psych
What are considered the "atoms" of the mind
neurons
What is action potential?
a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon like a wave
What happens to excess neurotransmitters
they are reabsorbed by the sending neuron
What do sensory neurons do?
carry messages in from the bodys tussues and sensory receptors to the central nervous system for processing
What does the sympathetic nervous system do?
fight or flight
What do dendrites do?
receive information
What is the axons resting potential
the positive-outside/negative-inside state
What is an agonist molecule
fills the receptor site and activates it ( increases neurotransmitters action)
What are motor neurons
carry instructions out from central nervous system to the bodys tissue
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
calms (rest and digest)
What is the function of the axon
passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands
The action potential can be considered to what kind of response
all or nothing
What is an antagonist molecule?
fills the lock so that the neurotransmitter cannot get in (decreases the neurotransmitters action)
What are interneurons
(in the brain and spinal cord) process info between the sensory input and motor output
The adult brain contains about _____ ________ neurons
86 billion
what is the function of the myelin sheath
covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses
How do neurons communicate?
Neurotransmitters cross the synapse and bind with receptors on the dendrite.
What does the central nervous system consist of?
brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Autonomic Nervous System
control self regulated action of internal organs and glands. Sympathetic( arousing) or Parasympathetic(calming)
Neurons cluster into work groups called
neural networks
What do gial cells do?
support, nourish, and protect neurons and assist neural transmission
What are neurotransmitters?
chemicals used to send a signal across the synaptic gap
What is the main function of the peripheral nervous system
gathers and sends info to and from the rest of the body
peripheral somatic nervous system
controls voluntary movement of the skeleton system
The spinal cord is full of
interneurons