Unmyelinated and Myelinated Axons
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Chemical Properties of Water
- The environment around the neuron cell membrane, both inside and out, consists mostly of
water.
- Water molecules are
composed of one oxygen atom (O) covalently bonded to two hydrogens atoms (H).
- The covalent bond means oxygen and water
share electrons.
- Their affinity for the shared electrons is not equal, however. The oxygen atom is more electronegative (an atom’s tendency to attract electrons).
- As a result, the negatively charged electrons tend to spend more time around the oxygen, which causes the
water molecules to become polar.
With so much information to take in, it’s important to test how well you’ve really understood. We recommend using the method of active recall.
- Most of the time, the oxygen side of the molecule is slightly negative and the hydrogen side is slightly positive.