Advanced nervous system physiology

This course is a part of Health and medicine, a 22-course Topic series from Khan Academy.

There are about 85 billion neurons in your brain, and they’re sending electrical signals in your body right now! They tell your eyes to move across this page, interpret the words that you read, maintain your posture...all in a fraction of a second. In this section we’ll explore this vast, complex system from the cellular to the sensory level.

This course contains 8 segments:

Nervous system introduction

Neural cells and neurotransmitters

Get an overview of the structure and function of neurons, and learn about the many other important cells needed to help our nervous system function optimally! By Matt Jensen.

Neuron membrane potentials

Learn the causes and functions of neuron membrane potentials, including resting, graded, and action potentials.

Sensory perception

Learn about how we perceive our various senses, including the theories, laws, and organizational principles that underly our ability to make sense of the world around us.

Sight (vision)

Photons are hitting your eye as you read this! Learn about our sense of sight, including the cells responsible for converting light into a neural impulse, the structure of the eye, and how we break down images to make sense of them.

Sound (Audition)

Learn about how we hear, including the structure of the outer, middle, and inner ear, as well as the basics of auditory processing & cochlear implants.

Somatosensation

We perceive the environment through our bodily senses, including our sensation of pain, temperature, pressure, balance, and movement. Discover how our body gathers this information and processes it so that we can make sense of the world.

Taste (gustation) and smell (olfaction)

Learn about our senses of smell (olfaction) and taste (gustation), including the anatomy and underlying molecular basis behind these important senses.