Nervous System Chapter 48
All Life: Responds to the Environment Animals have evolved a complex nervous system which: Detects external and internal signals Transmit and integrate information Produce responses
Primary Organ: Brain Different regions have different functions Vision Hearing Muscle movement Abstract thought and emotion Neuro-hormone production
Primary Cell: Neuron Structure: Function: Cell body Axon Dendrite Detection Generation Transmission Integration
Schwann cells Myelin sheath is electrical insulator Impulses travel faster
How does a neuron transmit information Resting Neuron: Uses ATP to continually pump (3) NA+ out for every (2) K+ into the axon This establishes an electrochemical gradient (resting membrane potential)
Neuron Animation http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072495855/student_view0/chapter2/animation__how_the_sodium_potassium_pump_works.html http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072495855/student_view0/chapter14/animation__the_nerve_impulse.html
How does a neuron transmit information Detection: Sensory receptor cells convert a stimulus into a voltage
How does a neuron transmit information Generation: If the sensory cell converts enough stimuli into electricity, a threshold voltage is established and a signal is sent to open ion channels at the start of an axon
How does a neuron transmit information Transmission: Na+ and K+ gated channels sequentially open/close which cause local depolarization
How does a neuron transmit information Transmission: When the message reaches the end of the axon, it must cross a synapse This process involves neurotransmitters (cell communication) Acetylcholine Epinephrine Norepinephrine Dopamine Serotonin GABA
How does a neuron transmit information Integration: Interneurons receive information and determine appropriate response
How does a neuron transmit information Response: Stimulatory or inhibitory output