Functions Of The Synapse Of Neurological Functioning

Action potentials can occur more frequently as long there is a continued source of stimulation, as long as the relative refractory period has been reached, which in experiment 2 the refractory period was complete.

A voltage-gated sodium ion channel opens when there is a change in the voltage of the membrane and allows sodium ions to flow across its electrochemical gradient. These voltage-gated channels are made up of amino acids and they aid in generating and moving an action potential down a membrane or axon (Brooker, Robert, 106).

Describe the anatomy of the neuron and the ways that neurons communicate with each other.

As well as these there are also the axon of the cell which is covered in myelin sheaths which carried information away from the cell body and hands the action potentials, these are small short bursts of change in the electrical charge of the axon membrane through openings of ion channels, off to the following neurons dendrites through terminal buttons at the end of the axons. Whenever an action potential is passed through these terminal buttons it releases a chemicals that pass on the action potential on to the next neuron through the terminal button and dendrite connection. The chemicals that are

To send a message, a neuron will send a ripple of electrical energy down its axon. This ripple is called "action potential." The way it works is by changing the chemical makeup of the axon's negatively charged interior. Positively charged sodium ions move into the cell and negatively charged potassium ions move out, then the ions move to their original positions. This produces a wave of positively charged

This stage is called repolarisation. The K+ channels then close, the sodium-potassium pump restarts, restoring the normal distribution of ions either side of the cell surface membrane and thus restoring the resting potential. In response to this the Na+ channels in that area would open up, allowing Na+ ions to flood into the cell and thus reducing the resting potential of the cells. If the resting potential of the cell drops to the threshold level, then an action potential has been generated and an impulse will be fired.

Once a presynaptic neuron is passive, an electrical current is spread along the length of the axon (Schiff, 2012). This is known as action potential (Pinel, 2011). Action potential happens once an abundant amount of depolarisation reaches the limit through the entry of sodium, by means of voltage gated sodium channels

1. Neurons is a basic building block of the nervous system. The sensory nerves carry the message from body tissues to the brain and spinal chord to be processed. The motor neurons are then used to send instructions to the body tissue from the brain and spinal cord. Dendrites, which are connected to the body cell (soma) receive information and pass it through the axon. Myelin sheath covers the axon and helps speed the process. When triggered by a signals from our senses or other neurons, the neuron fires an impulse called the action potential. The resting potential is the neuron’s visual charge of positive

1. (6pts) Diagram a neuron and label its components. In what ways are neurons specialized for communication? How do these specializations distinguish neurons from other types of cells?

As an action potential travels down the axon of the presynaptic neuron, the action potential reaches the axon terminal synaptic vesicles which migrate toward the synapse. They then release neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. The neurotransmitters travel through the synaptic cleft and bind to ligand-gated ion channels on the postsynaptic neuron membrane. The channels open and allow chemicals to enter the cell (i.e. sodium). Then positively charged sodium enters the cell and causes the cell to depolarize. The depolarization spreads down the axon and an action potential is generated. The process then starts over at the axon terminals.

A synapse is a link where neurons communicate with other cells across narrow gaps using neurotransmitters or pulses (I learned this in my biology course last semester).

Once in the synapses, the impulses triggers the release of chemical messages called neurotransmitters; which then bind to receptors on the receiving cell as the transmission of the impulse repeated again. The message or impulse continues traveling from one neuron to the next throughout the body until it reaches its destination as it relays a signal. All of this activity happens in less than a split second and without conscious thought. At the end of this process, the brain has the task of interpreting the message and making the decision as to what to do with this new information. (Carlson, 2011.Pg.45-52)

Depolarization in membrane potential triggers an action potential because nearby axonal membranes will be depolarized to values near or above threshold voltage.

Human brain consists of billions of cells interconnected together, with each performing its separate functions. It consists of two explicit categories of nerves: neurons and glia cells. Neuron is a single nerve cell in the entire nervous system; which is electrically excitable cell that carries information after being processed via chemical or electrical signals. One of its key characteristics is that it does not undergo cell division. In addition, it maintains a voltage gradient for all the neurons across its membranes. Glia cells, on the other hand, its functionality is to maintain homeostasis.

The electrical event that projects the signal along these distances is known as an action potential. The action potential runs from the axon hillock to the end of the axon where more synaptic contacts are made. Target cells of neurons include nerve cells in your brain, spinal cord, cells of your muscles and various glands.