How do neurons function?
The cell body is in effect the controlling centre of the neuron. Dendrites branch out from the cell body, receiving information from other neurons and carrying information towards the cell body. The axon transmits messages away from the cell body towards other neurons, muscles or glands. Some neurons are coated with a myelin sheath, the function of which is to insulate the axon from interference from other neurons. The myelin sheath also speeds up the transmission of information from one cell to another. Neurons do not actually touch each other, the small gap between one neuron and the next is known as the synapse. A chemical messenger (or neurotransmitter) transfers the electrical impulse at this point from one cell to the next, an example of which is serotonin. Information is transmitted along the length of the neuron by means of an electrical charge.When this electrical voltage doesn’t change, when it remains constant, the cell is said to be resting. However, when the voltage change
