PSY 1101 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Muscle, Arousal, Willem C. Vis Moot
PSY 1101
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Biology of the Mind
1. The Nervous System
- Central (brain, spinal chord), Peripheral (everything other than the brain and the
spinal chord)
- Function: internal and external, analyzes, organizes, interprets the info and uses it to
send out messages to the muscles or the glands behaviors…. Produces conscious
experience (aware of us and environment)
- Neurons:
o Classified based on function:
• Sensory neurons: info from the environment and sends it to the
central nervous system for processing
• Interneurons (found in the central NS, communicate with other
neurons, most complex job in NS, analyses, organizes, interprets info
from the environment and they use it to send out orders)
• Motor neurons: orders from CNS transmits to the muscles and glands
o Basic structure:
• Soma: cell body with nucleus (DNA) function everything the nervous
need
• Dendrites: receives info from other neurons, *** OTHER FUNCTION
****
• Axon: fires when we want to send info (action potential/ electrical
impulses), axons carry the ATP
• Axon branches: (end of axons, extensions) end of terminal buttons,
releases the neurotransmitters (chemical neurons use to
communicate). Some axons have myelin sheath
• Myelin sheath: white fatty like substance, provides protection, speeds
up transmission. White matter in brain (essential)
• Synapse: place when neurons meet to communicate with one and
other (does not touch so there is a synaptic cleft)
• Presynaptic neuron: neuron that sends message to other neurons
• Postsynaptic neuron: receives information from a neuron
o In a nutshell:
• To send message: send AP (electrical impulse) to other neurons
• AP releases neurotransmitters
• Electrochemical messages to communicate
• Found in different concentrations in and out of neuron
• 1. Neuron at rest: not firing, inside: more negative ions, outside: more
positive ions
• -70 mV the membrane is polarized
• At rest: constantly receiving messages from other neurons
• Message changes concentration of ions
• Inhibitory messages: tell neurons not to fire
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• The more negative, the less likely it is to fire
• -70 mV to more -: hyperpolarized
• -70 mV to more +: depolarized
• Reach threshold (-50-55 mV) to produce AP
• All-or-none phenomenon
• Fire at always the same strength
o Between neurons:
• Presynaptic neuron fires, AP travels through axon until it reaches the
terminal buttons, go in the synaptic vesicles that contain the
neurotransmitters and these bags will attack the postsynaptic neuron
and release neurotransmitters in gap, they cross, goes to postsynaptic
neurons and neurotransmitters attach to the receptors sites
• To end impulse, enzymes break down neurotransmitters (reuptake or
degradation)
• Neurotransmitters: multiple kinds but only one discussed in class:
Dopamine.
• Dopamine: pleasure molecule. Abnormal levels: schizophrenia,
depression, Parkinson’s…
o Drugs
• Cycle active drugs: anti-depressants, coffee, marijuana
• Produce effect at synapse. Interfere with the communication between
neurons
• Affect cycle of the brain
• 3 levels:
▪ Affect presynaptic neurons by reducing, enhancing or blocking
signals from neurotransmitters
▪ Affect activity in the cleft. Degradation or reuptake speed up,
slowing them down or blocking them
▪ Postsynaptic neurons at synapse: 1 of 3 ways:
1. Locks in receptor sites and delivers messages like
neurotransmitters
2. Attach and lacks to receptor sites doesn’t deliver
message but blocks the site. Can not deliver message
further)
3. Reduce or enhance activity of neurotransmitters by
locking on receptor sites
• 2 types of drugs (psychoactive):
✓ Agonists: enhance and facilitates activity of neurotransmitter
✓ Antagonists: reduce or slows down or blocks activity of
neurotransmitter
2. The Brain
- Tools of Discovery
o Clinical observation
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
3
PSY 1101 Full Course Notes
Verified Note
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