1) Artificial neural networks are made up of nodes that pass signals through connection links. Each node applies an activation function to determine its output signal.
2) Neural networks can be classified based on number of layers (single, bi-layer, multi-layer) or direction of information flow (feed forward, recurrent).
3) Backpropagation is commonly used for training, which involves passing inputs forward and propagating errors backward to adjust weights. Other algorithms like conjugate gradient and radial basis function training also exist.