neurons
Nerve signal carriers
Neurons are the specialized cells that transmit information through the nervous system.
Each neuron receives signals through branching extensions called dendrites and sends them along a fiber called an axon.
The brain contains roughly 86 billion neurons, connected in networks of staggering complexity.
The drug affects neurons in the reward pathway.
In casual speech, neurons often stand in for thinking itself: Get those neurons firing.
Bodily cells, excluding gametes
- axonNeuron's signal-sending projection
- dendriteNeuron's input branch
- nucleusCentral controlling part
- membraneThin tissue sheet
cytoplasm · mitochondria · myelin sheath · cell body · organelles · receptors · node of Ranvier · microtubules
Neuron's rapid electrical discharge
- firingTerminating employment
- impulseSudden urge to act
- transmissionSending of information
- synapseNerve signal crossing point
threshold · depolarization · repolarization · refractory period · spike · excitation · inhibition · summation
Organ's external tissue
- hippocampusMemory formation region
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
- amygdalaEmotion-processing brain cluster
- brainstemLower neural trunk
grey matter · white matter · frontal lobe · parietal lobe · occipital lobe · temporal lobe · thalamus · hypothalamus
Reward-linked neural messenger
- serotoninMood-regulating brain chemical
- glutamateExcitatory neural transmitter
- GABAInhibitory brain neurotransmitter
- acetylcholineNeurotransmitter for muscles and memory
norepinephrine · oxytocin · endorphins · neuropeptides · neuromodulation · catecholamines · reuptake
Brain's self-rewiring ability
- learningGaining knowledge gradually
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- pruningCutting vegetation for health
rewiring · habituation · sensitization · recovery · reorganization
Star-shaped brain support cells
- microgliaCNS immune cells
- myelinationFatty nerve coating
- blood-brain barrierProtective cerebral filtration system
- radial gliaEmbryonic brain support cells
Neurons connecting other neurons
- afferentConveying toward central point
- efferentConveying outward from center
- photoreceptorsCells sensing light
- mechanoreceptorsSensory cells detecting pressure
soma
Bodily cells, excluding gametes
membrane · cytoplasm · mitochondria · myelin sheath · cell body · organelles · receptors · node of Ranvier · microtubules · cytoskeleton
action potential
Neuron's rapid electrical discharge
- firingTerminating employment
- impulseSudden urge to act
- transmissionSending of information
synapse · threshold · depolarization · repolarization · refractory period · spike · excitation · inhibition · summation · integration
cortex
Organ's external tissue
- hippocampusMemory formation region
- cerebellumMovement coordination organ
- amygdalaEmotion-processing brain cluster
brainstem · grey matter · white matter · frontal lobe · parietal lobe · occipital lobe · temporal lobe · thalamus · hypothalamus · prefrontal cortex
dopamine
Reward-linked neural messenger
- serotoninMood-regulating brain chemical
- glutamateExcitatory neural transmitter
- GABAInhibitory brain neurotransmitter
acetylcholine · norepinephrine · oxytocin · endorphins · neuropeptides · neuromodulation · catecholamines · reuptake
neuroplasticity
Brain's self-rewiring ability
- learningGaining knowledge gradually
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
pruning · rewiring · habituation · sensitization · recovery · reorganization
astrocytes
Star-shaped brain support cells
- microgliaCNS immune cells
- myelinationFatty nerve coating
- blood-brain barrierProtective cerebral filtration system
interneurons
Neurons connecting other neurons
- afferentConveying toward central point
- efferentConveying outward from center
- photoreceptorsCells sensing light
- sciencebiology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology
- brain anatomybrain, cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, cortex
- brain sciencebrain scan, brain research, brain map, brain imaging, brain chemistry
- brain termsdopamine, serotonin, amygdala, synapses, brain waves
- neural networkshidden layers, backpropagation, layers, perceptron, convolution
- neurodevelopmentneuroblast, neuroblasts, brain development, myelination, radial glia
neuronsadipocytes
Lipid-storing cells
muscle fibers · fat cells · fibroblasts · red blood cells · erythrocytes
- neurological diseasesDisorders of nervous system
- neurological conditionsDiseases of nervous system
- neurological healthNervous system wellbeing
- motor neuron diseaseDegenerative condition affecting movement-controlling cells
- motor neuronNerve cell activating muscles
- neurological examClinical nervous system evaluation
neuron, neurology, neurological, neuroscience, neuronal, neurosurgeon, neurogenesis, neuroscientist, neurochemical