create an infographic that outlines the basic functions of the brain and nervous system. Using three to four scholarly sources (your textbook counts) with in-text citations, address the following prompts on your infographic:
Cellular Level
Identify the structure and function of neurons.
Differentiate between neurons and glial cells (microglia, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes).
Summarize the process of the action potential.
Summarize the process of synaptic transmission.
Brain
Identify the major lobes of the brain and describe their function
Sample Solution
Neurons: The structure and function
Neurons are the fundamental units of the nervous system, responsible for transmitting information throughout the body (Bear et al., 2021).
A typical neuron consists of a cell body (soma), dendrites, and an axon.
The cell body contains the nucleus and other organelles.
Dendrites receive signals from other neurons.
The axon transmits signals to other neurons or effector cells (e.g., muscles, glands).
Glial cells: The supporting cast
Glial cells provide support and protection for neurons (Kandel et al., 2013).
Types of glial cells:
Microglia: Immune cells of the nervous system, responsible for scavenging debris and protecting against pathogens.
Oligodendrocytes: Form myelin sheaths around axons in the central nervous system, speeding up signal transmission.
Astrocytes: Provide structural support, regulate neurotransmitter levels, and maintain the blood-brain barrier.
Action potential: The electrical signal
The action potential is a rapid, all-or-none electrical signal that travels down the axon (Purves et al., 2018).
Steps involved in action potential generation:
Resting potential: The neuron is at rest, with a negative charge inside the cell relative to the outside.
Depolarization: A stimulus causes the neuron to become more positive, reaching a threshold.
Repolarization: The neuron returns to a negative charge.
Hyperpolarization: The neuron briefly becomes even more negative than the resting potential.
The action potential propagates down the axon, transmitting the signal to other neurons or effector cells.
References:
Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., & Paradiso, M. A. (2021). Neuroscience: Exploring the brain. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Kandel, E. R., Schwartz, J. H., Jessell, T. M., Siegelbaum, S. A., & Hudspeth, A. J. (2013). Principles of neural science. McGraw-Hill. Purves, D., Augustine, G. J., Fitzpatrick, D., Hall, W. C., LaMantia, A. S., Mooney, R. D., Platt, M. L., & White, L. E. (2018). Neuroscience. Sinauer Associates.
Hi, Welcome to Compliant Papers.