01:830:101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Myelin, Neuroglia, Dendrite

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: 01:830:101
• Professor: BRYNILDSEN

Document Summary

Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be traced to electrical and chemical signals traveling through the brain and body; all behaviors/sensations originate from the brain. Nervous system- complex communication network made up of neurons. Neuron- specialized cell that transmits neural messages to other neurons, glands, and muscles; function to fire (electrical changes allow it to send chemical signal to the next neuron and so on) Dendrite- (treelike); receives neural messages from other neurons. Axon- thin tube that transmits messages (axon away) Provide support for neurons, nurishment, remove waste. Glial cells in blood brain barrier (protects brain) 1) electrical signal within neuron (action potential) Action potential- electrical impulse that travels from the cell body down to the end of the axon (neural firing); change in electrical signal/charge within neuron. Threshold- level of electrical charge needed to stimulate action potential; you need enough of a charge to fire or stimulate action potential.