What is the cause of most of a single neuron's energy expenditure? Options

[Michael1235]

Please help ! I would like to know what is the cause of most of a single neuron's energy expenditure? for example a majority of a neuron's energy expenditure is used for/ because of what??

[lucid_dream]

establishing and retaining ionic gradients probably factors high

[Jakare]

Neurons are not meant to work alone at all. Their very purpose is to be a web so what happens to one will affect other neurons conected to the first. So the energy expenditure will depend on the strengh of the impulse. If the stimulus is strong enough (or relevant enough) it will trigger a reaction throught the web activating the whole "circuit" or group of neurons with an special purpose which can be a massive production of neurotransmisors or just triggering the signal (with some kind of information processing or not) to other groups of neurons "circuits". So the more energy expenditure the more probabilities the signal has to be spreaded whether the goal is to communicate or to cut a communication between other neurons.
I dont know if that is what you wanted to know.
From other point of view the energy expenditure will highly rely on the neuron capacity to metabolize oxigen and glucose, etc...and of course the membrane conductivity as Lucid_dream pointed above.

[astroidea]

establishing and retaining ionic gradients probably factors high

I'd go with this.
A lot of active transport goes on to maintain the ionic concentrations in a resting neuron.
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072...pump_works.html