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Natural selection: fundamental assumption of psychology
Charles Darwin published The Origin of the Species in 1859. Survival of the fittest: Only those organisms that can adapt to environmental changes and demands are most likely to survive.
Bipedalism/Encephalisation/Language
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increase in brain size that resulted in increased cognitive skills (such as problem solving). |
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a cell specialized to receive, process, and transmit information to other cells. (Sensory/Motor/Interneuron)
Dendrites-receive messages from other neurons
Soma-integrates information received by the dendrites and passes it along to the axon
Axon-conducts information to terminal buttons
Terminal Buttons-secrete neurotransmitters, which
influence other neurons
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Carry messages from sense receptors to CNS |
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carry messages from the CNS to the muscles and glands |
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carry messages between different neurons. |
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Development: glia cells help guide newborn neurons to appropriate locations in the brain.
Housekeeping: glia cells clean up after neurons die and absorb excess neurotransmitters.
Insulation: glia cells form a myelin sheath around the axon of some types of neurons, greatly increasing speed of axon.
Protection: glia cells form a blood—brain barrier that prevents toxins from reaching the brain. |
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Neurons send messages in an all-or-none fashion through action potentials traveling down the axon, and they receive messages in the form of graded potentials through the dendrites.
Excitatory--> FIRE!
Inhibitory--> Don't fire '~'
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1. An action potential begins when excitatory inputs are strong enough to overcome inhibitory inputs and involves depolarization of the neuron by sodium ions rushing into the cell
2. Resting potential is the slightly negative voltage of a neuron in a resting state
3. Ion channels in neuron membranes respond to changes in excitatory and inhibitory input.
Excitatory input causes the ion channels to allow sodium ions into the neuron, allowing the neuron to fire. Inhibitory input causes the ion channels to keep the neuron negatively charged, preventing the neuron from firing.
4. The action potential then travels down the axon as adjacent areas of the axon successively depolarize.
5. When the fluid inside the neuron becomes positive, the sodium ion channels close and potassium ion channels open, allowing potassium ions to exit the cell, restoring negative charge of the neuron.
6. Action potentials obey the “all-or-none law.” The size of the action potential is not influenced by the intensity of stimulation beyond the threshold level.
7. After firing, neurons enter a refractory period, a period during which they cannot fire or will only fire with more intense stimulation dm normal. |
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Neural impulses between neurons involves the movement of neurotransmitters across the synaptic cleft
Once an action potential reaches an axon terminal button, synaptic vesicles release neurotransmitters into synaptic gap chemical substances that stimulate other neurons. Neurotransmitters then traverse across synaptic gap & attach to receptor molecules embedded in the postsynaptic neuron membrane.
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A neurotransmitter found in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, is implicated in memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease and in some types of respiratory failure |
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amino butyric acid (GABA)
thought to be related to anxiety, as depressants bind to receptor molecules sensitive to GABA and cause sedation. |
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dopamine and norepinephrine play prominent roles in mood disturbances and schizophrenia.
Decreased levels of norepinephrine have been related to depression.
Increased levels of dopamine have been related to schizophrenia.
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involved in autonomic processes, arousal, and depression |
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Neuromodulators that modify the activities of postsynaptic neurons and may play an important role in emotional behaviors |
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