#neuron

• Abelian — A structural mathematical term transposed into neuro-cybernetics and artificial neural network modeling, defining a symmetric operation or structure where the order of components does not change the final result (commutativity). In physiological modeling and neuropsychology, abelian groups or networks are utilized to simulate parallel symmetric processing of sensory stimuli or to map automatic synaptic circuits in the brain where signal synchronization does not depend on the strict sequence of incoming inputs.
• Afferentation — A foundational physiological process consisting of the continuous transmission of nerve impulses and excitations from peripheral receptor neurons to the central nervous system neurons and cerebral cortex.
• Alloempathy — An atypical or differently directed form of emotional resonance in which an individual experiences affective states transferred or induced by an alien environment or by a group with values completely opposite to their own psychological structure. In experimental neuropsychology, the term describes the process by which mirror neuron networks process and integrate empathetic responses that contradict the subject's native affective associations, forcing a transient cognitive restructuring.
• Amyotrophic — Pertaining to amyotrophy or causing progressive loss of muscle mass; characterized by the atrophy of skeletal muscles due to denervation or a neurodegenerative disease. The term is most frequently utilized in clinical pathology to describe amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a severe condition that selectively destroys motor neurons, disrupting voluntary movement control.
• Amyotrophy — Atrophy or progressive decrease in the volume of muscle mass, caused by a nutritional disorder of the muscles or the loss of normal motor innervation. This pathological structural condition causes severe weakness of the skeletal muscles and is frequently associated with lesions of the spinal cord or peripheral nerves.
• To arborize — To branch out or arrange structural elements in the shape of a tree; to develop divergent and hierarchical ramifications similar to the limbs of a tree. The term is used in neurobiology to describe the process by which nerve cell extensions (axons and dendrites) expand to form synaptic connections, as well as in medicine to describe vascular networks.
• Axolemma — A specialized plasma membrane (plasmalemma) that completely surrounds and structurally delimits the axon of a nerve cell. This fine cellular barrier plays a crucial physiological role in maintaining the resting potential and in the ultra-fast propagation of the action potential via voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels, ensuring a delicate and coordinated transmission of the nerve impulse toward other synapses.
• Axon — A unique, long, and thread-like extension of a neuron, which has the fundamental structural and physiological role of conducting the efferent nerve impulse (action potential) away from the cell body (soma) toward other nerve, muscle, or glandular cells. This cellular component is delimited by the axolemma, contains axoplasm, and is often protected by an insulating myelin sheath, facilitating an ultra-fast, precise, and delicate transmission of bioelectric signals within the nervous system.
• Axoplasm — The specific cytoplasm located inside the axon of a nerve cell, delimited externally by the axolemma. This dense cellular fluid is structurally rich in neurofilaments, microtubules, mitochondria, and synaptic vesicles, while lacking Nissl bodies (rough endoplasmic reticulum) and ribosomes. Axoplasm plays a crucial role in the mechanical support of the neuronal extension and in carrying out the delicate axonal transport of proteins and organelles between the cell body and synapses.