Chapter 1
The spark of life
Chapter 2
The body's wiring system
Chapter 3
The ultimate electric pump
Chapter 4
Electric senses and future tech
YOUR GOAL
Master of Electricity in the human body
Ch 2 · The body's wiring system
sonia The body's wiring system
We are electric, we are electric! Every cell is a tiny battery!
sonia A fatty coating called myelin wraps around nerve fibers to keep electrical signals from leaking and speed them up.
sonia Microscopic protein gates in cell membranes open instantly to let charged particles rush in, creating an electrical wave.
BETA
sonia Connect the body's circuits to discover how electrical signals move your muscles.
Fun Fact
Nerve speed: Electrical signals in your myelinated motor nerves can travel at speeds of up to 268 miles per hour.
Glossary
nervous system (noun)
The network of nerve cells and fibers that transmits nerve impulses between parts of the body. In 1780, Luigi Galvani demonstrated how electrical currents travel through this biological network to contract muscles.
The network of nerve cells and fibers that transmits nerve impulses between parts of the body. In 1780, Luigi Galvani demonstrated how electrical currents travel through this biological network to contract muscles.
Quiz
What is the long, cable-like part of a neuron that carries electrical signals away from the cell body?
Quiz
What are the tiny gaps in the myelin sheath that allow electrical signals to jump and travel faster?
Quiz
What fatty substance insulates nerve fibers to prevent electrical signals from leaking?
Quiz
How do electrical signals cross the tiny gap, or synapse, between two separate nerve cells?
Quiz
Which structures in the cell membrane open and close to selectively let electrical ions pass through?
Quiz
Approximately how fast can electrical signals travel along the body's fastest insulated nerve fibers?
Quiz
What is the name of the rapid electrical reversal that travels down a nerve cell membrane?