PSY100H1 Chapter 4: The Brain and Nervous System (Week 3 Reading Part 1)
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PSY100H1 Full Course Notes
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Central nervous system (cns): made up of the brain and spinal cord, the only portion of nervous system that is encased in bone! Spinal cord is protected by spinal column! Central because brain and spinal cord are responsible for processing sensory information: ex. touching a hot stove; seeing a rainbow ! Dendrites: extends away from cell body, acts as an antenna, transmit information from neuron to neuron, main input to neuron ! Soma: cell body, builds up an electro-chemical signal when information is channeled through from the dendrites ! Action potential: an electrical signal, shoots down the axon (the electrical part of the electrochemical signal)! Axon: a long tail that extends off from soma, spots several times, and connect the next neuron, main output of neuron! Myelin sheath: covers the soma to help with cell-to-cell communication, a layer of fatty cells that allows signals to travel rapidly from neuron to neuron!
