Knowra Nerve net Nerve net A nerve net is a diffuse network of interconnected neurons that coordinates responses without a centralized brain. It occurs in animals such as cnidarians.
Action potential : A rapid change in a cell’s electrical membrane potential that can propagate along excitable cells. Electrical impulses let signals travel through connected neurons in the net.
Neuron : An electrically excitable cell that receives, processes, or transmits information through electrical and chemical signals. Neurons are the signaling units whose connections form the net.
Central nervous system : The brain and spinal cord in vertebrates, or the principal central processing structures in other animals. It concentrates neural integration rather than distributing it throughout a network.
Hydra : A small freshwater cnidarian polyp with a tubular body, tentacles, and a diffuse nervous system. Hydra provides a classic example of a simple nerve net coordinating feeding and contraction.
Chemical synapse : A junction where one cell communicates with another by releasing neurotransmitters across a narrow gap. Synapses provide one route for neurons in a nerve net to pass signals.
Nervous system : A system of cells and structures that detects information, coordinates responses, and regulates bodily functions. A nerve net is a decentralized kind of nervous system.
Ganglion : A cluster of neuron cell bodies located outside the central nervous system in many animals. Ganglia provide local centers of neural processing absent from a simple diffuse net.
Jellyfish : The medusa form of various cnidarians, typically free-swimming with a bell-shaped body and tentacles. Jellyfish combine diffuse neural networks with nerve rings that help coordinate swimming.
Neuropeptide : A short peptide molecule released by neurons that can modulate signaling and physiological activity. Neuropeptides help coordinate slower, broader responses in cnidarian nerve nets.
Cnidaria : An animal phylum that includes jellyfish, sea anemones, corals, and hydras. Cnidarians are the best-known animals with nerve nets.
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