Download Neural Transmission Project

AP Psychology
UNIT 3: BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR
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Date________________________Per_______
Neural Processing
PART 1: CREATE YOUR OWN NEURON.
Directions: Draw your OWN neuron. Label and define each part of the neuron, and add
symbols/pictures to help you remember what each part of the neuron DOES. Give your neuron some
personality, color it, and NAME IT.
Parts of the Neuron
Cell body or Soma: contains the blueprint for YOU - this is why DNA testing can identify you from
one flake of skin - all it takes is ONE neuron.
Nucleus: control center of the Soma – tells it what to do.
Axon/Myelin sheath: when chemicals penetrate here, things happen to other neurons, your muscles,
your skin - or they don't - multiple sclerosis and why turkey makes you sleepy - answers
are here!
Axon terminals/synaptic vesicles: located here are the chemicals called neurotransmitters -if you
want to go to sleep, better hope the right ones are released.
Synapse/synaptic gap: space between neurons. When neurotransmitters are floating between cells,
you get the effect of the neuron.
Dendrites: These grabby guys hold the receptors in their fingertips. Dendrites can be blocked or
mimicked - Prozac works here to help depressed people feel better.
Neurotransmitters: the natural chemicals that regulate behavior –dopamine, serotonin,
acetylcholine, etc.
Receptors: located on the dendrites, these receive the neurotransmitters from the neighboring cell.
Drugs and alcohol also work on these to cause effects.
PART 2: CREATE YOUR OWN METAPHOR FOR NEURAL TRANSMISSION
Directions: Come up with your OWN metaphor that adequately describes the process involved in neural
transmission. You must include the following concepts: depolarization, all-or-none principle, direction
of impulse, refractory period, threshold, resting potential, and action potential. Additionally, you
must explain each concept in terms of your metaphor and include an illustration of it.
EXAMPLE: Flushing a toilet.
depolarization: represented by the toilet flushing
all-or-none principle: the toilet either flushes completely or not at all; it doesn’t flush a little or a lot
direction of impulse: the toilet only flushes one way, the impulse can’t come the other direction (hopefully!)
refractory period: after you flush the toilet, it won’t flush again for a certain period of time, even if
you push the handle repeatedly
threshold: you can push the handle a little bit, but it won’t flush until you push the handle past a
certain critical point - this corresponds to the level of excitatory neurotransmitters that a
neuron must absorb before it will fire
resting potential: the water in the tank can represent resting potential. The toilet is “waiting” to fire,
and the water in the tank represents the overall negative charge inside the neuron waiting
for depolarization
action potential: represented by opening the flap in the tank and releasing the water