ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY DETAILS ABOUT YOUR SYNAPSES Brain Flash Card #8 April 24, 2016 WHAT ARE YOUR SYNAPSES AND WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT? BRAIN SCIENCE FACTS What is the purpose and function of your synapses? The function of your synapses is to make possible the transmission of biochemical currents (ionic signals or impulses) all around your brain and also up and down your body. It is helpful to simplify the most complex three pounds of matter in the universe (your brain) by integrating the brain idea of synapses with the overall concept of the global connectivity of your brain's structures and their functions. You can explore how the brain idea of synapses relates to the new brain idea about your brain's global connectivity by momentarily focusing your attention on the following circular symbol and the #8 red arrow: See #8 = SYNAPSES THIS SYMBOL REPRESENTS A SIMPLIFIED HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY NECESSARY FOR HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS This circular symbol was created to convey a powerful visual image of the previously unimaginable coalescence of the many diverse and interactive physical brain structures that form the wonderful new idea of your self-manifesting holistic brain. The symbol of 14 red arrows pointing toward the circle of human consciousness, depicts a conscious living human brain that is made up of many parts with a sum total of meaning that is greater than all of its separate parts. Each of the 15 brain ideas in the image can converge and merge in your mind to produce the process of your self-directed neuroplasticity or, more simply, your mental force. Your synapses are the trillions of electro-chemical junctions or biochemical switches that allow the 100 billion neurons in your brain and nervous system to send signals to and from your senses and to and from your many bodily organs and ultimately to make possible your cosciousness. Your brain's signaling process is caused by the way your neurons and your synapses are connected at the microscopic quantum level of human existence by a complicated biochemical process and your memories are formed by synaptic plasticity in a process known as long-term potentiation. During the signaling process, sodium and potassium molecules exchange charged ions through hundreds of vesicles at synaptic clefts (gaps) in the membranes of the thousands of synapses that attach to thousands of neurons, or the attachment centers of bodily organs. Printable PDF Form DETAILS ABOUT YOUR SYNAPSES (for your own editing and memory consolidation) RECOMMENDATION: Print this PDF version and read it. Underline or highlight with colors the most important new brain ideas to save them in your long-term memory. Then edit this text to personalize it and read your edited version of these ideas in a few hours and in a few days and then a week later to take advantage of the spaced-repetition method of learning. instantly return to: 15 STEPS TO THE STAIRWAY TO ENLIGHTENMENT or instantly return to: ALPHABETICAL BRAIN™ VOCABULARY INDEX produced by Infinite Interactive Ideas™