PSY 111 1st Edition Lecture 10 Review Questions What is the primary function of the neuron Transmit Messages How is the neuron different from other cells in the human body They don t regenerate What is the action potential Depolarizing wave that travels down the axon the message passing on from one neuron to another by removing the negative charge and converting it into a positive charge What are the ions associate with action potential Sodium and potassium Synapses Gap Between two neurons Information must pass through In some cases it passes directly In other cases neurotransmitters are needed Neurotransmitters Chemical messengers o Dopamine Associated with thought and pleasure Deficits Parkinson s and ADHD o Endorphins These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Help with pain perception Associated with emotions Deficits Fibromyalgia and depression Neural Level Changes Synaptogenesis o Dramatic increase connections between parts of the brain o Begins in infancy and continues through adolescences drops off as you get older slows down at about age 25 Synaptic pruning when synaptogenesis stops synaptic pruning also stops o Unused pathways are pruned or disappear o Fewer more selective and more effective connections remain o How does the brain decide what is effective the more you use certain neurons the more the brain thinks those are more effect neurons to use o Think about the advantages and disadvantages of a young brain and older brain Younger brain You can learn more easily and can recover and heal itself faster Experiences and Plasticity Experience influences the way in which the human brain works As we approach adulthood the brain s potential for plasticity decreases This impacts their ability to recover from injuries damage inflicted by drugs etc Parts of the nervous system Outline Parts of the Nervous system How the systems interact with one another Stress Response Robert Sapolsky Video Standford biologists responsible for showing us how dangerous the human stress response is The entire nervous system consist of The brain The spinal cord Nerves made out of nerve cells that carry messages about sensations and experiences It is split into two parts o Central Nervous system CNS Made up of the brain and the spinal cord Functions to control behavior Spinal cord extensions of the brain transmits messages between the brain and the peripheral nervous system o Peripheral Nervous system PNS first access to the external environment Consist of Nerves Ganglia Not protected by the skull or spine unlike CNS Therefore Exposed to toxins and mechanical injuries Advantage Sensitive to input from outside because it is not cased Disadvantage sensitive to outside peripheral system has not evolved unlike the brain which has evolved to the 21st century therefore our peripheral system reacts differently Connects to the CNS to limbs and organs Divided into somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system Somatic your first line of defense helps you respond to the environmentconsists of nerves that connect to the skin sensory organs and all skeletal muscles example when you walk outside to the cold your muscles clench up this is the somatic system firing up Responsible for nearly all voluntary muscle movements Responsible for Processing sensory information form external stimuli to hot too cold too bright too loud too itchy Carries information back and forth from the sensory organs ears eyes skin nose mouth to the brain What would happen if you put you somatic system in distress you d feel pain and your brain would tell you to fix the situation Autonomic Regulate internal climate Regulates body processes heart rate blood pressure metabolism example on a cold day your heart rate goes down because your body enters hibernation mode and your blood pressure goes up because your muscles constrict trying to preserve heat and energy System responds to external stimuli by stimulating the body processes Divided into two parts Sympathetic activates the fight or flight response Parasympathetic Slows heart rate increases intestinal and glandular activity