3.2 Cells of the Nervous System — How Your Brain Actually Fires a Signal | Psychology 2e
After this lesson you will be able to…
- Learn the two basic types of cells in the nervous system and their primary roles.
- Understand the historical misconception and recent discovery about the ratio of glia to neurons.
- Explore the specialized parts of a neuron and how they facilitate information flow.
- Understand how the myelin sheath insulates axons and speeds up electrical signal transmission.
- Learn about the severe health consequences when the myelin sheath is damaged or destroyed.
- Discover how a neuron maintains an electrical charge difference while at rest, creating potential energy.
- Understand the 'all-or-none' electrical spike that transmits information along a neuron.
- Learn how the brain differentiates between weak and strong stimuli despite the all-or-none nature of action potentials.
- Understand how electrical signals are converted into chemical messages to cross the synaptic cleft between neurons.
- Learn how neurotransmitters are cleared from the synaptic cleft to reset the system.
- Discover why the 'inefficient' chemical synapse is essential for brain flexibility, learning, and human experience.
- Understand how agonist drugs mimic neurotransmitters to boost signals in the brain.
- Learn how antagonist drugs block neurotransmitter receptors to dampen overactive signals.
- Understand how re-uptake inhibitors prolong neurotransmitter activity in the synaptic cleft.
- Review analogies for drug types and understand the complexities and limitations of psychotropic medications.
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(0)This lesson zooms all the way into the microscopic machinery of the nervous system, exploring the two fundamental cell types — neurons and glial cells...
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Quiz: Neurons, Synapses, and Psychotropic Drugs
FundamentalsAnswer each question based on what was presented in the video lesson. No outside knowledge is needed — all answers can be found in the video.
Practice: Neuron Structure, Action Potentials, and Synaptic Transmission
PracticeAnswer each question based on what was covered in the video lesson. Show your reasoning where asked, and pay close attention to the sequence of events in neural firing and synaptic communication.