6. Biopsychology Flashcards
How do cells transmit information to each other?
By using electrical signals
What is a cell called if it can both transmit and receive electrical signals?
Neuron
Or neuronal cell
Cells use electrical signals to communicate with one another. What is the name of these electrical signals?
Action potentials or Nerve impulses
What are the 4 main structural components of a neuron?
- Dendrites
- Cell body
- Axon
- Axon terminal
Describe the process of how action potentials travel across the neuron.
- Small wave of positively charged particles flow into dendrites
- Causes an increase in voltage throughout the cell
- Particles then travel to cell body + If the change in voltage is large enough, the action potential is triggered
- Activation potential travels down axon to reach axon terminal
What process needs to occur for two neurons to communicate?
Synaptic transmission
Synaptic transmission
The process where the activation potential is transferred from the axon terminal of one neuron to the dendrite of another
Draw the structure of the synapse
Outline the process of synaptic transmission.
- Action potential arrives at pre-synaptic terminal, causing synaptic vesicles to travel to pre-synaptic membrane
- Synaptic vesicles fuse with pre-synaptic membrane, causing neurotransmitters to be released into synaptic cleft
- Neurotransmitters difuse across the synaptic cleft and towards the post-synaptic terminal, where they bind with receptors
- Receptors then change shape, allowing + charged particles from synaptic cleft to enter dendrite
- Once neurotransmitters have bound the receptors, they diffuse back into synaptic cleft - They are then removed by re-uptake proteins located on pre-synaptic membrane - (Process is called re-uptake)
- If the charge is large enough, then an action potential can be triggered, causing the cycle to repeat itself
What is the name of the process that involves removing neurotransmitters from the synaptic cleft, after they have bound to a receptor?
Re-uptake
Important to note: Neurotransmitters are recycled in this stage
Why does synaptic transmission only occur in only one direction?
- Synaptic vesicles which contain the neurotransmitters are only released from the pre-synaptic membrane
- Receptors, (which neurotransmitters bind to), are only located on the post-synaptic membrane
- Diffusion of neurotransmitters means they can only move from a high to a low concentration
What are the two types of neurotransmitter?
- Excitatory
- Inhibitory
What was the aim of Sperry’s study?
To examine the extnet to which hemispheres are specialised for specific functions