PSYC 3030 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel, Entorhinal Cortex, Axon Hillock
20 Nov 2015
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Chapter 2 structure and function of the nervous system. Interneurons form complex interacting neural circuits, and are responsible for conscious sensations, recognition, memory, decision making, and cognition. In turn motor neurons direct a bio behavioral response appropriate for the situation. Neurons are surrounded by a cell membrane and are filled with cytoplasm and the organelles needed for optimal functioning. Among the most important organelles are the mitochondria, which provided energy for the metabolic work of the cell. The principal external features of a neuron are the soma, treelike dendrites, and a single axon extending from the soma that carries the electrical signal all the way to the axon terminals (or terminal buttons). Axon terminals contain synaptic vesicles filled with nt molecules that are released into the synapse between the cells when the action potential arrives. The dendrites of a neuron are covered with minute spines that increase the receiving surface area of the cell.
