Biopsychology: Neurons

• There are 100 billion neurons in the Nervous system.
• These neurons transmit signals electronically and chemically.
• This provides the nervous system with its primary communication network.
• There are 3 types of neurons:

Motor neurons- these types of neurons connect the CNS to muscles and glands, to provoke a response to a stimulus.

Sensory neurons- these types of neurons carry messages from the PNS to the CNS, messages of stress can be passed to the CNS so that the Master gland in the brain can release adreneline and influence the spinal cord to move quicker.

Relay neurons- these types of neurons connect sensory neurons to motor neurons or other relay neurons, they act as a type of check point so messages can continue to be passed throughout the body.

Neurons vary in size but have the same basic shape.

• Cell body (Soma)- Usually located around the middle of the neuron and contains all genetic material of the cell.
• Dendrites- Branch like structures, they carry and pass nerve impuleses to and from neihboring neurons.
• Axon- Carries nerve impuleses to the cell body and from dendrites.

The axon is covered with a fatty layer of mylein sheath that protects the axon and also keeps the impules strong.

The axon also has gaps called nodes of ranvier that speed up the transportation of the impulse.

• Terminal buttons at the end of the axon communicate with the next neuron in the chain across a gap called the synapse.

• When a neuron is in resting state the inside of the cell in negatively charged compared to the ouotside which is postively charged
• Resting state- inside is negatively charged, outside is postively charged.
• When a neuron is activated the inside of the cell becomes psotively charged which causes action potential to occur.
• This creates an electrical impules leading to the moving of a neuron.

• When a neuron is in resting state the inside of the cell in negatively charged compared to the ouotside which is postively charged
• Resting state- inside is negatively charged, outside is postively charged.
• When a neuron is activated the inside of the cell becomes psotively charged which causes action potential to occur.
• This creates an electrical impules leading to the moving of a neuron.