Neurones are excitablecells due to a potential difference across the cell mambrane. Increasing the intracellular potassium concentration causes the neurone to fire an action potential such as that seen before the contraction of the heart.
Similarly neurones that regulate breathing in the brain stem are in a constant fluctuation of firing and resting. Theseelectrical fluctuation effect neighbouring neurones and cause them to depolarise and fire and action potential. This is called cross talk and I believe is the substrate of consciouasness.
Thus, consciousness is a bi-product of nervous action potentials originating either in the the heart or respiratory centre in the brain stem.
No comments:
Post a Comment