![]() The neurotransmitters move the signal through the synapse to the neighboring dendrite, which converts the chemical signal back into an electrical signal. The axon then releases the chemical signal with chemical messengers called neurotransmitters (pronounced noor-oh-TRANS-mit-erz) into the synapse (pronounced SIN-aps)-the space between the end of an axon and the tip of a dendrite from another neuron. At the end of the axon, the electrical signal changes to a chemical signal. When a neuron sends a message to another neuron, it sends an electrical signal down the length of its axon. These include keeping a regular heartbeat, releasing hormones like adrenaline, opening the pupil in response to light, and regulating the digestive system. Other parts of the nervous system control involuntary processes. Sensory neurons detect light, sound, odor, taste, pressure, and heat and send messages about those things to the brain. For instance, motor neurons transmit messages from the brain to the muscles to generate movement. Axons and dendrites allow neurons to communicate, even across long distances.ĭifferent types of neurons control or perform different activities. Bundles of axons, called nerves, are found throughout the body. A neuron has a cell body, which includes the cell nucleus, and special extensions called axons (pronounced AK-sonz) and dendrites (pronounced DEN-drahytz). The human brain contains about 100 billion neurons. The basic unit of the nervous system is a nerve cell, or neuron. In this way, the nervous system’s activity controls the ability to move, breathe, see, think, and more. The nervous system transmits signals between the brain and the rest of the body, including internal organs.
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