Neuron
Definition
A neuron is a nerve cell that is the basic building block of the nervous system. It transmits information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells.
Analogy
Think of a neuron like a postman. Just as a postman collects and delivers messages from one place to another, neurons collect and deliver information (in the form of electrical signals) from one part of the body to another.
Related terms
Dendrite: This is like the mailbox where the postman picks up letters (or signals). Dendrites are branch-like structures that receive these signals from other neurons.
Axon: This is like the path or route that our postman takes to deliver his letters. The axon is a long slender projection of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body.
Synapse: This is like the destination address on each letter. Synapses are junctions between two neurons where communication occurs through neurotransmitters.
"Neuron" appears in:
Study guides (1)
Practice Questions (20+)
- What happens when a neuron’s threshold is met?
- What is released from the terminal branches of a neuron?
- How does a neuron communicate with another neuron?
- What happens when the neuron's threshold is met?
- Which part of a neuron receives incoming signals?
- Where does transmission of a nerve impulse typically start in a neuron?
- What part of a neuron receives information from other neurons?
- Which type of neuron transmits information away from central nervous system to muscles or glands?
- Which component of a neuron releases neurotransmitters into synapse?
- Which part of the neuron transmits messages to other neurons?
- What type of cells provide myelin to speed up transmission of information within the neuron?
- What is it called when a neuron fires an action potential?
- What happens during action potential within a neuron?
- What part of the neuron receives messages from other cells?
- What happens when a neuron's action potential is reached?
- Which part of the neuron insulates and speeds up messages through neurons?
- What part of a neuron receives messages from other cells?
- Which type of neuron carries outgoing information from the brain to muscles and glands?
- What do we call the change in electrical charge that occurs within a neuron, prompting it to "fire"?
- How does the refractory period of a neuron relate to absolute zero in thermodynamics?
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