ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY SUMMARY ABOUT YOUR NEURONS #2 August 17, 2020 WHAT ARE YOUR NEURONS? AND WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT? Your neurons are specialized brain cells that make it possible for the many physical structures of your body to communicate with each other. They also make it possible for you to communicate with yourself and others. This is an enormous fact! Your neurons are the basic building blocks of your brain and nervous system. They make up about 20% of the cells in your brain. The other 80% (glial cells and bone cells and blood cells, for example) have to do with cells that protect your neurons. All aspects of your memory resources depend upon the smooth functioning of all of your neurons and all of their synaptic connections. Typically, as many as 10,000-15,000 dendrites are attached to the cell body of each of your 100 billion neurons but there can be as few as one dendrite attached to a single cell body. Your neurons are able to send and receive biochemical currents or signals (ionic impulses) all around your brain and up and down your body but only in one direction within each neuronal pathway. All of your neurons are connected to each other by your synapses, which relay biochemical signals through an electro-chemical transduction process known as potentiation (short for long-term potentiation). The complex biochemical process of potentiation is explained in the essay for Brain Idea #8. RECOMMENDATION: You can re-read this summary according to a reinforcement schedule, such as a few hours later and a few days later and then several times in the next week or two. This strategy can help you take advantage of the power of the spaced-repetition method of memorization. Such deep introspection can strengthen your willpower and change your adaptable self-identity to increase your self-esteem. REMEMBER ALWAYS: You are your adaptable memory! BRAIN IDEA #2 TAP or CLICK on BOX NEURONS MEMORY CONSOLIDATION EXERCISE instantly return to: TAKE 15 STEPS ON THE HUMANIST STAIRWAY TO ENLIGHTENMENT produced by Infinite Interactive Ideas™