1. Neurons and Nervous System

2. Neuron (single-cell) level in the brain:
How do individual brain cells work?
Nervous system: How is the brain
“hooked up” to the whole body?
Whole brain. How is the brain specialized
to do all it does?

3. Brain Cells Neurons = brain cells Ultimately all brain activity can be
reduced to the “firing” of these cells
Your neurons are firing right now!

4. Neuron Parts of the Neuron Cell Body Dendrites Axons
Dendrites -Receive inputs from neighboring neurons
Many, many dendrites per neuron
Axons –The cell’s output structure – send info to next cell
One axon per cell (“cell’s tail”)

5. All or None Law A neuron can’t fire just a little bit--it
either “fires” or it doesn’t
Technical term: action potential
(means neuron firing)

7. Synapse Synapse = space between neurons
Neurons never touch each other- (like islands)
Synapse = filled with chemicals – Called neurotransmitters
Chemicals from 1 neuron go out the axon –across the synapse - into the dendrite of the next neuron

10. Neurotransmitters are very specific – like Lock and Key
Neurotransmitter molecules have specific shapes
Receptor molecules have binding sites

11. http://www. youtube. com/watch