Ap psychology unit 1 neurons and neortransmitters

Ach (purpouse)

muscle action, learning, memory.

Ach (too high/too low)

Too low = Alzheimer’s disease

Dopamine (purpouse)

movement, learning, attention, emotion

Dopamine (too high/too low)

Too high = schizophrenia, too low = parkinson’s

Serotonin (purpouse)

mood, hunger, sleep, consciousness

Serotonin (too high/too low)

too low = depression. Drugs are used to treat this

Norepinephrine (purpouse)

Alertness and arousal

Norepinephrine (too high/too low)

Too low = depress mood

GABA (purpouse)

sleep

GABA (too low/too high)

too low = seizures, tremors, insomnia

Gluatamate (purpouse)

Excitatory neurotransmitter

Gluatmate (too high/too low)

Too high (from drugs) = excitotoxicity

Endorphins

Perception of pain/pleasure

Endorphins (too high/too low)

Too high (through drugs): suppresses body’s natural system

Neuron

nerve cell

Cell body (alternate term)

Soma

Afferent neurons

Sensory neurons; percieve sensory information. Found in peripheral nervous system

Efferent neurons

Motor neurons, send signals to muscles and glands

Dendrite

Receives incoming signals from other neurons

Axon

Transports electrical signals from the Soma to the Axon terminal

Axon terminal

Stores neurotransmitters, releases it into the synapse

Synapse

Space between 2 neurons, between the axon terminal and the dendrites

Resting state

-70mV

Threshold (all or nothing response)

-55mV. Point at which the neuron fires

Depolarization

Inside of the neuron goes from negative to positive, due to the flood of positive ions

Substance P

Pain tolerance