Neurons, Hormones, and Nervous System Function
Synapses and Neurotransmitters
Synapses are connections between neurons that transmit nerve impulses. A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance that produces the nerve impulse across the synapse.
Neuron Structure
Neurons possess filamentous extensions that facilitate connections with other neurons and organs throughout our body. We distinguish two main parts:
- Soma: Contains the nucleus and the main part of the cytoplasm.
- Extensions: There are two types:
- Dendrites: Short and highly branched extensions
Vermeer’s View of Delft: Technique, Context, and Meaning
View of Delft: Details
- Author: Vermeer, Jan
- Dated: 1658–1660
- Style: Baroque
- School: Holland
- Technique: Oil
- Support: Canvas, 98.5 x 118.5 cm
- Current Location: Mauritshuis, The Hague
Technical and Formal Analysis
Technical Elements
Vermeer shows a clear preference for blended yellow and blue. In View of Delft, yellow dominates the solid areas; it is brighter in the foreground, losing strength against the green on the other side of the border. Blue dominates the channel and also appears in the sky and some
Defining Motor Skills, Movement, Coordination, and Balance
Movement Definition
Movement: A sequence of concrete actions through processes of muscle contractions and joint movements.
Motor Task Explained
Motor Task: An activity with a specific purpose performed under particular conditions for the development of a skill. Tasks generally have three parts:
- Perception
- Decision
- Implementation
There are two main types of tasks:
- Psychomotor: The motor action is performed alone.
- Sociomotor: The motor action is carried out in the presence of, or interaction with, others (
Late 19th Century European Powers: Germany, Russia, Ottomans
Chancellor Bismarck’s Germany (1871-1890)
Otto von Bismarck served as Chancellor from 1871 until 1890. The core of his policy was ensuring security through preventive strategies, both domestically and internationally. He confronted the Catholic Church in the Kulturkampf, aiming for state control over education and clergy, but later eased these policies.
The Russian Empire in the Late 19th Century
The Russian Empire possessed enormous ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity, including:
- Russians
- Poles
- Belarusians
- Finns
- Lithuanians
- Latvians
- Estonians
- Ukrainians
- Georgians
- Armenians
- Turkic
World War I in 1917: Russian Revolution and US Entry
World War I Context: Alliances and Early Phases
World War I, which broke out in 1914, originated from a complex web of conflicts, particularly economic rivalries stemming from the Second Industrial Revolution. This era led to increased competition for global resources and fueled rising militarism and violence.
Contributing Factors to WWI
- Formation and expansion of colonial empires.
- An arms race, driven by the desire for new and better weapons (e.g., battleships, submarines, machine guns, airplanes,
Matthew Arnold: Victorian Criticism and Cultural Renewal
Victorian Criticism: Matthew Arnold
The Victorian period took place in the 19th century. We should differentiate between the intellectual period and the reign of Queen Victoria. The intellectual period was shorter, marked by new ways of thinking. Romanticism, an early 19th-century affair, and its sentimentalism served as the epistemological base for Victorianism.
Victorianism can be generally characterized as a period of doubt and hesitation. It was a period of change and an acceleration of history.
Read MoreSpinoza & Leibniz: Rationalism, Substance, and Monads
Spinoza’s Philosophy
Rational Spirit
Spinoza’s philosophy is based on modern rationalism. Mathematical deduction is considered the highest form of rationality. Rationality allows us access to reality more rigorously. Spinoza first establishes definitions, sets a series of axioms, and thereafter devotes himself to obtaining various propositions whose truth is demonstrated by applying deductive logic. For Spinoza, genuine knowledge is knowledge by causes. It follows a logical order, from the universal
Read MoreKey Terms: Decolonization, Cold War & Francoist Spain
Post-War Global Concepts (Item 11)
Decolonization
The process by which colonies in Asia and Africa, previously held by European powers, gained independence.
Neo-colonialism
The phenomenon where control over the wealth and resources of former colonies remains indirectly in the hands of companies based in the former colonial powers.
Non-alignment
A stance taken by countries during the Cold War, indicating they were not formally part of either the Eastern (Soviet-led) or Western (US-led) blocs.
Bandung Conference
Read MoreKey Developmental Psychology & Reading Theories
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stages
Piaget described the mechanism by which the mind processes new information. He said that a person understands whatever information fits into their established view of the world. When the information doesn’t fit, the person must re-examine and adjust their thinking to accommodate the new information. As teachers, we should understand these cognitive stages:
- Sensorimotor (birth – 2 years): The child learns about themselves and their environment through motor and
The Evolution of Education Systems and Economic Impact
Education Today
Historical Perspective
Typically, we associate education with lectures delivered in purpose-built facilities. However, before the invention of the printing press in 1454, access to culture and knowledge was limited to certain privileged classes, as the circulation and distribution of hand-copied books were scarce. Since the advent of printing, literacy rates have increased in most industrialized and developing countries.
Literacy allows us to be better informed about world events and
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