ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Quantitative models of the action potential

Have you ever heard of a "spark" that makes a light turn on? Our brains work in kind of the same way!

Our brains are made up of tiny cells called neurons. These neurons talk to each other through electrical and chemical signals. When a neuron wants to send a message to another neuron, it starts a little spark, called an "action potential".

Scientists have made mathematical models to help understand how these sparks, or action potentials, work. A quantitative model is like a big picture that helps us understand something in detail. Kind of like a map that helps us understand where things are located.

These models help scientists understand how different things can change the spark, like the temperature, the size of the neuron, or how many other neurons are sending messages at the same time.

But, even with these models, scientists still have a lot to learn about how our brains work!