Module 7: Neurons The Basic Elements of Behavior Flashcards
- Nerve cells, the basic elements of the nervous system.
- are passed through specialized cells called
Neurons
A cluster of fibers at one end of a neuron that receives messages from other neurons.
Dendrites
The part of the neuron that carries messages to other neurons.
Axon
Small bulges at the end of axons that send messages to other neurons.
Terminal buttons
A protective coat of fat and protein that wraps around the axon.
Myelin sheath
The rule that neurons are either on or off.
All-or-none law
The state in which there is a negative electrical charge of about 70 millivolts within a neuron.
Resting state
An electric nerve impulse that travels through a neuron’s axon when it is set off by a “trigger,” changing the neuron’s charge from negative to positive
Action potential
Specialized neurons that fire not only when a person enacts a particular behavior, but also when a person simply observes another individual carrying out the same behavior.
Mirror neurons
The space between two neu- rons where the axon of a sending neu- ron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neuron by using chemical messages.
Synapse
Chemicals that carry messages across the synapse to the dendrite (and sometimes the cell body) of a receiver neuron.
Neurotransmitters
A chemical message that makes it more likely that a receiving neuron will fire and an action potential will travel down its axon.
Excitatory messages
A chemical message that prevents or decreases the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire.
Inhibitory message
The reabsorption of neu- rotransmitters by a terminal button.
Reuptake
plays a role in memory.
Glutamate
