Everyone carries luggage literally or figuratively, people carry a variety of things with them, wallets with pictures of family, credit cards, small trinkets etc. These things of what they’re carrying can just merely be items or have a deeper meaning for each individual. The luggage carried by each individual can serve several purposes for each individual, whether its superstition, sentimental or essential to their being, health, cognitive thinking and etc. By using the structure of a neuron when paying close attention to the detail, the luggage carried by an individual can show how we can look deeper into the items that are in the luggage, and how they affect each individual and how that plays into who we are as people.
The Structure of a Neuron
There are three basic parts of a neuron: the dendrites, the cell body and the axon. However, all neurons vary somewhat in size, shape, and characteristics depending on the function and role of the neuron. Some neurons have few dendritic branches, while others are highly branched in order to receive a great deal of information. Some neurons have short axons, while others can be quite long. The longest axon in the human body extends from the bottom of the spine to the big toe and averages a length of approximately three feet!
Action Potentials
How do neurons transmit and receive information? In order for neurons to communicate, they need to transmit information both within the neuron and from one neuron to the next. This process utilizes both electrical signals as well as chemical messengers.
The dendrites of neurons receive information from sensory receptors or other neurons. This information is then passed down to the cell body and on to the axon. Once the information as arrived at the axon, it travels down the length of the axon in the form of an electrical signal known as an action potential.
Communication