Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treat Psychopathology
NURS 6630
Module 1: Introduction to Neuroanatomy
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, Introduction to Neuroanatomy
1. In 4 or 5 sentences, describe the anatomy of the basic unit of the nervous system, the
neuron. Include each part of the neuron and a general overview of electrical impulse
conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse.
Neurons are electrically excitable cells that send nerve impulses everywhere in the nervous system
(Weis, 2019). The neuron's anatomic structure comprises a cell soma or body housing a nucleus and
DNA, the axon, the pre-synaptic terminal axon, and the dendrite. The neurons contain formations for
receiving and sending electrical signals that permit the neurons to communicate (Camprodon,
2016). Dendrites are tree-like structures stretching away from the cell body to receive communications
from other neurons at specialized junctions called synapses. Once the dendrite receives a signal, it then
travels to the cell body to the axon by way of the axon hillock, the junction that unites signals and
synapses from the cell body to the axon. The axon is a tube-like structure that generates the combined
signal to specific endings called axon terminals, which synapse on other neurons, muscle, or target
organs (Camprodon, 2016)
2. Answer the following. You may list.
a. What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures?
Subcortical structures are the components below the cerebral cortex which are listed
(Dewey, 2014).
FOREBRAIN (below cerebrum)
• Basal ganglia involved in motor control
• Limbic system is not one structure but several: hippocampus, amygdala,
septum, cingulate gyrus, and others
• the middle of the septum is one location of "pleasure centers"
• the amygdala involved in emotions, fear, and defensive reactions to external
threats
• the hippocampus interacts with temporal lobe to help establish event memory
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