Psychology 2011A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Theta Wave, Polysomnography, Alpha Wave
9 Feb 2018
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The brain is bilaterally symmetrical, in that structures laterally away from the midline come in pairs: the cerebral cortex has a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere connected by a number of bundles of nerve cells. Messages along neurons are actually changes in the ele(cid:272)tri(cid:272)al pote(cid:374)tials a(cid:272)ross the (cid:272)ells" (cid:449)alls (cid:272)reated through electrochemical processes. Communication between nerve cells in human beings takes place through the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters into the intercellular fluid from various locations on the axon. After binding to receptor sites for a while, neurotransmitters are taken up by the cell from which they came or broken down and flushed away in the intercellular fluid. There are groups of nerve cells known as pacemakers in various parts of the brain that synchronize the electrochemical activity of other groups of nerve cells. A pol(cid:455)so(cid:373)(cid:374)ograph(cid:455) is a (cid:862)sleep stud(cid:455)(cid:863) a test used to diagnose sleep disorders.
