Specializations of Neurons Flashcards
1
Q
Why did neurons evolve?
A
to perform fast communication between the parts of animals
2
Q
Dendrites
A
carry information to the cell body (soma)
3
Q
Soma
A
cell body
4
Q
Axons
A
carry information from soma to other cells
5
Q
Synapses
A
functional contacts with other cells formed by dendrite and axon endings
6
Q
Neurons are excitable
A
means they can change their membrane voltage quickly to create an action potential
7
Q
Action Potential
A
flow of Na+ into cell through V-Gated Na+ channels
8
Q
Resting Potential
A
all excitable cells have this across their plasma membrane of -55 to -100 mV, results from different ion distributions on either side of the membrane
9
Q
Ion Channels
A
some are always open, some have gates that open only with the right signal
