Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a Neuron?
What is a Neuron?
Neural cell; basic building block of the nervous system made up of specific structures: dendrites, cell body, axon, and terminal buttons.
What are Glial Cells?
What are Glial Cells?
Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons.
What is the Cell Body (Soma)?
What is the Cell Body (Soma)?
Contains the nucleus and other parts of the cell needed to sustain its life.
What is an Axon?
What is an Axon?
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What is the Myelin Sheath?
What is the Myelin Sheath?
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What are Terminal Buttons?
What are Terminal Buttons?
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What is a Synapse?
What is a Synapse?
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What are Dendrites?
What are Dendrites?
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What are Receptor Sites?
What are Receptor Sites?
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What is Resting Potential?
What is Resting Potential?
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What is Action Potential?
What is Action Potential?
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What is Neural Firing?
What is Neural Firing?
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What is the All-or-None Principle?
What is the All-or-None Principle?
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What is a Threshold?
What is a Threshold?
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What is the Refractory Period?
What is the Refractory Period?
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What is Reuptake?
What is Reuptake?
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What are Neurotransmitters?
What are Neurotransmitters?
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What are Excitatory Neurotransmitters?
What are Excitatory Neurotransmitters?
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What are Inhibitory Neurotransmitters?
What are Inhibitory Neurotransmitters?
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What is Acetylcholine?
What is Acetylcholine?
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What is Dopamine?
What is Dopamine?
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What are Endorphins?
What are Endorphins?
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What is Serotonin?
What is Serotonin?
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What is Norepinephrine?
What is Norepinephrine?
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What is GABA?
What is GABA?
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What is Glutamate?
What is Glutamate?
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What is an Agonist?
What is an Agonist?
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What is an Antagonist?
What is an Antagonist?
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Study Notes
Neurons and Their Structure
- Neurons serve as the fundamental units of the nervous system, composed of dendrites, cell body (soma), axon, and terminal buttons.
- Dendrites are extensions that receive signals from other neurons, enabling synaptic connections.
- The cell body, containing the nucleus, sustains cell function.
- Axons are long, wirelike structures transmitting signals away from the cell body, ending in terminal buttons.
- Myelin sheath is a fatty layer around axons that accelerates neural signal transmission.
Supporting Cells
- Glial cells support, nourish, and protect neurons in the nervous system, playing vital roles in maintaining overall brain health.
Neurotransmission
- A synapse is the gap between terminal buttons of one neuron and dendrites of another, where neurotransmitters are released to facilitate communication.
- Receptor sites on dendrites are specialized for specific neurotransmitters, influencing neuronal firing.
Neural Processes
- Resting potential refers to the neuron's negatively charged state when inactive, while action potential is a brief electrical charge that propagates along the axon upon reaching the threshold.
- Neural firing is an electrochemical process involving electrical signals within neurons and chemical neurotransmitters between them.
Principles of Neural Activity
- The all-or-none principle states that a neuron either fully fires or does not fire at all when the threshold is met.
- After firing, neurons enter a refractory period where they cannot immediately fire again until they return to resting potential.
- Reuptake is the process where a neurotransmitter is reabsorbed by the original neuron after signal transmission.
Types of Neurotransmitters
- Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that cross synaptic gaps, binding to receptor sites on the next neuron to influence neural impulses.
- Excitatory neurotransmitters stimulate the next neuron to fire, while inhibitory neurotransmitters prevent it from firing.
Specific Neurotransmitters and Their Functions
- Acetylcholine: Involved in motor movement, learning, and memory; its deficiency links to Alzheimer's disease.
- Dopamine: Regulates motor movement, alertness, and emotions; imbalances affect conditions like Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.
- Endorphins: Act as natural painkillers and influence pleasure; connected to addiction mechanisms.
- Serotonin: Regulates mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal; low levels are associated with depression.
- Norepinephrine: Plays a role in alertness and arousal, affecting mood; part of the body's stress response.
- GABA: Major inhibitory neurotransmitter; deficiencies can lead to seizures and insomnia.
- Glutamate: Principal excitatory neurotransmitter; excess can lead to overstimulation, migraines, or seizures.
Drug Interactions with Neurotransmitters
- Agonists: Molecules that enhance or mimic the effect of neurotransmitters, promoting a physiological response.
- Antagonists: Molecules that inhibit or block neurotransmitter action, diminishing or preventing a physiological response.
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of neurons, their structure, and functions in the nervous system. This quiz covers the roles of dendrites, axons, glial cells, and neurotransmission, providing insight into the communication processes between neurons.