NERVOUS SYSTEM NERVOUS TISSUE

− Function for regulation and integration of activities of various organs and Embryology:
parts of the body
A. Origin – Ectoderm
− Due to highly developed properties of irritability and conductivity
B. Anlage (Primordium) develops from 2 anlage:
1. Neural Tubes
Two Divisions: a) Neural Cavity – central canal of spinal cord, ventricles of the brain
b) Walls of Neural Tube – neuron of CNS, neuroglial cells except
− CNS or Neuraxis – brain and spinal cord microglia
− PNS – all nervous elements outside CNS 2. Neural Crest – small mass of cells at lateral margin of neural plate
▪ ANS – part of the PNS that innervates the smooth, cardiac a) Neurons in ganglia (sympathetic ganglia)
muscles, glands b) Capsule cell
c) Adrenals (Chromaffin cells)
d) Melanocytes (Pigment cells)
e) Schwann cell or Neurolemmal sheath cells of all peripheral nerves

Development of Nervous System

Notochord (embryonic life) induces the ectoderm to form neuroepithelium →

thickens, forms neural plate → margins continue to thicken → neural groove → edged
grow towards each other and come together → neural tube → rostral/ anterior part
develops into brain → caudal part develops into spinal cord
Nervous Tissue Components: Nerve Cell Body:

1. Nerve cell or Neuron 1. Shape – spherical, polygonal, angular or pyramidal

2. Supporting cells 2. Nucleus
− only 1, large, spherical or ovoid
Neuron – the only cell type capable of generating and propagating impulses in their
− Pale, centrally located
processes at great speed
− Prominent nucellus and relatively little chromatin, fisheye appearance
− Distinct nuclear membrane
− E/M: double layered interrupted by nuclear pores
Neuron Doctrine of Waldeyer states that a neuron is:

1. An anatomical and structural unit – no cytoplasmic connection from 1 neuron 3. Cytoplasm (Perikaryon):
to another (synapse) a) Cell membrane – axolemma (extends into the axon)
b) Neuroplasm – axoplasm (fluid part that extends to axon)
2. A genetic unit
c) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)
− 1 mature neurons develops from immature neuroblast which
− abundant, with may cisternae in parallel arrays, are prominent in
retains property to divide
large motor neurons.
− Mature neurons do not divide
− Polyribosomes are also scattered throughout the cytoplasm
− Neurons do not regenerate
− These cisternae and polyribosomes when stained with basic dye
appear as clumps of basophilic material called Nissl bodies
3. A physiologic and functional unit – neuron generates and propagates impulses

d) Golgi apparatus
4. A trophic unit – the metabolic activities of all parts are maintained by the
− Arranged in an arc or a complete circle around the nucleus
nucleated portion so that any part separated from it degenerates
approximately halfway between the nucleus and surface membrane
of perikaryon
− L/M: network of irregular wavy strands coarser than the
neurofibrillary network
− E/M: clusters of closely apposed flattened cisternae arranged in
stacks and surrounded by myriad of small vesicles
− Ends of cisternae are frequently dilated, characteristic of protein
secreting cells
− Role: concentrated and slightly modifies proteins synthesized by
granular ER. Involved in the formation of lysosomes, and
neurotransmitter substances
 Nissl bodies, Golgi apparatus: for production and storage of secretions
Structure of a Neuron: functional unit of Nervous system indicating secretory nature of neurons

