Basically, Neurons in brief can be described as –
Neurons Fire like electrical circuits
Therefore, Neurons are a kind of cells in the brain. Other type of cells in body are fat cell, kidney cell, gland cells etc.
Also, we can say that a neuron is essentially like a hub that works with nearby neurons to generate an electrical and chemical change.
Dr. Likosky of Swedish Medical Institute says ” Another way of thinking about neurons is that they are like electrical circuit and the connections are like electrical wires that connect to other neurons. This creates a kind of circuit in human body.
The input from five senses of body causes neurons to fire. The more often a collection of neurons are stimulated together in time, the more likely they are to bind together and easier and easier it becomes for that pattern of neurons to fire in synchrony as well as sequentially.
Different neurons have their own job. Sensory neurons pick up signals from your senses, while motor neurons deliver signals to your muscle. Some of this activity involves conscious thoughts (especially if you are doing skillful work), but a lot happens automatically, controlling vital functions like heart beat and breathing.
Neurons link together to pass nerve signals to one another. This activity is most intense in brain, where around 100 billions neuron forms a complex network. This gives you the ability to think.