Psychology Readings: Bio of Love/ Neurons

Neurons-

Plan/ execute behavioral responses, learn new info, attend to a stimulus, speaking, eating, mating, & guaging threats.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal concluded that individual neurons are-

Structural & functional; distinguishable processing units, not continuous structure

The Electrochemical Process is how nuerons-

communicate through electrochemical signals.

Resting Membrane Potential:

The voltage inside the cell relative to the voltage outside the cell while the cell is a rest (approximately -70 mV).

A resting cell has what distribution of energy (relative to intracellular and extracellular)?

Positive energy outside; negative energy inside

Dendrites:

Part of a neuron that extends away from the cell body and is the main input to the neuron.

Nucleus:

Located inside some and contains genetic info, directs protein synthesis, and supplies energy/resources neuron needs to function.

Axon:

Main source of output (acts on- like axon); extends from soma and carries signal called action potential.

What part of the neuron is covered with an insulating substance called myelin sheath?

The axon

Myelin sheath:

Substance around the axon of a neuron that serves as insulation to allow the action potential to conduct rapidly toward the terminal buttons.

Terminal Button:

The part of the end of the axon that form synapses with postsynaptic dendrite, axon, or soma.

Synthetic Gap

Also known as the synaptic cleft; the small space between the presynaptic terminal button and the postsynaptic dendritic spine, axon, or soma.

Synaptic vesicles:

Groups of neurotransmitters packaged together and located within the terminal button.

Neurotransmitters are released from where?

Released by the presynaptic terminal button that acts on the postsynaptic cell.

Sensory Nuerons:

Help us receive info about the world around us

Motor Neurons:

Facilitate movement and behavior

Interneurons:

Process sensory input from environment, plan response, and bind to motor neurons to execute plans.

The three categories of neurons are:

Unipolar neurons, bipolar neurons, and multipolar neurons

Unipolar neuron:

Used to relay info forward- transmit vital physical information like pain, touch, temperature, and pressure; has one neurite and no dendrites.

Bipolar neuron:

Specialized version of unipolar neuron- involved in sensory/ perception (like perception of light) and help pass that info to various parts of the brain; have one axon and one dendrite

Multipolar neuron:

Most common, in charge of communicating with other neurons (pyramidal neuron), and are drivers of cognition, learning, memory, and voluntary movement.

Type of gila cell that forms myelin sheath:

Oligodendroglia

What two gila cells re in charge of digesting debris of dead neurons, carry nutritional support to neurons, and regulate ionic composition of the extracellular fluid?

Microgila & astrocytes

What are the two stages of electrochemical action?

The first stage is the electrical conduction of dendritic input to the initiation of an action potential within a neuron. The second stage is a chemical transmission across the synaptic gap between the presynaptic neuron and the postsynaptic neuron of the synapse.

Intracellular and extracellular fluid are both composed of-

A combination of ions: cations (+) and anions (-).

Ion channels are made from-

proteins that span the membrane and allow particular ions to pass between the intracellular & extracellular fluid.

Diffusion:

the force on molecules to move from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration.

Electrostatic pressure:

the force on two ions with similar charge to repel each other; the force of two ions with opposite charge to attract to one another.

Equilibrium potential is where the potential at which the force of diffusion is-

equal and opposite to the force of electrostatic pressure; no ions flow

Anions (where are they located, what is there charge, and relationship to membrane):

highly concentrated inside the cell and contribute to negative charge of resulting membrane potential; impearable to membrane so unaffected by diffusion and electrostatic pressure (nowhere to move between)

Potassium: (where are they located, what is there charge, and relationship to membrane):

highly concentrated in the cell and contributes to positive charge of resulting membrane potential; very permeable to membrane and diffusion pushes (K+) outside of cell (attracted to negative charge outside cell)

Chloride (where are they located, what is there charge, and relationship to membrane):

highly concentrated outside of cell and contributes to negative charge of resulting membrane potential; very permeable to membrane and electrostatic pressure pushes (Cl) outside the cell (attraction to (+) outside), while diffusion pushes (Cl) inside the cell (high concentration)

Sodium (where are they located, what is there charge, and relationship to membrane):

highly concentrated outside the cell and contribute to positive charge of resulting membrane potential; not very permeable to membrane so unaffected by diffusion and electrostatic pressure (nowhere to move between)

Sodium-potassium pump:

An ion channel that uses the neuron’s energy (adenosine triphosphate, ATP) to pump three Na+ ions outside the cell in exchange for bringing two K+ ions inside the cell.

Action potential:

A transient all-or-nothing electrical current that is conducted down the axon when the membrane potential reaches the threshold of excitation.

The “all or nothing response” relates to-

a cell’s action potential, which occurs when these is a change in charge of potential from resting membrane potential to a positive direction (depolarization)

Depolarization:

is a shift in a cell's electrical charge that makes the inside of the cell less negative or more positive

Threshold of excitation:

the specific membrane potential that a neuron must reach to initiate action potential

Excitatory postsynaptic potentials:

A depolarizing postsynaptic current that causes the membrane potential to become more positive and move towards the threshold of excitation.

Inhibitory postsynaptic potentials:

A hyperpolarizing postsynaptic current that causes the membrane potential to become more negative and move away from the threshold of excitation.

Two small EPSPs ate the same time will result in-

A large EPSP

At each moment each cell is recieving-

mixed messages (both EPSP and IPSP)

If the summation of EPSPs is strong enough to depolarize membrane potential to reach threshold of excitation it initiates-

Action potential

Ionotropic receptor:

Ion channel that opens to allow ions to permeate the cell membrane under specific conditions, such as the presence of a neurotransmitter or a specific membrane potential.

Depolarization:

a process where a cell's inside becomes less negative or more positive compared to its outside

A refractory period in a neuron is-

a brief time after an action potential (nerve impulse) when the cell cannot fire or needs a stronger stimulus to fire again.

Myelin insulates the axon and does not allow-

any fluid to exist between myelin and the cell membrane

Love is a biological process that is-

Dynamic and bidirectional

Evolutionary principles and ancient hormonal/neural systems support-

healing effects of loving relationships.

Molecular mechanisms favoring high levels of sociality evolve-

faster

Love is more complex than-

simple feedback mechanisms.

The modern cortex struggles to interpret love’s primal messaging and creates a narrative from-

visceral experience (gut feeling)

Oxytocin adopts a role in-

reproduction, expels baby from uterus, ejects milk, and creates bond between baby and mama.

Oxytocin can facilitate behaviors such as-

social behaviors, eye contact, and social cognition.

Oxytocin is released in response to a-

stressful experience