Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy

Histology /First stage

Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari

NERVOUS TISSUE

The Nervous System is the most complex system in the body histologically and
physiologically. It is formed by interconnected network of billions of neurons or nerve cells
and supporting glial cells. In addition to the cells, there are many blood vessels that are
separated from the nervous tissue by the blood brain barrier.
The nervous system is divided into the following:
• The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and the spinal cord, which are
located in the cranial cavity and spinal canal, respectively.
• The peripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of cranial, spinal, and peripheral nerves
that conduct impulses from (efferent or motor nerves) and to (the afferent or sensory nerves
of ) the CNS, collections of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS called ganglia.
COMPOSITION OF NERVE TISSUE
Nerve tissue consists of two principal types of cells: neurons and supporting cells.

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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari
1- The neuron or nerve cell is the functional unit of the nervous system. It consists of a cell
body . Nerve cells are specialized to receive stimuli from other cells and to conduct electrical
impulses to other parts of the system via their processes.
Specialized contacts between neurons that provide for transmission of information from one
neuron to the next are called synapses.
The neuron is the structural and functional unit of the nervous system.
The human nervous system contains more than 10 billion neurons.
Nerve cells are classified based on the type of the message they transmits (Functional
classification)
 Sensory neurons convey impulses from receptors to the CNS.
 Motor neurons convey impulses from the CNS or ganglia to effector cells. (Fig.1).
• Interneurons, also called intercalated neurons, form a communicating and integrating
network between the sensory and motor neurons.

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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari

FIGURE 1 • Diagram of a motor neuron

1. Neurons :

Are the chief functioning cells of nervous system .They are highly specialized cell
capable of reception , integration of information which are coming to them as stimuli.

Neuron part : cell body is large , rounded , pale with prominent one or more nucleoli.

Nissel granules : are prominent basophilic granules in the cell body located , they are
absent in neuritis.

A con like projection leading to extension of axon is called axon hillock.

They have 2 types :-

1.Soma or cell body (perikaryon) with large surface area.

2.Neurites : branch like extensions , and this divide to :-

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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari
a- Dendrites (the receiving processes).

b- Axon (the efferent processes).

There is one axon and many dendrites.

Node of ranvier located between two consecutive Schwann cells.

node of ranvier

Classification of neurons or dendrites according to the number of neuritis:

1. Unipolar neurons : these have a single neuritis dividing in to two :

a–one dendrite.

b_another axonal branch

2. Bipolar neurons :have neuritis at each end of the cell body , it`s shape is oval.

3.Multipolar neurons : most of the cells are this type , having multiple neuritis.

multipolar neurons

4.Psedounipolar neurons : are bipolar in origin but assume secondary unipolar shape
during development , as two poles due to the folding of the cell body , com near to each
other and giving a false unipolar appearance.
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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari
Synaptic Communication
Synapses are specialized junctions between neurons that facilitate the transmission of
impulses from one (presynaptic) neuron to another (postsynaptic) neuron. Synapses also
occur between axons and effector (target) cells, such as muscle and gland cells. Synapses
between neurons may be classified morphologically as:
• axodendritic,
occurring between axons
and dendrites.
• axosomatic,
occurring between axons
and the cell body.
• axoaxonic,
occurring between axons
and axons .
FIGURE : Types of synapses

CNS Supportive Cells

• Astrocytes- most numerous & versatile, radiating processes anchor neurons to
capillaries (form BBB); chemical control (K, recycle neurotrans.)
• Microglia- Ovoid cells, monitor neuron health, brain macrophages”
• phagocytize cellular wastes & pathogens
• Ependymal cells- range in shape from squamous to columnar, line central
cavities of CNS,produce, monitor & help circulate CSF (cerebrospinal fluid)
• Oligodendrocytes- producers of myelin sheaths around axons of neurons in the
CNS. Myelinated axons transmit impulses faster than unmyelinated axons

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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari

PNS Supportive Cells

• Satellite cells (amphicytes)-surround and support groups of cell bodies of
neurons within ganglia of the PNS
• Schwann cells (neurolemmocytes) surround all axons of neurons in the PNS
creating a neurilemma around them. Neurilemma allows for potential regeneration of
damaged axons
• creates myelin sheath around most axons of PNS

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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari

CNS, Gray Matter, White Matter

A. White matter - usually cortical (cerebrum and cerebellum are exceptions and have
medullary white matter). Composed of myelinated and unmyelinated axons,
oligodendrocytes, mainly fibrous astrocytes, and microglial cells. White color due Two
major components of nervous system.

1. central nervous system (CNS) - brain, spinal cord.

2. peripheral nervous system (PNS) - nerves extending toward or away from CNS and
ganglia (aggregations of nerve cell bodies outside CNS).

B. Gray matter - usually medullary (cerebrum and cerebellum are exceptions and have
cortical gray matter). Composed of neuron perikarya, dendrites and portions of axons that
extend from neurons, mainly protoplasmic astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglial cells.
Dendrites and portions of axons may be myelinated.

C. Consider spinal cord structure versus cerebrum and cerebellum structure.

1. Spinal cord

a. cortical white matter

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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari
b. medullary gray matter in a butterfly shape with the “wings of the butterfly” connected by
the gray commissure

c. central canal lined with ependymal cells is present centrally within the gray commissure

d. gray matter divided into

* ventral (anterior) horns - ventral roots, motor function (this is where motor neurons that
control the activities of skeletal muscle are located)

* dorsal (posterior) horns - dorsal roots, sensory function (this is where sensory axons
from the peripheral nervous system enter the spinal cord and synapse on interneurons)

2. Cerebellum

a. composed of many folds called folia.

b. these folds have cortical gray matter, medullary white matter.

c. the cortical gray matter is divided into 3 regions.

* Most external - molecular layer with fewer neuron perikarya and many unmyelinated
axons and dendrites.

* Middle - Purkinje cell layer - single layer of neurons with perikarya lying between
molecular layer and granular layer. Highly branched dendritic tree that extends into
molecular layer. Axon extends into granular layer. Dendritic branching in one plane (fan-
shaped).

* Inner - granular layer - Smallest neurons in human body (5 um diameter). Neurons are
multipolar with 3 - 6 dendrites and one axon.

3. Cerebrum

a. Composed of folds called gyri.

b. cortical gray matter and medullary white matter.

c. Perikarya of neurons in cerebrum are mostly pyramidal, stellate, or spindal shaped.

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 Ahlulbait university / College of Pharmacy
Histology /First stage
Lec.3 Lecturer: Dr. Zainab S. Al-Shimmari
Blood-BrainBarrier
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a functional barrier that allows much tighter control than
that in most tissues over the passage of substances moving from blood into the CNS tissue,
protecting the nature of the neuronal microenvironment. The main structural component of
the BBB is the capillary endothelium, in which the cells are tightly sealed together with well-
developed occluding junctions and show little or no transcytosis. Moreover, the basal lamina
of capillaries in most CNS regions is enveloped by the perivascular feet of astrocytes, which
further regulate passage of molecules and ions from blood to brain.

Schematic drawing of blood–brain barrier.

Choroid-Plexus
The choroid plexus is a highly specialized tissue that projects as elaborate folds with many
villi into the four large ventricles of the brain. The choroid plexus is a plexus of cells that
produces the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain. The choroid plexus
consists of modified ependymal cells.