Before understanding ANN, first, let's understand what neurons are and how neurons in our brain actually work. A neuron can be defined as the basic computational unit of the human brain. Our brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons. Each and every neuron is connected through synapses. Neurons receive input from the external environment, sensory organs, or from the other neurons through a branchlike structure called dendrites, as can be seen in the following diagram. These inputs are strengthened or weakened, that is, they are weighted according to their importance and then they are summed together in the soma (cell body). Then, from the cell body, these summed inputs are processed and move through the axons and are sent to the other neurons. The basic single biological neuron is shown in the following diagram:
Now, how do artificial neurons work...