Interactive Biology, by Leslie Samuel

The functions of neurons depend on the movement of ions across the membrane. This happens both passively and actively across the membrane of a neuron. Lets talk about the passive process first. There are 2 factors that control the passive movement of ions across the membrane. Those 2 factors are diffusion and charge.

The human heart is a magnificent organ. The adult heart pumps about 1,500 to 2,000 gallons per day. I’m not going to get into a lot of details about the heart in the post right now because I’m gonna get more into it later. I just wanted to post a few 3D pictures of the human heart, because I think they are amazing. They were done by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator for Yale University.

We’ve all heard the statement that “drugs kill brain cells”, but what about alcohol? Does the same thing apply? Does alcohol kill brain cells, and is that why we shouldn’t go out binging on a ton of alcohol?

First lets talk a little about how the brain functions. It’s estimated that there are over 100 billion brain cells (neurons) in the human brain. These cells are unique in that they can communicate very quickly with each other by sending nerve impulses, also known as action potentials. When the nerve impulse reaches the end of the axon, the axon terminals release neurotransmitters which then relays the signal to the next cell.

In order to have a full understanding of HOW neurons function, we have to take a look at the proteins that are in the membrane. These proteins play a significant part in determining the function of neurons. So, lets dive right in . . .

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