ap psychology - neuron parts Flashcards

15479159488	neuron	a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system	0
15479159489	dendrites	a neuron's bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body	1
15479159490	cell body	the cell's life support center (part that the dendrites branch off of!)	2
15479159491	axon	the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands (line that passes through the clear tube and connects the neurons)	3
15479159492	myelin sheath	a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next (clear tubey/bubble parts that encases the axon)	4
15479159493	nodes of the ranvier	periodic gaps in the myelin sheath on the axon serves to facilitate the rapid conduction of nerve impulses.	5
15479159494	synaptic vesicles	membrane-bounded compartments in which synthesized neurotransmitters are kept found in the terminal buttons	6
15479159495	terminal buttons	the branched end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters	7
15479159496	dendrite receptors	a site on the receiving neurons dendrite in which neurotransmitters dock to continue the message	8
15479159497	positive ions (resting potential)	on the outside of the axon	9
15479159498	negative ions	on the inside of the axon	10
15479159499	neurotransmitters	chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons	11
15532964353	post synaptic potential	Voltage change at a receptor site on a postsynaptic cell membrane (NOT ALL OR NONE LAW. Can transmit different amounts/ conduct different voltages).	12
15532969351	action potential	a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon	13
15532973127	resting potential	the negatively charged state of a neuron when a message IS NOT being transmitted.	14