Intro to Neurons

[septemberrose]

I call it homework help because it's the most applicable to my situation, but in truth, I have an AP Biology class and my professor is difficult to call helpful. Here are a few topics I need to be introduced to:

 

1a.) The structure of a neuron. What are the fundamental building blocks? If possible, include information on how they interact to form signals.

 

(.Building blocks and concepts.)

 

Potassium, Sodium, The Cell Body, Cell Nuclei, Dendrites, Axon, Synapse, Membrane potential

 

Any information is useful. Thanks guys!

Edited October 31, 2016 by septemberrose

[Sriman Dutta]

Neurons are the basic building blocks of the nervous system in large multicellular organisms.

A neuron consists of three parts - dendrites, cyton and axon.

Dendrites are thin thread-like structures arising from the main cell body of a neuron, connecting the neuron to other neurons.

Cyton is the cell body, consisting of nucleus and other cell organeles (that I think you must know).

An axon is a long chain spouting out of the cyton and continues as an elongated structure. This axon ends in axon terminals which join with other neurons via their dendrites. The whole axon is covered by a membrane called myelin sheath.

An interesting fact is that the dendrites of one neuron and the axon terminals of another doesn't literally join with each other. Instead there is a small gap called a synaptic cleft.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Sriman Dutta