SLK120 chapter 3
Learning goals:
- Identify the various parts of the neuron and the main functions of glial cells
- Describe the neural impulse, and explain how neurons communicate at chemical
synapses
- Discuss some of the functions of acetylcholine, the monoamine neurotransmitters, GABA
and endorphins
- distinguish between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
- Describe how lesioning, electrical stimulation and various brain-imaging procedures are
used to investigate brain function
- Summarise the main functions of the key structures in the brain
- Identify the four lobes in the cortex and state their key functions
- Summarise the evidence of the brains plasticity
- Explain how split-brain research changed our understanding of the brain's hemispheric
organisation
- Describe research on cerebral specialisation in normal subjects and what this research
has revealed
- Identify the key elements of the endocrine system
- Describe some ways in which hormones regulate behaviour
1
,Communication in the nervous system
1. Neurons = individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate and transmit
information
2. The soma, or cell body = contains the cell nucleus and much of the chemical
machinery common to most cells
3. Dendrites are the parts of a neuron that are specialised to receive information.
4. The axon is a long, thin fibre that transmits signals away from the soma to other neurons
or to muscles or glands
5. The myelin sheath is insulating material that encases some axons.
6. terminal buttons, which are small knobs that secrete chemicals called
neurotransmitters
7. A synapse is a junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to another
8. Glia are cells found throughout the nervous system that provide various types of support
for neurons
9. The resting potential of a neuron is its stable, negative charge when the cell is inactive
10.synaptic cleft, a microscopic gap between the terminal button of one neuron and the
cell membrane of another neuron
11.neurotransmitters – chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another
12.postsynaptic potential (PSP), a voltage change at a receptor site on a postsynaptic cell
membrane
13.An action potential is a very brief shift in a neuron’s electrical charge that travels along
an axon
14.The absolute refractory period is the minimum length of time after an action potential,
during which another action potential cannot begin
15.reuptake, a process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cleft
by the presynaptic membrane
16.endorphins – internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and
effects
Nervous tissue: the basic hardware
- Nervous system is living tissue composed of cells (glia and neurons)
Neurons
- Individual cells in NS that receive, integrate and transmit info (mainly only with other
neurons)
- Minority receive signals from sensory organs or carry messages to muscles
- Soma contains nucleus and cytoplasm (rest of neuron devoted to handling info)
- Dendrites specialised to receive info
2
, - From dendrites, info flows into soma along axon (long thin fibre transmitting signals away
from soma to other
neurons or to
muscles/glands)
- Many axons wrapped in
myelin
- Myelin sheath is insulating
material encasing axons
to speed up transmission
of signals moving along
axons
- Myelin also stabilizes
axon structures and
patterns
- Axon ends in cluster of
terminal buttons that
secrete neurotransmitters
- Neurons interconnect at
synapses (junction where info is transmitted from one neuron to another)
- Info received from dendrites → pass through soma and along axon → transmitted to
dendrites of other cells at synapses
Glia
- Also in NS, smaller than neurons but more in numbers
- Supply nourishment to neurons, remove neuron waste products and provide insulation
around some axons
- Myelin sheaths made from special glial cells
- Might send and receive chemical signals
- Some detect neural impulses and send signals to other glial cells to then feed signals
back to neurons
- Modulate signalling of neurons by dampening or amplifying synaptic activity
- Shield synapses from ‘chatter’ of surrounding neuronal activity to enhance
signal-to-noise ratio in NS
3
Learning goals:
- Identify the various parts of the neuron and the main functions of glial cells
- Describe the neural impulse, and explain how neurons communicate at chemical
synapses
- Discuss some of the functions of acetylcholine, the monoamine neurotransmitters, GABA
and endorphins
- distinguish between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system
- Describe how lesioning, electrical stimulation and various brain-imaging procedures are
used to investigate brain function
- Summarise the main functions of the key structures in the brain
- Identify the four lobes in the cortex and state their key functions
- Summarise the evidence of the brains plasticity
- Explain how split-brain research changed our understanding of the brain's hemispheric
organisation
- Describe research on cerebral specialisation in normal subjects and what this research
has revealed
- Identify the key elements of the endocrine system
- Describe some ways in which hormones regulate behaviour
1
,Communication in the nervous system
1. Neurons = individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate and transmit
information
2. The soma, or cell body = contains the cell nucleus and much of the chemical
machinery common to most cells
3. Dendrites are the parts of a neuron that are specialised to receive information.
4. The axon is a long, thin fibre that transmits signals away from the soma to other neurons
or to muscles or glands
5. The myelin sheath is insulating material that encases some axons.
6. terminal buttons, which are small knobs that secrete chemicals called
neurotransmitters
7. A synapse is a junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to another
8. Glia are cells found throughout the nervous system that provide various types of support
for neurons
9. The resting potential of a neuron is its stable, negative charge when the cell is inactive
10.synaptic cleft, a microscopic gap between the terminal button of one neuron and the
cell membrane of another neuron
11.neurotransmitters – chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another
12.postsynaptic potential (PSP), a voltage change at a receptor site on a postsynaptic cell
membrane
13.An action potential is a very brief shift in a neuron’s electrical charge that travels along
an axon
14.The absolute refractory period is the minimum length of time after an action potential,
during which another action potential cannot begin
15.reuptake, a process in which neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cleft
by the presynaptic membrane
16.endorphins – internally produced chemicals that resemble opiates in structure and
effects
Nervous tissue: the basic hardware
- Nervous system is living tissue composed of cells (glia and neurons)
Neurons
- Individual cells in NS that receive, integrate and transmit info (mainly only with other
neurons)
- Minority receive signals from sensory organs or carry messages to muscles
- Soma contains nucleus and cytoplasm (rest of neuron devoted to handling info)
- Dendrites specialised to receive info
2
, - From dendrites, info flows into soma along axon (long thin fibre transmitting signals away
from soma to other
neurons or to
muscles/glands)
- Many axons wrapped in
myelin
- Myelin sheath is insulating
material encasing axons
to speed up transmission
of signals moving along
axons
- Myelin also stabilizes
axon structures and
patterns
- Axon ends in cluster of
terminal buttons that
secrete neurotransmitters
- Neurons interconnect at
synapses (junction where info is transmitted from one neuron to another)
- Info received from dendrites → pass through soma and along axon → transmitted to
dendrites of other cells at synapses
Glia
- Also in NS, smaller than neurons but more in numbers
- Supply nourishment to neurons, remove neuron waste products and provide insulation
around some axons
- Myelin sheaths made from special glial cells
- Might send and receive chemical signals
- Some detect neural impulses and send signals to other glial cells to then feed signals
back to neurons
- Modulate signalling of neurons by dampening or amplifying synaptic activity
- Shield synapses from ‘chatter’ of surrounding neuronal activity to enhance
signal-to-noise ratio in NS
3
