Explain how neurons operate, communicate and why they are referred to as the "Basic elements of behavior?"

Answer 1

Neurons work by firing "action potentials" to send signals from one part of the body to another. The simplest "behavior" is the spinal reflex, and all you need are two neurons. An example of this is the knee jerk reflex. There are sensory neurons in your quadriceps muscle. When the patellar tendon (the connection between the muscle and the bone) is stretched (by being hit on the knee with one of those little hammers that doctors use), it sends a signal to the motor neuron that causes a contraction of the quads, thus bringing the muscle back to its original length.