PSY 103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Hemoglobin, Prefrontal Cortex, Limbic System
9 Aug 2018
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Document Summary
Neurons = enormous number of separate cells in the brain, consists of three parts: cell body/dendrites/axon. Cell body contains the nucleus of the cell. Dendrites are widely branching structures that receive input from other neurons. An axon is a single, thin, long, straight fiber with branches near its tip. Glia = support the neurons in many ways such as by insulating them, synchronizing activity among neighboring neurons, and removing waste products, smaller but more numerous than neurons. Myelin = an insulating sheath that speeds up the transmission of impulses along an axon. An axon transmits information to other cells and the dendrites/cell body receive that information. Function of an axon is to convey information over long distances. When the axon is not stimulated, its membrane has a resting potential - an electrical polarization across the membrane of an axon. Can start either spontaneously or be excited. Sodium enters the cell (excitation), then potassium leaves (return to the resting potential)
