A linear chain of attached neurons. It is the simplest type of neural circuit.

Neural Chain

- A biological neural network, in theory, is an assemblage of structures that are able to regulate central nervous system automatisms with efficiency and pin-point accuracy.
- The concept of neural networks was originally coined in order to understand the construction of a neural circuit; it has since evolved to explaining circuitry functionality and interconnectedness with other networks and structures.
- The triple-network model of psychopathology, moreover, is representative of this idea, wherein the salience network (SN) serves as an interface between the frontoparietal network (FPN) and default mode network (DMN), allowing the integration and balance of neural processing with affective processes.

Biological Neural Network

A group of neurons that are interconnected by synapses. They are responsible for our behaviors and experiences. Like electrical circuits, neural circuits can convey signals through two different processes: Signals that vary in strength (i.e., analog-like signals), and signals that vary in frequency (i..e, digital-like, all-or-none signals). 

Brandeis University

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Aspects of Neurophysiology

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Neural Circuits

An ion is a molecule that carries an electrical charge. In the context of a neuron, ions are dissolved in both the intracellular and extracellular fluids, and their unequal distribution across the semipermeable membrane is the source of the electrical charge that constitutes the membrane potential.

Ions

Large shift in membrane potential that lasts a short time, which causes a neuron to fire. These large shifts in membrane potential (i.e., electrical signals) are how information is transmitted within a neuron. 

Action Potential

The resting membrane potential is the stable, negative electrical charge inside a neuron relative to the outside when it is not actively signaling, typically around -65 mV. This potential is established by an unequal distribution of ions across the cell membrane. At rest, sodium (Na+) ions are more concentrated in the extracellular fluid, while potassium (K+) ions and large negatively charged proteins (anions) are more concentrated in the cytoplasm. This separation of charges causes ions to accumulate near the membrane, attracted to the opposite charges on the other side. The potential is actively maintained by the sodium-potassium pump, which expels three Na+ ions for every two K+ ions it brings in, contributing to the net negative charge inside the neuron.

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