Messages in the Brain
Written by Studio AM.
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The human brain contains roughly eighty-six billion nerve cells called neurons. These cells communicate in networks that support thought, memory, and movement. Many neurons receive information through branching extensions. Inputs can increase or decrease the likelihood that a neuron sends an electrical pulse along its axon, a long fiber.
Neurons communicate at junctions called synapses. At a chemical synapse, an electrical pulse triggers the release of chemical messengers. These cross a tiny gap, the synaptic cleft, and bind to receptors on another cell. The receiving cell's activity can then change. Other junctions, called electrical synapses, allow electrical current to pass more directly between cells.
Electrical and chemical communication let networks coordinate rapidly. A single experience can involve activity across many connected cells rather than one isolated neuron. Learning can alter the strength of connections within this intricate network, changing how later signals are processed.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the communication junction between neurons called?
The answer is A: A synapse
A synapse is the junction. At a chemical synapse, the tiny gap itself is called the synaptic cleft.
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Question 2 of 4
The passage suggests that a single thought is
The answer is B: the result of many neurons signaling together
The passage connects a single experience with activity across many cells rather than one isolated neuron.
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Question 3 of 4
In this passage, 'intricate' most nearly means
The answer is B: complex and detailed
An 'intricate web of connections' refers to a complex, detailed network.
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Question 4 of 4
Which statement best captures the main idea of the passage?
The answer is B: Electrical and chemical signals carry messages between neurons
The passage describes electrical pulses, chemical messengers at chemical synapses, and direct current at electrical synapses.
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