How does information flow across a neuron?

Information is sent as packets of messages called action potentials. Action potentials travel down a single neuron cell as an electrochemical cascade, allowing a net inward flow of positively charged ions into the axon. The space between the axon terminal of one cell and the dendrites of the next is called the synapse.

What is the process of neural transmission?

Neural transmission occurs when a neuron is activated, or fired (sends out an electrical impulse). The fluid inside a neuron is separated from that outside by a polarized cell membrane that contains electrically charged particles known as ions.

How does information flow through a neuron quizlet?

In general, flow of information in a neuron occurs in the following manner. Signals are received at the dendrites, processed in the cell body, and passed to other neurons via the axon. You just studied 34 terms!

Is the flow of information within a neuron chemical?

Parts of a Neuron Dendrites: are tree-like structures that extend away from the cell body to receive neurotransmitters from other neurons. Some types of neurons do not have any dendrites, some types of neurons have multiple dendrites.

Where does stimulation of a neuron take place?

Where does stimulation of the neuron take place? At the axon (starts at the axon hillock).

How does information flow through the most common type of CNS neuron?

Information flows through a neuron from the dendrites, across the cell body, and down the axon. This gives the neuron a polarity—meaning that information flows in this one direction. Figure 11.8 shows the relationship of these parts to one another. Figure 11.8.

What is the most common sequence of information flow through a neuron quizlet?

How does communication take place between neurons quizlet?

Communication between neurons occurs at the synapses. Synapses are specialized junctions. Excitatory messages cause the next cell to “fire” – continue to carry the action potential. When the action potential reaches it, neurotransmitters are released.

Where do graded potentials develop in sensory neurons?

For the unipolar cells of sensory neurons—both those with free nerve endings and those within encapsulations—graded potentials develop in the dendrites that influence the generation of an action potential in the axon of the same cell. This is called a generator potential.

What determines whether an action potential will occur in a neuron?

These special types of potentials influence a neuron and determine whether an action potential will occur or not. Many of these transient signals originate at the synapse. Local changes in the membrane potential are called graded potentials and are usually associated with the dendrites of a neuron.

What happens when one cell is depolarized at a synapse?

If one cell is depolarized in an electrical synapse, the joined cell also depolarizes because the ions pass between the cells. Chemical synapses involve the transmission of chemical information from one cell to the next. This section will concentrate on the chemical type of synapse.

What happens to neurotransmitters once they enter the synaptic cleft?

Once in the synaptic cleft, the neurotransmitter diffuses the short distance to the postsynaptic membrane and can interact with neurotransmitter receptors. Receptors are specific for the neurotransmitter, and the two fit together like a key and lock.