Bioelectrical Brain Activity
The brain is a complex organ with a wide range of functions. These functions require electrical activity, which can be measured using an electroencephalogram (EEG).
- Neurons: Specialized cells that generate and transmit electrical signals. These signals are generated by the movement of ions across the cell membrane.
- Synapses: Connections between neurons where electrical signals are transmitted from one neuron to another. This transmission occurs through the release of neurotransmitters, which bind to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, triggering electrical changes.
- Graded Potentials: Small, localized changes in the membrane potential of a neuron. They can be excitatory or inhibitory and are essential for the integration of information within neural networks.
- Action Potentials: Large, all-or-nothing electrical impulses that travel down the axon of a neuron. They are responsible for the long-distance transmission of information within the nervous system.
The complex interplay of these electrical events gives rise to the brain's overall electrical activity.