A Ride Through the

Human     Brain  

The brain is a very complicated part of the human body. There are many parts of the brain that contribute to its functions.   The glial cells, or nerve cell circuits, help control the chemical balance of the brain. They also provide structural support for the neurons, which  help the nervous system after injury, and supply chemicals that are needed for a healthy brain. The brain is composed of two principle types of cells, the neurons, and the glial cells. The neurons are the information that carry of the brain. Communication between the neurons are both electrical and chemical.

Neurons transmit and analyze communication within the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Dendrites are structures that extend from the cell body. They receive impulses from other neurons, then they transmit them to the neuron in which they are in. An axon is a fiber extending from the cell body that carries impulses from the cell body to other dendrites of other neurons. All of these parts help information throughout the whole body.

The process of the brain is very complicated. First, an electrical impulse travels down a cell body and through the axon. When it reaches the end of the axon it crosses a gap called a synapse. The end of the axon contains tiny sacs that hold chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters. When the electrical impulse stimulates sacs, they are then released into the synapse. After it moves away from the synapse, the neurotransmitters attach a   receptor on the dendrites of the cell body. This sparks an electrical impulse in the receiving cell body. After all this has taken place, a message within the brain is converted.

The Process                        Memory