Bold = Terms/Definitions By: Aminath Eena Mohamed,
Underline = Relevant/Key/Important
Red = Included in &/or important for LO
Green: Examples
2.The Biological Perspective Part One
Learning Objectives
★Identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each.
★Explain the action potential.
★Describe how neurons use neurotransmitters to communicate with
each other and with the body.
★Describe how the components of the central nervous system
interact and how they may respond to experience or injury.
★Differentiate the roles of the somatic and autonomic nervous
systems.
★Explain why the pituitary gland is known as the “master gland.”
★Recall the role of various endocrine glands.
, Bold = Terms/Definitions By: Aminath Eena Mohamed,
Underline = Relevant/Key/Important
Red = Included in &/or important for LO
Green: Examples
The field of neuroscience is a branch of the life sciences that deals with the structure and functioning of
the brain and the neurons, nerves, and nervous tissue that form the nervous system.
Biological psychology, or behavioural neuroscience, is the branch of neuroscience that focuses on
the biological bases of psychological processes, behaviour, and learning, and it is the primary area
associated with the biological perspective in psychology.
LO1
● 2.1 Identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each.
● 2.2 Explain the action potential.
● 2.2 Describe how neurons use neurotransmitters to communicate with each other and with the
body.
2.1 Neuron
The brain is made up of two types of cells: the neurons and glial cells
The neuron is the specialized cell in the nervous system that receives and sends messages within
that system.
, Bold = Terms/Definitions By: Aminath Eena Mohamed,
Underline = Relevant/Key/Important
Red = Included in &/or important for LO
Green: Examples
● Dendrites are branch-like structures of a neuron
that receive messages from other neurons.
Dendrites are attached to soma.
● Soma the cell body of the neuron responsible for
maintaining the life of the cell. Contains the nucleus
● Axon is a tubelike structure of neuron that carries
the neural message from the cell body to the axon
terminals, for communication with other cells. It is
a fibre attached to soma
● Axon terminals (presynaptic terminals, terminal
buttons, or synaptic knobs) are enlarged ends of
axonal branches of the neuron, specialized for
communication between cells.
● Myelin sheath is a fatty substance produced by
certain glial cells that coat the axons of neurons to
insulate, protect, and speed up the neural impulse.
Myelin thickness varies, and myelin distribution may
vary along the length of an axon, likely affecting
communication properties of those neurons and
impacting larger neural networks. When the electrical impulse that
is the neural message travels down an axon coated with myelin, the electrical impulse is
regenerated at each node and appears to “jump” or skip rapidly from node to node down the axon.
That makes the message go much faster down the coated axon than it would down an uncoated
axon of a neuron in the brain. In the disease called multiple sclerosis (MS), the myelin sheath is
destroyed (possibly by the individual’s own immune system), which leads to diminished or complete
loss of neural functioning in those damaged cells.
● Node of Ranviers are actually small spaces on the axon, which are not covered in myelin and
serves to facilitate the rapid conduction of nerve impulses. There are also far more ion
channels at each node.
● Synapse is a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which
impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.
● Nerves are bundles of axons coated in myelin that travel together through the body.
Underline = Relevant/Key/Important
Red = Included in &/or important for LO
Green: Examples
2.The Biological Perspective Part One
Learning Objectives
★Identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each.
★Explain the action potential.
★Describe how neurons use neurotransmitters to communicate with
each other and with the body.
★Describe how the components of the central nervous system
interact and how they may respond to experience or injury.
★Differentiate the roles of the somatic and autonomic nervous
systems.
★Explain why the pituitary gland is known as the “master gland.”
★Recall the role of various endocrine glands.
, Bold = Terms/Definitions By: Aminath Eena Mohamed,
Underline = Relevant/Key/Important
Red = Included in &/or important for LO
Green: Examples
The field of neuroscience is a branch of the life sciences that deals with the structure and functioning of
the brain and the neurons, nerves, and nervous tissue that form the nervous system.
Biological psychology, or behavioural neuroscience, is the branch of neuroscience that focuses on
the biological bases of psychological processes, behaviour, and learning, and it is the primary area
associated with the biological perspective in psychology.
LO1
● 2.1 Identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each.
● 2.2 Explain the action potential.
● 2.2 Describe how neurons use neurotransmitters to communicate with each other and with the
body.
2.1 Neuron
The brain is made up of two types of cells: the neurons and glial cells
The neuron is the specialized cell in the nervous system that receives and sends messages within
that system.
, Bold = Terms/Definitions By: Aminath Eena Mohamed,
Underline = Relevant/Key/Important
Red = Included in &/or important for LO
Green: Examples
● Dendrites are branch-like structures of a neuron
that receive messages from other neurons.
Dendrites are attached to soma.
● Soma the cell body of the neuron responsible for
maintaining the life of the cell. Contains the nucleus
● Axon is a tubelike structure of neuron that carries
the neural message from the cell body to the axon
terminals, for communication with other cells. It is
a fibre attached to soma
● Axon terminals (presynaptic terminals, terminal
buttons, or synaptic knobs) are enlarged ends of
axonal branches of the neuron, specialized for
communication between cells.
● Myelin sheath is a fatty substance produced by
certain glial cells that coat the axons of neurons to
insulate, protect, and speed up the neural impulse.
Myelin thickness varies, and myelin distribution may
vary along the length of an axon, likely affecting
communication properties of those neurons and
impacting larger neural networks. When the electrical impulse that
is the neural message travels down an axon coated with myelin, the electrical impulse is
regenerated at each node and appears to “jump” or skip rapidly from node to node down the axon.
That makes the message go much faster down the coated axon than it would down an uncoated
axon of a neuron in the brain. In the disease called multiple sclerosis (MS), the myelin sheath is
destroyed (possibly by the individual’s own immune system), which leads to diminished or complete
loss of neural functioning in those damaged cells.
● Node of Ranviers are actually small spaces on the axon, which are not covered in myelin and
serves to facilitate the rapid conduction of nerve impulses. There are also far more ion
channels at each node.
● Synapse is a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which
impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter.
● Nerves are bundles of axons coated in myelin that travel together through the body.
