PSYCH 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Agonist, Myelin, Sympathetic Nervous System
Document Summary
Study of bumps of skull & relationship to mental abilities + character traits. Not 100% science, led to idea of localization of brain function. Biological psychology: neuroscience, behavior genetics, neuropsychology, evolutionary psychology. Chemicals used to send signal across synaptic gap to receptor sites specific to neurotransmitter. Late 1800s, santiago ram n y cajal (anatomically) Demonstrated time lag btwn communication of 2 neurons compared to transmission across 1 neuron. Electricity cannot be conducted in h20, therefore, means chemically stimulated not electrically. Serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, gaba (inhibitory), glutamate (excitatory) Be familiar w/ don"t need to know function. Agonist + antagonist molecules are used to treat psychological disorders drugs. After a neurotransmitter binds to a receptor Ligand gated: opens only if correct neurotransmitter binds to it (lock and key) Voltage gated: opens only if cell membrane is depolarized to specific threshold. K+ eventually leaks out but pump makes up for it. Cell will not depolarize if threshold is not reached.
