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Summarize how neurons operate and communicate.

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Briefly explain how neurons operate and communicate and why they are referred to as the basic elements of behavior.

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Briefly explain how neurons operate and communicate and why they are referred to as the basic elements of behavior.

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We have approximately 1 trillion neurons throughout the body that are involved with the control of behavior. Neurons have a cell body, and a nucleus, and are physically held in place by glial cells which are a kind of fat cell, that insulates the neurons, provides nutrients, and are involved in damage repair. Neurons' specialized function is to transmit messages from the environment, the brain and the body, to other neurons in different parts of the body in order to regulate movement and behavior. Neurons have dendrites at the end of the cell body. Dendrites receive signals that comprise neural message which is then carried by the axon, the long cell body of a neuron, and ends in a terminal button that delivers the message received to the next neuron (or sometimes muscle or organ). Neurons are covered by insulation called a myelin sheath (made up of fat and protein) that insures the messages carried by the neurons do not cross connect with other neurons which could corrupt the message being carried, like insulation on electric wiring prevents a short circuit.

There are two basic kinds of messages carried by neurons, excitatory, which makes the receiving neuron fire, activate the action potential, and send a ...

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