Neurons: Animated Cellular and Molecular Concepts

Abstract

OPEN ACCESSMarch 27, 2006Neurons: Animated Cellular and Molecular Concepts Patricia Stewart, BSc, MSc, PhD Patricia Stewart, BSc, MSc, PhD University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.201 SectionsAboutAbstract ToolsDownload Citations ShareFacebookTwitterEmail AbstractAbstractThis web-based tutorial was designed for learners with no background in neuroscience that struggle with basic concepts. It is intended be used early in a course to bring these learners up to a basic level of competency. Basic events in neuronal function (e.g., establishment of the resting membrane potential, action potentials, neurotransmitter release, postsynaptic mechanisms, and axonal transport) are explained using minimal text and interactive, two-dimensional animations. The interface is set up as a small booklet of eight chapters, each addressing one aspect of neuronal function. A link to “Downloadable Animations” is included for teachers who wish to include the animations in their lectures or tutorials. Educational Objectives By the end of the module the learner will be able to: Describe the structural aspects of a neuron that are critical to its functions.Describe axonal transport of different organelles in both orthograde and retrograde directions and explain why different organelles are transported at different rates.List different types of basic ion channels and explain their functions.Describe how the resting membrane potential is established, including the roles Na+-K+ ATPase and passive ion channels.Explain the action potential and its propagation in myelinated versus unmyelinated axons.Describe two types of neurotransmitter release at the axon terminal and predict the effects of drugs that affect docking proteins and voltage-gated calcium channels. Sign up for the latest publications from MedEdPORTAL Add your email below FILES INCLUDEDReferencesRelatedDetails FILES INCLUDED Included in this publication: Neurons.swf To view all publication components, extract (i.e., unzip) them from the downloaded .zip file. Download editor’s noteThis publication may contain technology or a display format that is no longer in use. Copyright & Permissions© 2006 Stewart. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.KeywordsNeurotransmitterAxonal TransportMembrane PotentialsNeuronal FunctionAction PotentialAcknowledgmentsT. Cameron is a free-lance designer who was paid to construct the Flash file that is the basis of the tutorial. The grant from which she was paid was obtained by the other two authors. Ms. Cameron was included as the third author on the basis of the creative and scholarly suggestions she made for improvement of the program during the course of its construction. Disclosures None to report. Funding/Support None to report. Prior Presentations Stewart PA, Wilson-Pauwels L. Neurons, animated concepts. New software demonstration at: Slice of Life, Computers in Medical Education Conference; June 2004; Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Stewart PA, Wilson-Pauwels L, Cameron T. Neurons, animated concepts: the next generation. Electronic poster presented at: Slice of Life/AAMC Conference; June 14–18; Portland Oregon. Loading ...