Nerve Cells and Nerve Impulses: A Comprehensive Guide to Biological Psychology, Slides of Biological Psychology

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Nerve Cells and

Nerve Impulses

Chapter 1

Biological Psychology  (^) The study of the physiological, evolutionary, and developmental mechanisms of behavior and experience  (^) We think and act as we do because of brain mechanisms  (^) We evolved those brain mechanisms because ancient animals built this way survived and reproduced

How Many Neurons Do We Have?

Cajal, a Pioneer of Neuroscience  (^) Individual cells comprising the nervous system remained separate  (^) Do not merge into each other as previously believed

+ The Structures of an Animal Cell  (^) Like other cells in the body, neurons contain the following structures:  (^) Membrane: separates the inside of the cell from the outside environment (most chemicals cannot pass; use protein channels)  (^) Nucleus: contains the chromosomes  (^) Mitochondrion: performs metabolic activities and provides energy that the cells requires  (^) Ribosomes: sites at which the cell synthesizes new protein molecules  (^) Proteins provide building materials for cell & facilitate chemical reactions  (^) Endoplasmic reticulum: network of thin tubes that transports newly synthesized proteins to their location

The Structure of a Neuron  (^) Neuron cells are similar to other cells of the body but have a distinctive shape (varies across neurons)

Dendrites  (^) Branching fibers with a surface lined with synaptic receptors  (^) responsible for bringing information into the neuron  (^) Some also contain dendritic spines that further branch out and increase the surface area of the dendrite  (^) The greater the surface area of the dendrite, the more information it can receive

Cell Body/Soma  (^) Contains the nucleus, mitochondria, and ribosomes  (^) Responsible for the metabolic work of the neuron  (^) Covered with synapses on its surface in many neurons

Motor and Sensory Neurons  (^) A motor neuron  (^) Has its soma in the spinal cord  (^) Receives excitation from other neurons through dendrites  (^) Conducts impulses along its axon to a muscle or gland

Motor and Sensory Neurons  (^) A sensory neuron  (^) Specialized at one end to be highly sensitive to a particular type of stimulation (touch, light, sound, etc.)

Afferent, Efferent, and Intrinsic

Variations Among Neurons  (^) Neurons vary in size, shape, and function  (^) The shape of a neuron determines it connection with other neurons and its contribution to the nervous system  (^) The function is closely related to the shape of a neuron

The Blood-Brain Barrier  (^) A mechanism that surrounds the brain and blocks most chemicals from entering by lining brain’s blood vessels  (^) Neurons in the brain generally do not regenerate  (^) Must block incoming viruses, bacteria…)

Active Transport  (^) Small, uncharged molecules (oxygen & carbon dioxide, vitamins A & D, antidepressants, illegal drugs) cross without a special mechanism  (^) The protein-mediated process that expends energy to pump chemicals from the blood into the brain  (^) Glucose, certain hormones, amino acids, a few vitamins… are brought into the brain via active transport  (^) Can pose a difficulty in allowing chemicals (chemotherapy for brain cancer) to pass the barrier