A. Nerve cell body or Soma

B. Nerve cell processes – axon and dendrites
e) Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)
− Abundant, widely distributed, network of smooth reticulum that
extends into axons and dendrites forming broad, flat, fenestrated
hypolemmal cisternae immediately beneath and parallel to the
plasmalemma of the cell body
− Function: unclear, sequester calcium and contain proteins, and may
provide pathway for their distribution throughout the cell

f) Mitochondria – smaller and numerous in axon terminal

g) Neurofibrils
− neuronal cytoskeleton
Classification of Neurons: (based on the number of processes)
− extends into the dendrites and axons
− E/M: 3 Kinds of Filamentous Structure: 1. Unipolar neuron – 1 process, axon only
1) Microtubules – 20-28 nm diameter, are identical to those in − Common in early embryonal stage
other cells; with slight difference in Microtubule Associated
Proteins (MAP): 2. Pseudounipolar neuron – has only 1 process (dendraxon) which gives out
a) MAP 1 – regulate stability of microtubules and 2 branches:
promote their assembly a) Peripheral process that conveys impulses from skin and other organ
b) MAP 2 – abundant in perikaryon and dendrites; absent b) Central process that conveys impulses away from the cell – makes up
in axon the dorsal root ganglion of spinal cord and sensory ganglia of cervical
c) MAP 3 – present only in axon nerves
2) Neurofilaments (10nm) 3. Bipolar neuron – 1 axon and dendrite
3) Microfilaments (6nm) – actin − common in embryonal stage
− In adults: retina, internal ear, and olfactory nasal epithelium
h) Centrosome
− With pair of centrioles 4. Mutlipolar neuron – only 1 axon and several dendrites
− Seen only in neuroblast − most common type in adults
− No significance in mature neuron − According to morphology: Pyramidal cells of hippocampus and
Purkinje cells of cerebellum
i) Inclusions:
− Pigment granules
− Lipid – storage material or may occur as a result of pathologic
metabolism
− Glycogen
− Dense core vesicles with neurotransmitter acetylcholine
Classification of Neurons: (based on the length of the axon) Impulse Transmission at Synapses occur either:

1. Golgi Type I neuron – long axon; formation of peripheral nerve a. Electrical – uncommon
2. Golgi Type II neuron – short axon − gap junction- free movement of ions from one cell to another

• Group (clusters) of nerve cell bodies in CNS – Nucleus
• Group (clusters) of nerve cell bodies in PNS – Ganglion
• Brachium/ Peduncle/ Lemniscus – bundles of nerve fibers in CNS
• Nerve/ Root/ Trunk/ Cord/ Ramus – bundles of nerve fibers in PNS
SYNAPSE – a specialization for communication between an axon and another
neuron (end to end attachment od neurons)
Types of Synapse:
b. Chemical Synapses – most common
− The axonal terminal or presynaptic membrane of the first cell releases
neurotransmitters (synaptic vesicles)
− Diffuses into the synaptic cleft
▪ Synaptic cleft – is a small gap (20-30 nm) between the
presynaptic membrane of first cell and postsynaptic membrane
of second cell
− Binds to receptors in postsynaptic membrane
− Depolarize postsynaptic membrane to produce an impulse

1. Axodendritic Synaptic Morphology:

2. Axosomatic
3. Axoaxonic • Boutons terminaux – the axon forms a bulbous expansion at its
4. Dendrodendritic terminal end
5. Somatodendritic • Bouton en passage – synaptic contacts in axons are derived from
6. Somatosomatic swellings along the axon, each serves as synaptic site
Supporting Cells of CNS: Supporting Cells of PNS:

Neuroglia – non- nervous supporting cell A. Capsule Cell/ Amphicyte/ Satellite Cell
− Flattened, forms a capsule around the neurons
Classified into:
− Ex. Spinal ganglion
A. Ependyma − Types of Spinal Ganglion:
− Single layer of ependymal cells lining of central canal spinal cord and 1. Cerebrospinal Ganglia – dorsal root ganglion (DRG)
ventricles of the brain 2. Autonomic Ganglia – terminal, sympathetic, collateral
− Resembles simple columnar epithelium
− With tapered proximal end
Differences between DRG and Terminal Ganglion
− Its thread- like processes branch, connect with underlying nervous tissue
BASIS DRG TERMINAL G.
B. Neuroglial Proper – cells with cytoplasmic processes: 1. Cell size Relatively large Smaller
1. Astrocyte/ Astroglia– star/ stellate shaped 2. Shape Globular/ Pyriform Stellate
− Branching cytoplasmic processes 3. Processes Pseudounipolar Multipolar
Types: 4. Nucleus Centrally located Eccentric
a) Protoplasmic Astrocyte – in gray matter of CNS, large pale rounded 5. Capsule Distinct Less distinct
nucleus, abundant granular cytoplasm, numerous thick processes

