Biology SL
Biology SL
4
Chapters
553
Notes
Theme A - Unity & Diversity
Theme A - Unity & Diversity
Theme B - Form & Function
Theme B - Form & Function
Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence
Theme C - Interaction & Interdependence
Theme D - Continuity & Change
Theme D - Continuity & Change
IB Resources
Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence
Biology SL
Biology SL

Theme C - Interaction & Interdependence

Explore Neuronal Synapse Dynamics!

Word Count Emoji
415 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024

Table of content

Neuron networking 101 🧠

  • A single postsynaptic neuron can be like the cool kid in school: many (hundreds or thousands!) presynaptic neurons want to connect with it, especially in the brain.

🍔 Real-world example: Imagine a restaurant (our postsynaptic neuron) getting food deliveries (messages) from multiple delivery drivers (the presynaptic neurons). They all want to deliver their food to that one restaurant!

Triggering the wave - action potentials 🏄

  • One splash (excitatory neurotransmitter) from a single presynaptic neuron isn’t enough to make a big wave (action potential).
  • To get a wave, you either need:
    • The same kid (presynaptic neuron) to keep splashing repeatedly.
    • Or a bunch of kids (several presynaptic neurons) to splash all at once.

🌊 Real-world example: To create a big wave in a pool, you either need one person making repeated jumps, or multiple people jumping in at once.

Summation - the math of neurons 🧮

  • When multiple splashes combine to make a wave, it’s called summation.
  • But it’s not just about excitatory splashes. Some neurotransmitters are party-poopers (inhibitory neurotransmitters) and stop the wave from forming.
  • It's a tug-of-war between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. For an action potential to happen, the excitatory side needs to pull much harder!

🎈 Real-world example: Think of a balloon race. Excitatory neurotransmitters are trying to inflate the balloon (reach threshold potential) while inhibitory neurotransmitters are letting air out. The balloon will only fly if it's more inflated than deflated.

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IB Resources
Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence
Biology SL
Biology SL

Theme C - Interaction & Interdependence

Explore Neuronal Synapse Dynamics!

Word Count Emoji
415 words
Reading Time Emoji
3 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 14th Jun 2024

Table of content

Neuron networking 101 🧠

  • A single postsynaptic neuron can be like the cool kid in school: many (hundreds or thousands!) presynaptic neurons want to connect with it, especially in the brain.

🍔 Real-world example: Imagine a restaurant (our postsynaptic neuron) getting food deliveries (messages) from multiple delivery drivers (the presynaptic neurons). They all want to deliver their food to that one restaurant!

Triggering the wave - action potentials 🏄

  • One splash (excitatory neurotransmitter) from a single presynaptic neuron isn’t enough to make a big wave (action potential).
  • To get a wave, you either need:
    • The same kid (presynaptic neuron) to keep splashing repeatedly.
    • Or a bunch of kids (several presynaptic neurons) to splash all at once.

🌊 Real-world example: To create a big wave in a pool, you either need one person making repeated jumps, or multiple people jumping in at once.

Summation - the math of neurons 🧮

  • When multiple splashes combine to make a wave, it’s called summation.
  • But it’s not just about excitatory splashes. Some neurotransmitters are party-poopers (inhibitory neurotransmitters) and stop the wave from forming.
  • It's a tug-of-war between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. For an action potential to happen, the excitatory side needs to pull much harder!

🎈 Real-world example: Think of a balloon race. Excitatory neurotransmitters are trying to inflate the balloon (reach threshold potential) while inhibitory neurotransmitters are letting air out. The balloon will only fly if it's more inflated than deflated.

Unlock the Full Content! File Is Locked Emoji

Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Biology SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