Chapter 33-1 The Nervous System

NWRC BIO 30

Neurons Watch Video

Dendrites receive signals and conduct impulses

Axon carries the nerve impulse from the cell body to other neurons and muscles

Cell body contains nucleus and other cell organelles

The cell body

Contains the cells Nucleus
Round, centrally located structure Contains DNA No role in neural signaling

Dendrites
Information collectors Receive inputs from neighboring neurons Inputs may number in thousands

Dendritic Growth
Mature neurons generally cant divide But new dendrites can grow Provides room for more connections to other neurons New connections are basis for learning

Axon
The cells output structure One axon per cell, 2 distinct parts
tubelike structure branches at end that connect to dendrites of other cells

Neurons

Types of Neurons

Sensory

Motor

Interneurons

Sensory (incoming) Motor (outgoing)

Sensory Neurons
INPUT From sensory organs to the brain and spinal cord.
Some sensory neurons respond to tactile stimuli and can activate motor neurons in order to achieve muscle contraction.

Sensory Neuron

Sensory Neurons
Such connections between sensory and motor neurons underlie motor reflex loops and several forms of involuntary behavior, including pain avoidance. In humans, such reflex circuits are commonly located in the spinal cord..

Sensory Neuron

Motor Neurons
Sensory Neuron Brain

Spin al Cor d

OUTPUT From the brain and spinal cord To the muscles and glands which results in a response. These
transmit impulses from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands that carry out the response. Most motor neurons are stimulated by interneurons, although some are stimulated directly by sensory neurons.

Motor Neuron

Interneurons
Interneurons carry information between other neurons. These
are found exclusively within the spinal cord and brain. They are stimulated by signals reaching them from sensory neurons other interneurons or both. Watch clip on reflex arc
Sensory Neuron Brain

Spinal Cord

Motor Neuron

How do neurons conduct electrical impulses? (watch clip)

Neurons conduct electrical impulses by using the Action Potential. This phenomenon is generated through the flow of positively charged ions across the neuronal membrane.

Begin Notes Here

A Neuron at rest is polarized- this means that the fluids outside the cell membranes have an electrical charge that is

different than the charge inside the cell

Notes
The difference in electrical charge is potential energy that is released when the neuron receives stimulus. Polarization is caused by the concentration of Na+ outside the cell and K+ inside the cell

Notes
The Na+ /K+ pump is made of proteins in the

cell membrane
These pumps move Na+ and K+ in and out of the cell by Active

Transport (remember from chapter 7 that this requires energy- see pg. 206)

Notes
When the pump is open to the inside K+

no longer binds
and Na+ becomes

active

Notes
When the pump is open to the outside Na+ no longer binds and K+ becomes active

Notes
The cell membrane is slightly permeable to K+ so K+ can diffuse out of the cell. The loss of potassium ions by diffusion adds to the more positive charge outside the cell membrane The difference btw the inside and the outside of a resting neuron is called a

resting potential

Notes
The word potential means voltage (which is a measure of electrical energy)

Notes
When a neuron is excited by a stimulus

(such as light , heat, pressure, pain etc) changes in

the resting potential take place.

notes
The Stimulus alters the permeability of the cell membrane The change is permeability is what allows impulses to move along the neuron , carrying messages through the nervous

K+ K+

K+
Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+ Na+

system

notes
In an action potential first the membrane becomes highly permeable to Na+

When a neuron is excited by a stimulus gates permeable to Na+ are opened and ions rush into the cell

K +

Notes
The inward rush of Na+ reverses the polarity of the cell. Now the inside has a greater positive charge than the outside

Notes
Once again this reversal of polarity takes place, the sodium gates close and the potassium gates open

K+ rush out of he cell because there is now a less positive charge outside the cell and they are attracted.

Polarity is reversed again.

Notes
The flow of ions and the changes in the polarity caused by the stimulus creates an electrical current called the action

potential A series of action potentials sweeping down an axon is a nerve impulse

Notes
Restoring resting potential After an action potential has swept along the neuron some of the Na+ that were originally outside the cell are now inside it and some of the K+ moved from outside to inside BUT there are still more K+ inside than outside and more Na+ outside than

inside

Notes
As the action potential continues to move along the neuron a point is reached where there is balance of K+ and Na+ inside and out. At this point the sodium potassium pump operates to once again create a resting potential Na+ ions move into the cell and K+ move out

End of Notes
For every 2 K+ ions pumped in 3 Na+ ions are pumped out. His results in a positive charge outside the neuron and a negative charge inside the cytoplasm

Action Potential
Website I am going to go through this online tutorial quickly so please return to it on your own and work through it

The synapse

The synapseWhen the wave of

Action Potentials reach the end of the axon the electrical signal is converted into a chemical signal. This chemical or neurotransmitter crosses the space (Synapse) between adjacent neurons and initiates an Action Potential on

The Synapse

Assessment questions
1. Both are Vast networks capable of sending and receiving vast amounts of information

Assessment
2. The ions would naturally move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration but forcing ions to concentrate on one side of the cell membrane takes energy

Assessment
3. No. If the sensory neurons do not send impulses to the brain the person would not feel pain.

The end

For further study

View this tutorial with animations