Download Chapter 2 Neuroscience and Behavior

Chapter 2
Neuroscience and Behavior
Review 2.1: Neural Communication
As Shay drives down the street, approaching a major intersection, the traffic signal changes to red. For her to
perceive the change, light is transmitted to the backs of her eyes, where (1) sensory neurons can be activated.
This information is received on branching fibers called (2) dendrites. When the signal reaches the cell body, if
the (3) excitatory signals minus the (4) inhibitory signals exceed the neuron’s (5) threshold, gates on the
neuron’s (6) axon open and allow (7) positively charged atoms to enter and (8) depolarize that part of the
membrane. The resulting (9) action potential travels down the axon, which is often coated with an insulating
sheath of (10) myelin that increases the speed of transmission. When the signal reaches the end of the axon,
chemicals called (11) neurotransmitters are released into the (12) synaptic gap between the (13) sending and
the (14) receiving neurons.