Neuron Essays

Protected within the skull, the brain is made up of three sections: the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. The brain stem forms a link between the cerebrum and cerebellum and the spinal cord.

The human brain is not only one of the most important organs in the human body;

Ever wonder how the human body works, well there are two main systems to help the human body move , the nervous system is comprised of two subdivisions. The central nervous system is the coordinating system for the body. The peripheral nervous system is a very complex network of nerves that extend across the whole body. Both are vital to the human body and without either life would not exist. The nervous system works together with other systems to send signals to the brain. The central nervous is made up of the brain and the spinal cord.

The nervous system is categorized into two different divisions: The central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS mainly consists of the brain and spinal cord. The PNS consists of the nerve impulses that carry synapses to and from the spinal cord. It includes the cranial nerves such as ganglia, enteric plexuses and sensory receptors. The PNS can also be divided into the somatic and autonomic nervous system, which is divided further into the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions.

Norman Doidge states that it is possible to heal the brain, contrary to popular belief. He introduced that the brain is capable of changing its structure and function. This phenomenon is referred to as neuroplasticity. This has replaced the previously held belief that adult brain is physiologically static. This process can make your brain resilient. Thus, you are not actually stuck with the brain that you are born with. Here are some fundamentals of neuroplasticity.

Neuroscience is a very complex study and is classified as a scientific field of study that studies the nervous system and how it relates to mental and behavior processes. Since neuroscience is the study of the nervous system after all, many psychologist like to study it because our nervous system is what controls us. It spreads the messages from our brain to the rest of our body. This would be why the nervous system is defined as the way our body communicates with itself through the use of neurons. The neurons are what transports the information throughout our body. There are actually two types of our nervous system. These are the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system, but we will talk about

Approximately 36 million individuals have Alzheimer’s disease (AD) worldwide which is the common cause of dementia in the range of higher ages (Alzheimers.net, 2014). About 5% to 8% of people aged above 65, 15% to 20% of people aged above 75 and 25% to 50% of those aged above 85 are affected by Alzheimer’s disease (Duthey, 2013). Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversibly progressive disease of the brain characterised by gradual loss of memory, change in personality and a decline in cognitive functions such as language, perception and reasoning. An individual with Alzheimer’s disease would lose all mental and memory abilities in later stages (National Institute of Aging, 2011). It is believed that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the

Sight is one of the special senses and it is accomplished with an organ called the eye. The eye receives light and transforms the photon signal into an electrical signal that the brain interprets. This transformation of information is done via the photoreceptor cells found at the back of the eye on the retina. The photoreceptors, rods and cones, are distributed across the back of the eye to capture all light with a higher concentration found in the fovea for fine vision. The light stimulates rods and cones resulting in a change in their membrane potential. This change results in a cascade of signals via sensory nerve cells along an optic nerve to the visual cortex. The image that is seen is focused on via the use of both intraocular and extraocular

This study investigates the possible influence of the biological clock on body weight with regard to the regulation of food intake and energy metabolism.

Did you know that dogs have a paw preference similar to left or right handedness of humans? People do not think of dogs using one paw more than the other paw, in other words being left or right pawed. Many dogs do have a particular paw they prefer unlike some dogs that use both paws, and do not have a paw preference. Which paw does your dog prefer?

Cerebellum is a complex structure of neurons located at the base of structure in the posterior fossa. It lies back to the occipital lobe of the brain and dorsal to the brainstem, at the level of the pons and the medulla. The cerebellum is separated from the brain stem by the fourth ventricle. It is also connected to the brainstem by three branches:

Neuroplasticity is the brain 's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. It allows the nerve cells in the brain, neurons, to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment. Think of your brain like the leaves of a sunflower. Their leaves grow and move to face the sun throughout the day so that it is more effective in its functions to maintain life. This is quite similar to the day-to-day changes in your brain because the sunflower is adapting to its environment by changing its structure just as the neurons are produced and make different connections throughout the brain.

It is recommended for good brain health to consume less meat and more nuts, beans, whole grain, vegetables and Omega-3 fatty acids. All these help in better cognition.

b) The mammalian nervous system is split into two. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord, which coordinates and controls the movement and activities of the body and the peripheral nervous system, made up of the somatic and autonomic system, which forms the connections between the organs and the central nervous system.

The action potential is the signal that travels down the axon when a neuron is transmitting information. To understand the action potential, which is essentially the flow of ions in and out of the neuron that differ from the normal flow, one must understand the relation of ions, especially sodium and potassium, with the neuron. Neurons are covered by membranes that regulate the inflow and outflow of chemicals, and certain chemicals, like sodium and potassium can only flow in and out via channels along the membrane. At rest, the membrane maintains a certain polarization between the inside and outside of the neuron, with the inside being a little more negatively charged than the outside, at a resting membrane potential of -70 mV. When a neuron

The sense of touch is the most perplexing of the five basic senses; some neurologists believe we have more. The touch sense, also known as somatosensation, refers to the body’s ability to interact with the environment, interpret external factors, and distinguish pain from pleasure through experience which allows the body to respond appropriately to various sensations. The sense of touch differs from the other senses of sight, sound, smell, and taste because it is not confined to one specific location. Instead, it occurs all over the body. The primary organ that the body uses for the sense of touch is the skin, the largest organ of the body as it covers the entirety of it. While some believe that the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, is the only place where the touch is sensed, somatosensation occurs within the body as well. Somatosensation can be broken into mechanoreception, thermosensation, and nociception - sensing contact, heat, and pain, respectively.

The facial nerve is the seventh paired cranial nerve. It is a mixed nerve. Its conveys the sensation of taste and is motor to all the skeletal muscles derived from the second pharyngeal arch. The nerve is secreto-motor to the lacrimal, submandibular and sublingual salivary glands.

What is language? The definition of language is “the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way” (Oxford dictionary, 2014). Philosophers have been asking themselves, "What is language in general?" Some say that language is the only “manipulation and use of symbols in order to draw attention to signified content” (Wikipedia, 2014). However, in this case, human beings won’t be the only species that can use language. Some research found that animals like chimpanzee may have their ways of communication. However, linguist Thomas A. Sebeok proposed not to use the term "language" for animal sign systems (Wikipedia, 2014). The philosophical discussions of language start

Many aspects of physical exercise including hand and eye coordination rely on brain function. But the role of the brain in physical activities goes beyond precise movement-related skills. The organ also affects how a person can use their muscle effectively. This role of the brain has been targeted by a new headset, developed to increase the organ's neuroplasticity state.

Cell signalling is the process by which cells communicate with each other. This may be with themselves or cells adjacent or even cells in a different location of the body and with the environment. The most significant functions are response to stimuli, to control specialised cell functions and during development. There are many ways a cell can signal another for example via the use of hormones or neurotransmitters all called collectively as ligands. Signals may even be transported via gap junctions. Cell signalling has important roles in all cells and organisms.