Neurons are specialized cells whose function is acquiring, integrating, and transmitting the information. According to Breedlove & Watson (2019), the information is transmitted in cell parts as action potentials. Neurons have varied patterns of membrane potentials. Some are silent in that they must be stimulated externally, and in the absence of the external stimulus, they go back to their silent mode while others have a complex electrical activity; thus, they do not need external stimulation (Breedlove et al., 2019). Suleakumaran (2021) observes that all the neurons “are specialized to permit and generate bioelectrical signals.” The neurons’ activity is controlled by the environment, hormones, and the information conveyed by other neurons.
Excitatory and Inhibitory Post-Synaptic Potentials Being Received by the Neuron
Excitatory and inhibitory are the chemical messengers that regulate the post-synaptic neuron’s flow of ions and fire an action potential. The excitatory neurotransmitters increase ion flow in order to fire the action potential. These neurotransmitters are used by Type I synapses inhibitory neurotransmitters prevent the flow of the ions; thus, the firing of an action potential is prevented. The Type II synapses use these transmitters. When the brain is deeply stimulated, inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters are not in control (Ashkan et al., 2017). The mechanisms used to stimulate the brain deeply are beyond the neurotransmitters’ control.
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The Role of the Summation Process in Signaling
The summation’s role in signaling is to help the postsynaptic neuron to fire an action by ensuring it is sufficiently depolarized. According to Breedlove et al. (2019), when the EPSPs and IPSPs integrate and sufficiently depolarize the axon hillock, the postsynaptic neuron fires its own action.
Ions and Channels Involved in Generating and Propagating the Action Potential
Ions and channels are useful in that the ions are charged atoms that influence the electrical potential while the channels enable the ions to travel to the membranes. Sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and organic anions are used to propagate and propagate the action potential. The Ca and Na ions are useful in depolarization because they are positively charged and their direction. The channels involved are neurotransmitters and membranes.
Ions and Channels Involved in Triggering Release of the Neurotransmitter
Neurons are at rest, but they can change the potential. When depolarization occurs, the axons are positively charged inside than the outside. The charge generates an electric signal that then travels to the terminals through the axon to send either an electrical or chemical signal depending on the synapse type. On sending the message, neurotransmission begins (Breedlove et al., 2019).
There are ethical issues with the implantation of an electrode in a person’s brain. Firstly, predicting that the person has a disease that can be treated through implantation of the electrode is questionable. Secondly, the person’s consent must be sought because the implantation may lead to complications later. The person’s privacy should also be respected.
References
Ashkan, K., Rogers, P., Bergman, H., & Ughratdar, I. (2017). Insights into the mechanisms of deep brain stimulation. Nature Reviews Neurology, 13 (9), 548–554. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2017.105
Breedlove, S. M., & Watson, N. V. (2019). Behavioral neuroscience (9th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Seluakumaran, K. (2020). Electrical Properties of Neurons. In: Defining Physiology: Principles, Themes, Concepts, 2(1):1-4. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62285-5_22
