PSYCH 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Curare, Agonist, Nicotine

• School: UW
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 101
• Professor: Ann E.Culligan

Document Summary

Biological psychology: scientific study of biological bases of behaviors & mental processes. Neuroscience: scientific study of the nervous system. Action potential: info is gathered by dendrites + cell body, then transmitted along axon in form of brief electrical impulse. All or none law: either the neuron is sufficiently stimulated and an action potential occurs or the neuron is not and no action potential occurs. After action potential, refractory period: neuron unable to fire, then repolarizes (negative outside) Synapse: point of communication between 2 neurons: presynaptic neuron: sends message, postsynaptic neuron: receives message, separated by synaptic gap. Acetylcholine: learning, memory, muscle contractions, alzheimer"s disease. Dopamine: movement, thought processes, rewarding sensations, parkinson"s disease, schizophrenia (excessive dopamine & hallucinations), addiction, drug abuse. Serotonin: emotional states, sleep, sensory perception, major depressive disorder. Norepinephrine: physical arousal (danger/threat), learning, memory retrieval, regulation of sleep, stress, major depressive disorder. Endorphins: endorphins are neurotransmitters that regulate pain perceptions, linked to positive emotions, opiate addiction.