Chapter 1. The Neuron: Basic Units of Communication

Short Description

Everything we do, think, and feel is the result of activity in the body's nervous system. Neurons, the basic units of the brain, are highly specialized nerve cells that communicate through an electrochemical process.

Long Description

There are an estimated 100 billion neurons in the human brain.

In the first part of the program, students learn about the physical structures of the neuron and how each component works. The main portion of the neuron, the soma, or cell body, contains the nucleus. Off of each neuron are two kinds of extensions called dendrites, which receive information from other cells, and axons, which carry information away from the neuron to other cells. As information comes into the cell, it is gathered and held until it reaches its threshold. Once that happens, the cell fires, sending a chemical signal to the next neuron. Between the end of the axon and the dendrite of the next neuron is a space called the synapse. Sometimes chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, are needed to help the signal get across the synaptic gap.

Agonists are chemicals that facilitate the communication between neurons. Some agonists are designed to mimic neurotransmitters, whereas others block the reuptake of excess neurotransmitters from re-entering the firing neuron. Antagonists are chemicals that inhibit communication between the neurons. Many clinical disorders can be treated by altering how well neurons can communicate with agonists and antagonists.

Our brains are constantly forming new connections and pathways. It is this plasticity that allows us to learn and adapt to our environment. In the last scene, Steven Potkin explains how exciting it is to be able to integrate what we know from molecular science with more macro-level research to see how that translates into function.

Questions