Biopsychology - Neurons Flashcards
Definition of a neuron
The basic building block of the nervous system
What % of neurons are in the brain?
80%
What do the dendrites do?
Carry nerve impulses from other neurons towards the cell body
What do the axons do?
Carries the impulses away from the cell body down the length of the neuron
What is the myelin sheath?
A fatty layer tat protects the axon and speeds up the electrical transmission of the impulse
What are the Nodes of Ranvier?
Gaps which speed up transmission by forcing the impulse to jump across the gaps along the axon
What are the terminal buttons?
At the end of the axon that communicates with the next neuron
What is the function of the sensory neurons?
Carry messages from the peripheral nervous system to the central nervous system
Where are the sensory neurons located?
Outside the CNS, in the PNS in clusters known as ganglia
Are the dendrites in a sensory neuron long or short?
Long
Is the axon length in the sensory neurons long or short?
Short
What is the function of the relay neurons?
Connect the sensory neurons to the motor or other relay neurons
Where are the relay neurons located?
In the brain and visual system
Is the dendrite length in the relay neurons long or short?
Short
Is the axon length in the relay neurons long or short?
Short
