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Section 8: The Brain

Lesson 5: How the Brain Works ............ Page 1 of 4

Neurons (brain cells)

The brain is made up of neurons (brain cells) and each neuron has three parts:

  1. a cell body
  2. an axon
  3. a dendrite
Information in the brain travels from one neuron to another by way of the axons and dendrites. Each cell receives information from many others. When a neuron receives enough information at the same time, it will fire an electrical charge down the axon.

Although a neuron usually has only one axon, it has a great many branches, allowing many other neurons to be reached. When the electrical charge reaches the end of the axon, a chemical, called a neurotransmitter, is released.

The neurotransmitter spreads out from the end of the axon to the dendrite of a nearby neuron and contributes to the firing of an electrical charge in this newly contacted neuron. The space between the axon terminal of one cell and its neighbour is called the synapse.

To give an idea of how complex the brain is, about 250 different neurotransmitters have been identified, each with a different function!


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