Question

Understanding: How do neurons communicate? Explain:

a. action potentials

b. rate coding.

Answer 1

Communication of neurons: Neurons are the basic units of the nervous system. Neurons communicate over long distances by sending signals called nerve impulses through the axons which make up a tract or nerve. Single neuron may send signals to thousands of other neurons because each axon may branch into a whole tree, and nerve impulses go down each branch when an axon divides.

• Action potential: An Action potential is the way by which neurons communicate with each other. It is a method of transporting electrical signals from one cell to the next. When an action potential happens, the sodium(Na⁺) ion channels on the axon open and the Na⁺ rushes in. Since, the sodium ion is positively charged, it makes the inside of the axon a little more positively charged. The sodium keeps rushing in until the inside is positive relative to the outside.
• Rate coding: Rate coding is another way neurons encode information. The rate coding model of neuronal firing communication states that as the intensity of a stimulus increases, the rate of action potentials increases. Rate coding is sometimes called frequency coding.