Short Answer Assessment

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Short Answer Assessment

Introduction

The human brain is the central organ of the human nervous system. The brain along with the spinal cord makes the central nervous system. Neurons are the basic units of the brain and the nervous system (Bassett & Sporns, 2017). Neurons receive sensory inputs from the external world and send back signals to various parts of the body. This paper provides short answers regarding the human brain.

Anatomy of the neuron

There are approximately 100 billion neurons in the human brain. Neurons are made up of three major parts, such as the cell body (soma), the dendrites, and the axon. Dendrites are receiving end of the neuron. Axon is the transmitting part of the neuron. The cell body carries the nucleus and genetic materials (Pedraza, 2019). Impulses travel from the dendrites through the cell body to the axon and another neuron. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that allow for neuron-to-neuron communication. Impulse termination occurs at the synapse.

Major Components of the Subcortical Structures

• Diencephalon
• Pituitary gland
• Limbic structures
• Basal ganglia.

 

 

Are components responsible for learning, memory, and addiction?

The limbic system is responsible for learning, memory, and addiction. For example, the hippocampus is a component of the limbic system, that is responsible for learning and memory. The Amygdala is responsible for addiction (Vaskovic, 2021). It is the site for emotional responses to experiences.

The Two Key Neurotransmitters Located in The Nigra Striatal Region of the Brain

• Dopamine– plays a role in how people feel pleasure.
• GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) – is responsible for relieving anxiety, improving mood, and reducing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) (Pedraza, 2019).

How Glia Cells Function in The Central Nervous System

Glial cells are non-neural and usually located both in the central and peripheral nervous systems. They are also referred to as neuroglia. Glial cells provide both physical and metabolic protection support to the neurons (Pedraza, 2019). The cells help by buffering ions and chemicals that would otherwise harm neurons. They also protect neurons by providing myelin sheaths around axons.

The part of the neurons that communicate with each other and the direction of communication

The axons and the dendrites are the two parts of the neuron that communicate with each other. Dendrites receive synaptic inputs from the axon to allow for the release of action potential and respective neurotransmitters (Brodal, 2016). Neurons usually communicate at synapses in a process called synaptic transmission, The neurons communicate from dendrite to axon terminal.

The concept of neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the neuron to adapt to new changes or change its form in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli. Neuroplasticity allows for brain development through adulthood. It also plays an important role in brain recovery after injury (Brodal, 2016). As a result of neuroplasticity, undamaged axons can grow new nerve endings to reconnect neurons whose links were injured. Neuroplasticity plays role in language, movement, speech, and other activities that need one to adapt to specific changes.

Conclusion

The human brain and the spinal cord make the nervous system. Neurons are the basic component of the brain. Neurons are made up of the three parts, such as the dendrites, the cell body, and the axon. Glial cells are non-neural and usually located both in the central and peripheral nervous systems. This paper provided short answers regarding the human brain and the neurons.

 

 

References

Bassett, D. S., & Sporns, O. (2017). Network neuroscience. Nature neuroscience, 20(3), 353-364. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4502

Brodal, P. (2016). The central nervous system.  Oxford University Press.

Pedraza, O. (2019). Clinical cultural neuroscience. An integrative approach to cross-cultural neuropsychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Vaskovic, J. (2021). Subcortical structures. https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/subcortical-structures-anatomy