GENERAL

PSYCHOLOGY
UNIT 2
BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
OF BEHAVIOR
NERVE CELLS/NEURONS, THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
MODULE 2.1.
 NEURON
A neuron is a nerve cell that is
the basic building block of the
nervous system. Neurons are
similar to other cells in the
human body in a number of
ways, but there is one key
difference between neurons
and other cells. Neurons are
specialized to transmit
information throughout the
body.
SENSORY VS MOTOR
Sensory neurons carry
information from the sensory
receptor cells throughout the
body to the brain.
Motor neurons transmit
information from the brain to
the muscles of the body.
Interneurons are responsible
for communicating
information between different
neurons in the body.
Neurons vs. Other Cells
Similarities with other cells:
•Neurons and other body cells both
contain a nucleus that holds
genetic information.
•Neurons and other body cells are
surrounded by a membrane that
protects the cell.
•The cell bodies of both cell types
contain organelles that support the
life of the cell, including
mitochondria, Golgi bodies, and
cytoplasm
Differences that make neurons unique:
Unlike other body cells, neurons stop reproducing shortly after
birth. Because of this, some parts of the brain have more
neurons at birth than later in life because neurons die but are
not replaced.
Neurons have a membrane that is designed to send information
to other cells. The axon and dendrites are specialized structures
designed to transmit and receive information. The connections
between cells are known as synapses. Neurons release
chemicals known as neurotransmitters into these synapses to
communicate with other neurons.
The Structure of a Neuron
3 Basic Parts
the dendrites
the cell body
and the axon
The Structure of a Neuron
Some neurons have few dendritic
branches, while others are highly
branched in order to receive a
great deal of information. Some
neurons have short axons, while
others can be quite long. The
longest axon in the human body
extends from the bottom of the
spine to the big toe and averages a
length of approximately three feet!
Action Potentials

How do neurons transmit and receive information? In order for

neurons to communicate, they need to transmit information both
within the neuron and from one neuron to the next. This process
utilizes both electrical signals as well as chemical messengers.
 Communication Between Synapses
Once an electrical impulse
has reached the end of an
axon, the information must
be transmitted across the
synaptic gap to the
dendrites of the adjoining
neuron. In some cases, the
electrical signal can almost
instantaneously bridge the
gap between the neurons
and continue along its
path.