2. Oligodendrocyte/ Oligodendroglia/ Oligoglia B. Schwann Cell

− Smaller than astrocyte − Forms a long thin tube called Sheath of Schwann or neurilemmal sheath
− Fewer beaded processes containing the axis cylinder with the myelin sheath in between myelin
− More abundant in white matter forming rows or columns along the sheath is glistening lipoid sheath
nerve fiber − Node of Ranvier – point where the neurilemma dips into the myelin
− Interfascicular oligodendrocytes produces myelin and wrap around sheath towards the axon
the axons in CNS ▪ Point of discontinuity between successive Schwann cell along the
length of the axon
3. Microglia − Mesaxon – a pair of parallel membranes marking the line of edge to edge
− Smaller, darker than oligodendrocyte contact of the encircling sheath cell
− In areas of injury, these cells proliferate, enlarge and become − Incisure or Cleft of Schmidt- Lantermann – oblique lines seen in the
phagocytic clearing cellular debris and ingesting damaged myelin myelin sheath
▪ Points of separation of myelin lamellae
▪ Represent places where the cytoplasm of Schwann cell was
trapped during the formation of myelin
 Nerve as an Organ:

− Composed of nerve fibers

− Mixture of motor and sensory fibers
− Motor nerve fiber – an axon of the neuron in the gray matter which innervates
a muscle, or to the end at a ganglion
− Sensory nerve fiber – a peripheral process of a pseudounipolar neuron in the
DRG or sensory ganglia of cranial nerves

1. Epineurium
− Covers the nerve
− Dense fibrous connective tissue
− Outermost and the thickest
Formation of Myelin Sheath: Mechanism of Myelination

1. Schwann cell envelops an axon and wraps its membrane around the axon to 2. Perineurium
form the myelin sheath − Covers each bundle of nerve fibers within the nerve
2. The wrapping continues for more than 50 turns − Dense connective tissue
3. During the process, the cytoplasm is squeezed back into the body of Schwann
cell, bringing the cytoplasmic surfaces of the membranes in contact with each 3. Endoneurium
other thus forming the major dense spirals through the myelin sheath − Surrounds each axon
4. Single Schwann cell myelinates only one internode of a single axon in PNS − Loose connective tissue
5. Oligodendroglia myelinates an internode of several axons in CNS
 3. Wallerian degeneration/ Secondary degeneration – in distal portion of axon
a. Axis cylinder swells → fragments
b. Myelin sheath liquifies
c. Neurolemmal cell proliferate → phagocytic, removes the remnants of
axis cylinder and myelin sheath
− Extends up to the synapse only
− Next neuron may not be affected
− If affected → transneuronal degeneration

4. Retrograde Degeneration – proximal to the site of damage

− Occurs in the central stump
− Changes similar to Wallerian degeneration
− Towards the cell body for a distance of one or few nodes of Ranvier

Regeneration will occur after a time:

− Axon thickens, becomes the growing tip from which many branches would
grow
Nerve Degeneration: Neuron is a Trophic unit − It will be guided by band fiber of Bungner
− Forms tubular structures by the neurolemma
− Cutting an axon will cause degenerative changes of the entire neuron − Occurs after remnants of degenerated axon and myelin sheath were
− The changes are: phagocytized
− Rate of elongation of axon is 3-4 mm/day
1. Primary degeneration – local reaction at the site of damage, extends only a
distance from the point of injury

2. Retrograde Chromatolysis – in nerve cell body, after 24 hours

a. Swelling of Nerve cell body
b. Displacement of Nucleus
c. Chromatolysis/ Dissolution of nerve cell body
d. Disruption and dispersal of golgi apparatus