PSY 150A1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Myelin, Phineas Gage, Axon Terminal

• School: University of Arizona
• Department: Psychology Main
• Course: PSY 150A1
• Professor: Adam Lazarewicz

Document Summary

Biological psychology- studies link between biology & behaviors/mental processes aka biopsychology, neuroscience. The neuron nerve cell avg. human brain about 100 billion: 10x as many glial cells: (cid:1007) fu(cid:374)(cid:272)tio(cid:374)s of a neuro(cid:374) (cid:862)(cid:374)eurotra(cid:374)s(cid:373)issio(cid:374)(cid:863: receive signals from other neurons or senses, (cid:862)pro(cid:272)ess(cid:863) sig(cid:374)als, send signals to other neurons, muscles, organs. Multiple sclerosis- deterioration of myelin- slowed communication with muscles, impaired sensation in limbs: terminal buttons- structures at the ends of axon branches. How does the neuron work: neurotransmission is an electrochemical process, all-or-none law- neuron is always either at rest or firing. Resting potential- negative charge within neurons at rest. Action potential- shifting electrical charge moving down the axon. Threshold- amount of excitatory signal needed for neuron to fire (all or none: sodium channels open na+ rushes into axon- charge opens adjacent channels. 10,000 connections to other neurons (100s of trillions of connections) De(cid:272)reased ach produ(cid:272)tio(cid:374) i(cid:374) alzhei(cid:373)er"s: dopamine. Low levels in clinical depression: serotonin.