Neural Structure and Electrical Activity

Notes

78 Unit III Biological Bases of Behavior Neural Communication For scientists, it is a happy fact of nature that the information systems of humans and other animals operate similarly—so similarly that you could not distinguish between small sam- ples of brain tissue from a human and a monkey. This similarity allows researchers to study relatively simple animals, such as squids and sea slugs, to discover how our neural systems operate. It allows them to study other mammals’ brains to understand the organization of our own. Cars differ, but all have engines, accelerators, steering wheels, and brakes. An alien could study any one of them and grasp the operating principles. Likewise, animals differ, yet their nervous systems operate similarly. Though the human brain is more complex than a rat’s, both follow the same principles. Neurons What are the parts of a neuron, and how are neural impulses generated? Our body’s neural information system is complexity built from simplicity. Its building blocks are neurons, or nerve cells. To fathom our thoughts and actions, memories and moods, we must first understand how neurons work and communicate. Neurons differ, but all are variations on the sa...