Psychology 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Myelin, Neurotransmitter, Multiple Sclerosis

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: John Campbell

Document Summary

Myelin sheath: damage to the myelin sheath multiple sclerosis, happens when a person"s own immune system attacks the myelin sheath, this disrupts the delicate timing of nerve impulses, resulting in jerky uncoordinated movements and eventually paralysis. Some drugs can target the transmitter"s receptor, binding to the receptor in place of the neurotransmitter: ex. Drugs can alter synaptic transmission by influencing how transmitter is cleared from synaptic cleft after it has been released. See table 3. 1 for common neurotransmitters and details. Pns: all neural structure outside of brain and spinal cord, has 2 major divisions, somatic nervous system and also the autonomic nervous. In stress, it will speed heart rate, dilate pupils, send more blood to muscles, increase rate of respiration, etc: fight-or-flight response. Parasympathetic: acts in opposing ways to sympathetic, slows down body processes to bring it back to a state of rest, ex. Slows down heart rate: the 2 divisions are used together to maintain a state of homeostasis.