The NeuronThe parts of a neuron, and how a signal travels along one.PsychologyOne signal, from dendrite to synapse.1Dendrites receiveInput from other neurons, summed at the cell body.2Threshold reachedAround −55 mV. Below it, nothing happens at all.3Action potential firesAll-or-nothing. Sodium in, then potassium out.4Travels down the axonSaltatory conduction jumps between nodes in myelinated axons.5Neurotransmitter releasedInto the synaptic cleft, binding to the next neuron's receptors.KEY NUMBERSResting potential: −70 mVThreshold: about −55 mVRefractory period: ~1 msSpeed: 1–120 m/s depending on myelinationThe action potential is all-or-nothing. Intensity is coded by firing rate,not by signal size.The Neuronlearnposters.com
The Neuron — printable life science wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

The Neuron, step by step

One signal, from dendrite to synapse.

  1. Dendrites receiveInput from other neurons, summed at the cell body.
  2. Threshold reachedAround −55 mV. Below it, nothing happens at all.
  3. Action potential firesAll-or-nothing. Sodium in, then potassium out.
  4. Travels down the axonSaltatory conduction jumps between nodes in myelinated axons.
  5. Neurotransmitter releasedInto the synaptic cleft, binding to the next neuron's receptors.

Key numbers

  • Resting potential: −70 mV
  • Threshold: about −55 mV
  • Refractory period: ~1 ms
  • Speed: 1–120 m/s depending on myelination

The action potential is all-or-nothing. Intensity is coded by firing rate, not by signal size.

Questions about the The Neuron poster

What’s on the The Neuron poster?
5 numbered steps, with a full worked run-through. One signal, from dendrite to synapse. Dendrites receive — Input from other neurons, summed at the cell body.; Threshold reached — Around −55 mV. Below it, nothing happens at all.; Action potential fires — All-or-nothing. Sodium in, then potassium out.; Travels down the axon — Saltatory conduction jumps between nodes in myelinated axons.; Neurotransmitter released — Into the synaptic cleft, binding to the next neuron's rec…. The action potential is all-or-nothing. Intensity is coded by firing rate, not by signal size.
Who is the The Neuron poster for?
The Neuron belongs to the Psychology section rather than to a school year, because life science is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning biological can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the The Neuron poster?
Electrical along the cell, chemical between cells. That alternation is the whole system. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so The Neuron belongs on the wall where that life science work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with The Neuron?
Biological Rhythms, Brain Imaging and Brain Structures sit alongside The Neuron in the Psychology section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Biological RhythmsBrain ImagingBrain Structures
Is the The Neuron poster free to download and print?
Yes. The Neuron downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Psychology section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the The Neuron poster print at?
The Neuron is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of The Neuron loses nothing.Printing guide

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