U09 Psych 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3.1: Central Nervous System, Resting Potential, Myelin

• School: WUSTL
• Department: Psychology
• Course: U09 Psych 100
• Professor: Rice Heather, Duchek, Carpenter

Document Summary

Neurons the basic units of the nervous system. Cells that receive, integrate, and transmit information in the nervous system. They operate through electrical impulses, communicate with other neurons through chemical signals, and form neural networks. Central nervous system (cns) brain and spinal cord. Peripheral nervous system (pns) all the other nerve cells in the rest of the body that are not cns: includes somatic and autonomic systems. The cns and pns are anatomically separate, but functions are interdependent. Pns sends a variety of information to the cns. Cns organizes and evaluates that information and then directs the pns to perform specific behaviors or make bodily adjustments. Neurons are specialized for communication: excitable powered by electrical impulses and communicate with other nerve cells through chemical signals. Neuron phases: reception neurons take in the chemical signals from neighboring neurons, integration incoming signals are assessed, transmission pass their own signals to other receiving neurons.