Resilience: Activity 1.1: Effects of Stress on Neurons
The following activity will allow you to explore the different ways in which short and long-term stressors impact the form and function of your neurons.
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Dendrites help neurons communicate and are represented by the branch-like features in the image above. When animals are in the stress condition, there appear to be FEWER dendritic branches, which means FEWER messages are sent, and this makes those neurons WORSE communicators.
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Question 1 of 5
1. Question
This may be your first time seeing a diagram of a neuron, but that’s OK! Based on the labels in the image above, fill in the blanks with the correct terms for the different parts of neurons that match the provided definitions.
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- The are like branches that extend from the cell body of the neuron. They are like ears, listening for information coming from surrounding neurons.
- The is the command center of the neuron, contained within the cell body. The information received by the dendrites is processed here, and if the signal is strong enough, the message will be passed on to surrounding neurons (i.e., activating a neural circuit).
- The is a long, cable-like extension coming off the cell body which looks like it’s wrapped in twinkies. If a message is to be passed along, it travels down this extension as an electrical pulse. The pastry-like wrapping is a fatty, insulating substance called myelin sheath, which allows the electrical signals to travel quickly and efficiently by hopping from node to node (kind of like the rubber coating on your phone charger).
- The stores many tiny sacs called vesicles which contain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Once the electrical signal arrives, it stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, which enter the space between two neurons, where the ears of the next neuron will be listening. The space between the two neurons is called the synapse.
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Question 2 of 5
2. Question
Based on the comparisons provided in the previous question, match the correct term with the correct new comparison.
Here are the comparisons from the previous question again:
The DENDRITES are like branches that extend from the cell body of the neuron. They are like ears, listening for information coming from surrounding neurons.
The NUCLEUS is the command center of the neuron, contained within the cell body. The information received by the dendrites is processed here, and if the signal is strong enough, the message will be passed on to surrounding neurons (i.e., activating a neural circuit).
The AXON is a long, cable-like extension coming off the cell body which looks like it’s wrapped in twinkies. If a message is to be passed along, it travels down this extension as an electrical pulse. The pastry-like wrapping is a fatty, insulating substance called myelin sheath, which allows the electrical signals to travel quickly and efficiently by hopping from node to node (kind of like the rubber coating on your phone charger).
The AXON TERMINAL stores many tiny sacs called vesicles which contain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Once the electrical signal arrives, it stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, which enter the space between two neurons, where the ears of the next neuron will be listening. The space between the two neurons is called the synapse.
Sort elements
- Branches on a tree
- Insulation on a wire
- An electrical wire
- A command center
- A storage facility
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Dendrites are like (1).
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The myelin sheath is like (2).
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The axon is like (3).
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The nucleus is like (4).
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The axon terminal is like (5).
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Question 3 of 5
3. Question
When things are good, we are in a balanced state and our neurons are strong and healthy communicators. Our neurons are listening for information, relevant messages are passed along in a timely fashion, and neurotransmitters are flowing to keep us thinking and feeling well.
Under stressful conditions, however, the flow of communication may not be as smooth. When stress is prolonged, our neurons can lose dendritic branches and connections between neurons can be lost. In these conditions, our neurons become less effective communicators, which affects how we think, feel, and behave.
In the stressed condition, there are:
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Question 4 of 5
4. Question
When there are reduced numbers of branches:
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Question 5 of 5
5. Question
If fewer messages are received, this means neurons are:
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