Action potential: The electrical signal conducted along axons by which information is conveyed from one place to another within the nervous system

Active transporters: Proteins that use energy (ATP) to actively pump/move ions from one side of the cell membrane to the other

Axon: Part of the neuron that carries the action potential from the nerve cell body to a target cell

Axon hillock: Point of initiation of the action potential on the cell body.

Dendrites: Part of the neuron that projects from the cell body and recieves synaptic imput

Ion channels: Protein structures that passively allow ions to flow from one side of the cell membrane to the other

Membrane conductance: Inverse of membrane resistance, the result of ions flowing in and out of the cell.

Myelination: Insulation that surrounds axons, multiple layers of glial (support) cells, increase the axonal conduction velocity.

Nodes of Ranvier: Periodic gaps in myelination of axons where action potentials are generated.

Postsynaptic neuron: Downstream of synapse, info passed on from presynaptic neuron.

Presynaptic  neuron: Upstream of synapse, passes info onto postsynaptic neuron.

Saltatory conduction : Mechanism of action potential propagation in myelinated axons; action potentials jump from one node to the next

Synapse: Specialized apposition between a neuron and its target cell for transmission of information by rlease and reception of a chemical signal.

Synaptic cleft: Space between the presynaptic and postynaptic neurons.