Nervous System

Overview The nervous system is the collection of specialized cells responsible for maintaining an organism’s internal environment and coordinating …

Overview The parasympathetic nervous system is one of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system. This parasympathetic system is responsible …

Overview The sympathetic nervous system—one of the two major divisions of the autonomic nervous system—is activated in times of stress. It …

Overview The blood-brain barrier (BBB) refers to the specialized vasculature that provides the brain with nutrients in the blood while strictly …

Overview Neurons are the main type of cell in the nervous system that generate and transmit electrochemical signals. They primarily communicate with each …

Overview Glial cells are one of the two main types of cells in the nervous system. Glia cells comprise astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and …

Overview Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the …

Overview The relative difference in electrical charge, or voltage, between the inside and the outside of a cell membrane, is called the membrane …

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the …

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the …

Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange …