Everything You Need To Know About Neurons
Most of us were taught a little bit about Neurons and their functions in high school biology class. However, the majority of us don’t understand how important neurons are to our daily life.
In fact, most people don’t realize that they are responsible for us being able to move, think, and speak. And so much more.
Today, we are going to talk about what Neurons are, what they do, some diseases that can damage them, and how to keep your brain and your Neurons healthy.
What Are Neurons?
According to the University of Queensland:
“Neurons (also called neurones or nerve cells) are the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, the cells responsible for receiving sensory input from the external world, for sending motor commands to our muscles, and for transforming and relaying the electrical signals at every step in between.”
Neurons pass messages from our brains to the rest of our bodies. When you think about wiggling your toes, the neurons pass that message on. They work so quickly, that most of us don’t even notice the time between telling our body to move and it doing so.
They are such an important part of our brain that the medical study of the brain is called neuroscience.
What Do Neurons Do?
Neurons are responsible for nearly everything that happens in our brains and the rest of our bodies.
It is our neurons that translate what we are seeing into images that we can comprehend. They turn sound waves into signals we can understand. They help us translate what we feel and what we taste.
They are responsible for helping us get to sleep. For moving our muscles. And the many thousands of subconscious things that our brains do without us noticing every day.
How To Keep Your Brain And Neurons Healthy
The evidence suggests that we can improve and maintain brain function as we get older if we look after our brains properly. Many of us think a lot about keeping our bodies healthy, but not our brains.
The good news is that, if you are looking after your body then you are doing a lot of activities that will help your brain too.
Here are some things you can do to keep your brain healthy.
#1 – Eat Well And Keep Hydrated
Foods that nourish our bodies tend to do a good job at nourishing our brains. Our brains need lots of nutrients, carbs, and healthy oils to function well.
You should also try to keep hydrated – you have probably noticed that you get headaches when you don’t drink enough water.
#2 – Exercise 4-5 Times A Week
Studies have shown that regular exercise reduces the risk of brain diseases like Altziemers. It also increases blood flow to the brain and makes you a happier person.
#3 – Get Enough Sleep
When we sleep, our brain refreshes itself, creates new neurons, and has time to work on creating new ideas.
If we do not sleep between 7-9 hours a day then we are not giving our brains enough time to reset.
#4 – Challenge Yourself
If you want to keep your brain healthy then you will need to keep it active.
You can do this by teaching yourself a new skill, practicing a musical instrument, and doing brain exercises. Even doing crossword puzzles can be good for your brain.
Find something that you love doing to keep your brain active.
#5 – Find Joy With Friends And Loved Ones
Depression and stress can both have really negative impacts on your brain. However, social interaction can help you deal with both of those problems.
Try to see people that you love as often as you can and you will notice the difference.
Diseases That Attack Neurons – ASL
ASL, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a neurodegenerative motor neuron disease (MND) that causes the progressive death of neurons in the brain. Once the neurons die, there is no way to recover them.
ASL manifests itself as slow paralysis. First, the sufferer loses the ability to move or control one part of their body – usually a foot or hand. Over time they start to lose all control of their body because their neurons no longer work.
You can find out more about ASL and its treatments here – https://www.mybiosource.com/als_amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis.
ASL is a rare disease and scientists do not yet know what causes it – they believe it to be a mix of genetic and environmental factors.