PSYC 303 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Neuroimaging, Neurotransmitter, Magnetoencephalography
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Santiago ramon y cajal - during the second half of 19th century - made incredibly detailed drawings of neurons by observation through microscope. Drawings showed that there are spaces between neurons; neurons do not actually touch one another. Sir charles scott sherrington named the space between neurons (cid:1154)synapse(cid:1155) Synapse: junction between neurons that permits information transfer. Sherrington demonstrated that speed of information transmission decreases at synapses. Otto loewi challenged the belief that an electrical wave travels across synapses; he proposed that some kind of chemical reaction was taking place. He studied the molecules that are released by one neuron"s axon and taken up by the dendrite of another. Neurotransmitter: a chemical substance used in neuronal communication at synapses. Different neurons react differently to different neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters can (cid:1154)excite(cid:1155) a neuron, aka increase the neuron"s response. Neurotransmitters can (cid:1154)inhibit(cid:1155) a neuron, aka decrease the neuron"s response.