Axons: These long, thin, cable-like projections of the cell carry electrochemical messages (nerve impulses or action potentials) along the length of the cell. Depending upon the type of neuron, axons can be covered with a thin layer of myelin, like an insulated electrical wire. Myelin is mad...
An electrical signal travels down one nerve cell, causing it to release the neurotransmitter into a small gap between cells called the synapse. The neurotransmitter travels across the gap, binds to a protein on the receiving cell membrane called a receptor, and causes a change (electrical, ...
Every minute of the day your body completes complex tasks. Whether it’s maintaining body temperature or keeping your hand away from a hot stove, your trillions of cells do all the talking needed to help you function. This effective, efficient form of communication is a process called cell si...
One nerve impulse can travel at a rate of up to 100 yards a second. As their name would imply, neurotransmitters are the substances responsible for transmitting these electrical impulses across the neural synapses and largely facilitating brain function. When their job is done, enzymes (their name...
Through my own day, I had attempted to share wisdom about the neuron synapse. To get attention in class, I mimicked calling God on my cell phone. I was in awe as I read about two lions that were rescued from a circus and a store display in Egypt. I lamented that rhinos do not ...
Once a stimulus activates the gustatory impulse, receptor cells synapse with neurons and pass on electrical impulses to the gustatory area of the cerebral cortex. The brain interprets the sensations as taste. In the next section, we'll learn about the primary tastes and how taste gives us clue...
Unlike wires in your home, nerve cells do not touch, but come close together at synapses. At the synapse, the two nerve cells are separated by a tiny gap, or synaptic cleft. The sending neuron is called the presynaptic cell, while the receiving one is called the postsynaptic cell. Nerve...
An electrical signal travels down one nerve cell, causing it to release the neurotransmitter into a small gap between cells called the synapse. The neurotransmitter travels across the gap, binds to a protein on the receiving cell membrane called a receptor, and causes a change (electrical, ...
An electrical signal travels down one nerve cell, causing it to release the neurotransmitter into a small gap between cells called the synapse. The neurotransmitter travels across the gap, binds to a protein on the receiving cell membrane called a receptor, and causes a change (electrical, ...