass from one neuron to another and for communication to occur the impulse must have a way of bridging the synaptic gap.
