Electricity - Spigot Science

Health ConnectionElectricity in the BodyBy Allison GrecoOne of the over 100,000 billion neurons in the human body.There are more neurons in our body than there are stars in theMilky Way.You may be familiar with how computers, televisions,and cell phones use electricity to send informationand perform tasks. What you may not knowis that the human body also uses a form of electricityto send messages, store information, and carry outfunctions.The Body Creates ElectricityThe body creates electricity in the same way thata battery does. Cells in the body keep positively andnegatively charged molecules away from each other.This creates stored energy, like the charge on the battery.The body uses the food you eat to replenish thecharges that are stored in your body.A ConductorNow that the body has created electricity, itneeds a conductor. The body uses nerve cells, calledneurons, as conductors. The neurons carry electricsignals from place to place in the body. When thesesignals are conducted through the neuron, they arecalled action potentials. The body uses action potentialsto store and transmit information from placeto place.You may already know that there are many differentelectrical wires that are used to carry differentkinds of information. Some wires carry electricitythat powers lights and electronics. Some wires sendfiles and data, like television and computer cables.There are also many different kinds of neurons inthe body. Each type of neuron uses action potentialsto send different kinds of messages. Some neuronsuse action potentials to tell your muscles where tomove and how strongly they should work. Otherneurons use action potentials to tell your brain aboutwhat you smell, hear, touch, taste, and see. There iseven a special neuron that uses action potentials totell your heart exactly when to beat! That's right —every thought, heartbeat, and movement that occursin your body is really controlled by an electrical signal.Mconnor, morguefile.comA salt shakerPonderA Salty ThoughtDo you know that salt(sodium chloride) plays animportant part in makingaction potentials work?According to the Salt Institute,salt causes action potentialsto fire. This allowsneurons to send signals tocells. Next time you areputting salt on your food,announce that you are helpingyour neurons to sendsignals throughout yourbody.What would happen if we had too littlesalt in our body? What if we had toomuch? Do research to find out.Spigot Science - http://www.spigotscience.com 29 Electricity