PY 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Endocrine System, Pituitary Gland, Agonist
Document Summary
The central nervous system: consists of the brain and the spinal cords, the neurons are the stars. Communication in the nervous system: hardware: main player = neurons, three main parts of the neurons. Axon transmit away: glia cells provide support for neurons. Neural communication: insulation and information transfer: myelin sheath. End of axons; neurotransmitters contained in sacs: neurotransmitters. The neural impulse: electrochemical beginnings: 70 millivolts resting potential, action potential. Either reaches the threshold to stimulate or it doesn"t reach. Stimulation causes the cell membrane to open briefly. Shift in electrical charge travels alone neuron. The synapse: chemicals as signal couriers: terminal button synaptic vesicles neurotransmitter synaptic cleft, presynaptic neuron neuron sending message, postsynaptic neuron receiving message. Molecule fills the receptor site and activates it, acting like the neurotransmitter: antagonist. Molecule fills the lock so that the neurotransmitter cannot get in and activate the receptor site.