Neurons and

Neurotransmitters

Nervous System
Central nervous system (CNS):
Brain
Spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system (PNS):
Sensory neurons
Motor neurons (somatic and
autonomic)

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The Nervous System

The
The Nervous
Nervous System
System
Central
CentralNervous
NervousSystem
System(CNS)
(CNS)

Brain
Brain

Peripheral
PeripheralNervous
NervousSystem
System(PNS)
(PNS)

Spinal
SpinalCord
Cord

Motor
MotorNeurons
Neurons

Somatic
SomaticNervous
NervousSystem
System
voluntary
voluntarymovements
movementsvia
via
skeletal
muscles
skeletal muscles

Sympathetic
Sympathetic
-- Fight-or-Flight
Fight-or-Flightresponses
responses

Sensory
SensoryNeurons
Neurons

Autonomic
AutonomicNervous
NervousSystem
System
organs,
smooth
muscles
organs, smooth muscles

Parasympathetic
Parasympathetic
--maintenance
maintenance

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Divisions of the autonomic nervous

system

The Nervous System

A physical organ system like any other
2 main kinds of cells
Neurons
Glia

Neurons
Basic units of the nervous system
Receive, integrate, and transmit
information
Operate through electrical impulses
Communicate with other neurons
through chemical signals
More about neurons and neuronal
anatomy later

Glial cells
100 billion neurons
10x more glial cells
Glial cells
Support neurons (literally, provide physical
support, as well as nutrients)
Cover neurons with myelin
Clean up debris
Housewives

Astrocytes
Regulate
external
environment
(ions, etc.)
Most abundant
glial cell
May contribute
to blood-brain
barrier
and to synapses

Three main types of neurons

Sensory Neurons
Interneurons
Motor Neurons

Sensory (Afferent) vs. Motor (Efferent)

sensory (afferent) nerve

Neurons that send signals from the senses,

skin, muscles, and internal organs to the CNS

e.g., skin

motor (efferent) nerve

Neurons that transmit commands from the

CNS to the muscles, glands, and organs

Grays Anatomy 38 1999

e.g., muscle

The Withdrawal Reflex

Neuron Anatomy and Neural

Communication

Neurons
Dendrites

Cell Body
Myelin
Sheath

Axon of another
neuron

Axon

Dendrites of
another neuron

Neural Anatomy
Dendrite
the bushy, branching extensions of a
neuron that receive messages and
conduct impulses toward the cell body

Axon
the extension of a neuron, ending in
branching terminal fibers, through which
messages are sent to other neurons or to
muscles or glands

Neural Anatomy and

communication
Synapse
junction between the axon tip of the sending
neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the
receiving neuron
tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic
gap or cleft
Synapse movie

Specific Parts: The Neuron

Structure

Specific Parts: The Neuron

Function
1.

3.

2.

Neurons = 3 functions: Reception, Conduction, Transmission

Action Potential
When dendrites stimulated, the delicate
balance is altered
Membrane breaks down
Positively charged ions rush in
(depolarization)
Charge = less negative
Causes release of chemicals from
terminal buttons

W. W. Norton

Relay Race
Action Potential starts at dendrite
Through cell body
Down Axon
Axon Terminals
How does it get to the next cells dendrites?
Neurons dont touch
Synapse = millionth inch gap
In synapse = vesicles w/ neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that transmit info

Communication
Impulse releases
neurotransmitter from
vesicles
Neurotransmitter
enters synaptic gap
Neurotransmitter
binds to receptors on
the receiving neuron

Myelin Sheath
Fatty material made by glial cells
Insulates the axon
Allows for rapid movement of
electrical impulses along axon
Nodes of Ranvier: gaps in myelin sheath
where action potentials are transmitted
Multiple sclerosis is a breakdown of
myelin sheath
Speed of neural impulse Ranges from 2
200+ mph

Myelinization clip
Myelin conduction clip

Neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that traverse the
synaptic gaps between neurons
when released by the sending neuron,
neurotransmitters travel across the
synapse and bind to receptor sites on
the receiving neuron, thereby influencing
whether it will generate a neural impulse

Neurotransmitters (>60)
Acetylcholine (ACh)
1st substance identified as NT
Links motor neurons and muscles (contract or relax)
e.g. curare vs black widow spider
Also involved in memory, learning, sleep, dreaming
(acetylcholine movie)
Endorphins (the brains own morphine)
1973 injected rats with morphine
Bound like NTs
Brain had receptors for exogenous substance?
Brain must produce its own morphine
Released during pain and discomfort

More neurotransmitters
Receptor binding movie