Neural Circuits & Neural network
Simple neural circuits Definition A neural circuit is a network in which brain regions or individual neurons are the nodes and axonal connections are represented by directed edges. Edges can encode many variables but minimally designate the type of neurotransmitter, which determines whether a cell will excite, inhibit or modulate its targets. Introduction Neurons never function in isolation; they are organized into ensembles or circuits that process specific kinds of information. Although the arrangement of neural circuits varies greatly according to the intended function, some features are characteristic of all such ensembles. The synaptic connections that define a circuit are typically made in a dense tangle of dendrites, axons terminals, and glial cell processes that together constitute neuropil (the suffix -pil comes from the Greek word pilos, meaning “felt”; see Figure 1.3). Figure 1.3 { (A) Diagram of nerve cells and their component parts. (B) Axon initial segment (blue) en...