• Question: What sorts of signals does the brain use to communicate thoughts, communication etc.?

    Asked by Sammy to Hayley, Jimi on 18 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Hayley Moulding

      Hayley Moulding answered on 18 Mar 2016:

      Great question Sammy. Your brain uses neurons in the brain and all over the body to send our signals. To communicate the brain uses neurons between the brain (the sides of the brain) and the vocal cords as well as muscles for us to be able to talk. We need our muscles and vocal cords to work too. Some people might not be able to talk because of damage to their brain, or it could be their voice box or muscles. Our brain also communicates using touch and all our senses. Little signals are sent along these long neurons around our bodies. Imagine a long race track around our bodies and they little signals are cars on the track. Lots of cars set off around the track and need to go to the certain areas to allow us to communicate being sent from the brain.

    • Photo: Jimi Wills

      Jimi Wills answered on 18 Mar 2016:

      There is one main type of signal as such, but many sub types and a kind of other thing that happens too…

      The signals are electrical signals that are passed along neurons. But the interesting part is how these signals are passed between neurons…

      When the signal reaches the end of a neuron, molecules called neurotransmitters are released. These can cross the gap between one neuron and the next.

      There are different types of neurotransmitters. Some of them, when they reach the next neuron, will “fire” the next neuron, causing the signal to travel along that neuron. Others will stop the next neuron firing. The are other types to, that can change how sensitive a neuron is to incoming signals.

      The other thing is that the connections between the neurons can change in strength. “neurons that fire together wire together”… this means that if two neurons get a signal at a similar time, the connections between them with be sterngthened. This is how learning works.

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