1. The Neuron Who are the players?
The dendrite- the spiny receptors that receive neural messages from other neurons.
The soma-the cell body where the messages congregate before moving through the neuron.
“Everybody to the Hill(ock) and get ready to “slide”
Hillock-the junction between the cell body and the axon.
The axon-carries the message along the “slide” aided by the myelin sheath until it reaches the end (axon terminal)

2. Drawing a Neuron

3. Neurons

4. Neurons

5. Neurons

6. Neurons

7. Neurons

8. Neurons

9. Speed of a neural impulse
Neurons
Speed of a neural impulse
Range from 2 to 200 MPH
Measured in milliseconds
(thousandths of a second)

10. -Excites neuron into electrical impulse = Action Potential.
-Leaves Axon -70 mV & becomes +50mV & neuron fires!

11. Then What Happens?
The myelin sheath is a layer of fatty tissue that helps improve the delivery speed of the message through the neuron.
The Nodes of Ranvier are the spaces between myelin cells that help keep the intensity of the electric charges up.
At the axon terminal, small containers called vesicles release the neurotransmitters (the actual coded messages) into the synapse (the space between 2 neurons also known as the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft)

12. And Finally?
The neurotransmitters cross the gap and bind to receptor sites like a key going into a lock.
Unlocking the site allows charged ions to enter the neuron which excite the neuron to “fire” and do something or inhibit the neuron “not to fire” and therefore deliver no message.
Any excess neurotransmitters are reabsorbed back into the vesicles to be used later in a process known as REUPTAKE.
Neuron returns to resting state.