The Communication Within Neurons | Neurotransmission

This is the continuation of my previous posting about the basic of neurons. The structure of neuron that I wrote on my previous posting was just the basic of the information about neurons; therefore I only give slight bit info about the very basic of neurons --- as you may get confuse as well when trying to read the whole things at the same time; for some people who have background in chemistry or physiology would be easier to recognise those words. However, as my blog readers mostly are coming from a variety of backgrounds; I attempt to write the information as straightforward as possible.

Let’s go a bit further about Neurons.

The basic structural of neurons is the cells where building block of the nervous system. I will go further about how the nervous system works in your body after at least 70 % the basic of neurons explained on this blog.

Neurons spread and found in the brain about 10-12 billion; 80% of those are found in the brain, particularly in the cerebral cortex. Cerebral cortex is a part of the brain branches located in the fore brain. The key role of cerebral cortex itself plays in several parts of functions such as attention, perception, conscious, and memory; you may see how affected neurons in the human’s behaviour and thought.

How are neurons communicated with another neuron?

Neurons communicated to other neurons by giving information and passing it from neuron to other neuron. The information is a message that passed through electrochemical impulses.

 The electrical signals for the message obtained from dendrites, through dendrites neurons are able to receive electrical signals from other neurons (see the picture below).

However the signals can be also received from another neurons or a sense organ.  The process of the information passing is called nerve transmission.

The communications within neurons have a potential (voltage) to carry a message; and Ions are the chemicals that carrying electrical charge i.e. sodium, potassium, calcium & chloride.

---And someone asked:  what about synapses?

The synapses are located at the end of neuron. There are about 10 and 10,000 molecules of neurotransmitter.  To release the neurotransmitter, the message needs travel down to the axon (see the picture above); the passing message gap between the presynaptic membrane of the synapse into postsynaptic membrane of the receiving dendrite; this gap is known as the synaptic cleft.

According to this the process of Neurotransmission can be developed into 4 steps, namely:

Step 1, synthesis and storage of neurotransmitter

Step 2, release of neurotransmitter

Step 3, activation of receptor sites on post-synaptic membrane

Step 4, deactivation of neurotransmitter

In the last step, deactivation is needed so that behaviour can react normal. And the deactivation can be done by diffusing away from synaptic cleft, reuptake into the presynaptic neuron for subsequent reuse, removing, or degradation.

DBLN, 18.39-070210