Science Common Sense
838 - What are neurons, and how do they communicate with each other?
Imagine your brain is like a super-powerful computer, and neurons are like tiny little computers inside it.
A neuron, also called a brain cell, is a tiny cell in your brain that helps you think, learn, and move. Each neuron has three main parts:
- Dendrites: They're like ears that listen to messages from other neurons.
- Cell body: It's like the heart of the neuron where all the important work happens.
- Axon: It's like a long tail that sends messages to other neurons.
Now, let's talk about how neurons communicate with each other. It's like a game of telephone.
- One neuron sends a message (like an electric signal) through its axon.
- The message travels to the end of the axon, where it meets another neuron.
- The message jumps across a tiny gap (called a synapse) to the next neuron.
- The next neuron receives the message through its dendrites.
- The message keeps traveling from neuron to neuron, creating a network of connected brain cells.
This is how your brain cells talk to each other, helping you think, learn, and remember things.