How the Gunpowder Plot Mirrors the Explosive Power of Neurons in Your Brain & Body
Remember, remember the 5th of November! This time of year we all ignite the spark of excitement in anticipation of the wonderfully explosive firework displays in the night sky but do we remember it’s origins with The Gunpowder Plot of 1605?
The plot was a failed conspiracy by a group of English Catholics who aimed to assassinate King James I and blow up the House of Lords. Frustrated by the king’s refusal to grant more religious freedom, the plotters – led by Robert Catesby and including Guy Fawkes – planned to ignite a massive explosion during the State Opening of Parliament. Their goal was to kill the king, government leaders, and other officials to pave the way for a Catholic monarch.
However, the plot was foiled when authorities received a tip-off in the form of an anonymous letter. They discovered 36 barrels of gunpowder hidden beneath the House of Lords and arrested Fawkes, who was guarding the explosives. After torturing him for information, the authorities arrested the other conspirators. The plot’s failure is now remembered every November 5th in Britain as Guy Fawkes Night, where we all get the opportunity to ignite the spark, light bonfires and set off fireworks in commemoration.
So, ‘How are Neurons like fireworks?’, I hear you ask!
Neurons communicate within the brain by using electrical impulses, setting up a spark to pass information from one cell to another. With neurotransmitters it’s pretty much an all-or-nothing principle – where, much like the Gunpowder Plot, everything either goes off with a bang or doesn’t happen at all.
How our Neurons Fire
1. Electrical Signal (Action Potential):
Each neuron has a resting electrical charge. When a neuron receives enough stimulation from neighbouring cells, it generates an electrical impulse called an action potential. This action potential travels down the neuron’s axon toward the axon terminal, a bit like a wave or a spark moving down a fuse.
2. Synapse and Neurotransmitters:
At the end of the axon, the neuron reaches a small gap called the synapse, which separates it from the next neuron. The action potential triggers the release of neurotransmitters—chemical messengers stored in tiny sacs called vesicles. These neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic gap.
3. Chemical Signal Across the Synapse:
Neurotransmitters cross the synaptic gap and bind to receptor sites on the surface of the next neuron. Each neurotransmitter fits specific receptors, like a lock and key.
4. Receiving Neuron Response:
Once the neurotransmitters bind to receptors, they change the electrical charge of the receiving neuron. If the charge is strong enough, it triggers a new action potential in the receiving neuron, continuing the signal’s journey.
5. Reuptake and Clean-up:
After the neurotransmitters have done their job, they are either broken down or reabsorbed by the original neuron in a process called reuptake, clearing the synapse for the next signal.
This process happens rapidly across billions of neurons, creating a complex web of communication that enables thought, movement, emotion, and every function of the brain and the body. So just as the plotters built a complex plan, neurons also set up intricate networks within the brain to communicate with the rest of your body. The firing of neurons are like that of a lit fuse on a firework which builds until it reaches the critical point of exploding into the sky – much like the countdown in a high stakes plan or plot! Once your neurons fire, they influence surrounding cells, much like the explosive impact the plotters hoped to achieve.
Ignite your spark with chiropractic!
As chiropractors one of our main aims is to assist the robust integrity of your neuron signals via your nervous system and your spinal health. You don’t need 36 barrels of gunpowder for that – just 33 fully functioning vertebrae – and we can help you with that!
I love how both historical events and biological processes can teach us about precision, the balance of high stakes, and how a single action can have massive consequences – be it in history or inside our brain and body.
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