How Can Exposure to Violence in the Community Affect Children

question 100

Essay

How can exposure to violence in the community affect children and adolescents?

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Definitions:

Myelinated axons

Nerve fibers covered in myelin, a protective sheath that speeds up the transmission of electrical signals in the nervous system.

White matter

Tissue in the brain and spinal cord made up primarily of nerve fibers and is responsible for communication between different brain regions and between the brain and the spinal cord.

Neurotransmitter

A chemical within the vesicles of the synaptic knob that is released into the postsynaptic structures when a nerve impulse reaches the synaptic knob.

Synaptic knob

The expanded region at the end of an axon terminal, where neurotransmitters are released to communicate with other neurons or muscle cells.