The head of a note indicates its position, on the staff. When the note head is . the middle staff line, the stem points upward and when the head is above the middle line the stem points downward. A note placed on the middle line (B) can have its stem pointing either up or down.
To remember the notes on the lines of the staff, say: Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit.
The notes in the spaces spell: F A C E
This is a quarter note. A quarter note lasts for one beat.